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National Geographic Connections


Natl Geographic

What's new in November?

Each week in November, NG's Places of a Lifetime site is featuring photo galleries of some of Europe's most famous capitals.Old Town Sq Praque
These visuals provide a wonderful hook and launch for classroom discussion, conveying a feel for European culture. These particular images often provide powerful depictions of contrasts. For example, take the shots of Prague - the images of Old Town Square vs. the very modern Dancing House.

And just in time for your 3rd Six Weeks Content coverage of Latin America ...be sure to check out the NGs special report on Mexico City, especially the multimedia features.

For further professional development support / resources related to Latin America, check out what UT Hemispheres is offering you this month in our PD column below.


NG magazine, November Issue -
"The End of Night: Why We Need Darkness "

[ National Geographic November, 2008]

End_of_Night cover

If you haven't a copy, borrow ours!
PREVIOUS ISSUES:

October, 2008 Cover Story: "The Other Humans: Why did our Ice Age rivals the Neandertals vanish? Or, did they?"

September, 2008 Cover Story: Where Food Begins - an examination of interrelated problems afflicting soils all over the planet.

August, 2008 Cover Story: Persia Ancient Soul of Iran - read the fascinating story of the glorious past that today inspires a conflicted nation.
Spectacular images of scenes nearer than you know await you!

In a story about a Canadian wilderness region, Muskwa-Kechika, and a story about Mexico's Cueva de los Cristales, or Cave of Crystals, the photos in this month's issue of National Geographic will once again blow you away!

And yes, the cover story about The End of Night is pretty interesting too.

How well did you do on last month's quiz? Are you ready for this month's?
Test your knowledge about crystal formations by taking the November's 8-question quiz.

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Did You Know About:

 N.G.'s MapMachine - Use the National Geographic dynamic atlas to locate nearly any place on Earth, then search for and print historical, weather, population, and other maps of the spot.


xpeditions
Xpeditions is home to the U.S. National Geography Standards - and to thousands of ideas, tools, and interactive adventures that bring them to life. An excellent collection of atlas maps as well as lesson plans make this site well worth your browsing!

Professional Development Opportunities

LLILAS

 

U.T. Hemispheres Presents


CONFERENCE: Olmec - The Origins of Ancient Mexican Civilization

LOCATION: University of Texas


DATE(s): November 20-21, 2008
[CPE hours will be granted for educators who attend.]


The Mexican Center of the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) will host a symposium on Olmec art and archaeology, and will explore the most recent scholarship by senior specialists in the field.

This conference will bring together leading experts on Olmec culture from Mexico and the U.S. Precursors to the better-known Maya culture, the Olmec (1500-400 BCE) are recognized in current scholarship as the foundation of civilization in Mesoamerica.

Olmec head
To register for the conference as part of your professional development contact Natalie Arsenault, LLILAS Outreach Director, or phone 512-232-2404 for further information. Detailed information about guest speakers and scheduled events can be found on the LLILAS site's Conference page. As a sidenote of interest, LLILAS will receive as a gift from the Universidad Veracruzana at Xalapa, a full-scale stone reproduction of Olmec Colossal Head #1, also known as "El Rey." The official unveiling ceremony for this sculpture will take place during the course of the symposium.



GIS Day
In 1998, a small troop of City of Austin geographers and cartographers brought GIS to the Austin Children’s Museum and celebrated the 1st City of Austin GIS Day. They displayed maps and set up one computer to show high resolution black & white aerials. In 2008, the City of Austin will hold its 10th Annual GIS Day at City Hall. From its humble beginnings, the day has evolved into an event that showcases the many uses of GIS, allows professionals to interact, and educates users and the public about this impressive technology. The event is free to the public. Scheduled events include:

- Presentations on the uses of GIS

- Department Booths and Displays

- Map Gallery

- Awards & Recognition

- GIS Day Cookies

...and much more!

COA GIS

- City of Austin GIS viewer
- Free GIS data

Resources for World Geography

National Geography Awareness Week / Theme Announced

Geo Action logoFor more than a century, the National Geographic Society has fostered awareness of the world’s diverse cultures and environments. The tradition continues with Geography Action!, an annual awareness program that helps educators promote geographic fluency in schools and communities across the United States and Canada. Geography Awareness Week has been held the third week of November since 1987. The purpose of Geography Awareness Week is to promote geographic education in schools and among the public. Each year Geography Awareness Week has a specific theme, this year's theme is "the Americas", with a focus on North America. The Wednesday of National Geography Awareness Week has been specifically designated as GIS Day

Join schools from across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico in planning celebrations during Geography Awareness Week, November 16-22, and throughout the school year. Download a free Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit filled with activities, maps, and tips for planning highly interactive, festive events for students, families, and communities to enjoy.

You'll also find the following resource sites for Geography on the Geography Action page:

My_Wonderful_World


My Wonderful World is a National Geographic-led campaign -backed by a coalition of national business and non-profit organizations - to expand geographic learning in school, at home, and in communities. We want to give kids the power of global knowledge. In the campaign's first year, more than 55,000 people like you signed up to show their support. Be sure to check out the Educator's Action Kit.

NCGE

The National Council for Geographic Education works to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning.
The NCGE conference will be held October 9-12 in Dearborn, Michigan.

 

Natl_Geo_Bee

Test your geography smarts right here online. Each day you'll find here ten questions posted from the National Geographic Bee. Some of them are real stumpers, for all of us except our supervisor Joe - and he's always ready to be challenged...any takers? Is your school registered to take part in the National Geographic Bee? Visit the site to find out how to register your school.


TAGE Announces 2008 Statewide Geography Awareness Week Poster Contest
TAGE
Each year, the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education hosts a statewide poster contest for K-12 students based on the Geography Action! program. (see article above) Participating campuses must register for the poster contest by October 10th . Complete information and registration materials can be found on the Texas Alliance website.

This year's poster contest theme is:

Americas globeMapping the Americas:
Exploring People, Places, Environment, Culture, Landscape.


The 2008 poster contest theme allows K-12 students, in four grade categories, to demonstrate their creativity while learning about the cultural and physical geography of North and South America. It also provides an opportunity to compare and contrast geographic aspects of the two continents.


Please note: Teachers who register their schools for the 2008 Texas Alliance Statewide Poster Contest will automatically receive Geography Action! tool kits for their participating teachers.

TAGE resources:



Additional Web resources for World Geography

TALWGTeaching And Learning World Geography (TALWG) is a cooperative effort of the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education and Texas A&M University, supported by several school districts and Educational Service Centers, to develop and deliver model professional development workshops for high school World Geography Studies teachers. The model workshops and supporting materials (agendas, participant activities, lesson plans, and additional products and resources) are being developed by a steering committee of master teacher-consultants and university faculty

Geo_Teacher

R. S. Williams serves as Lead Teacher for the Social Studies Department at Denbigh High School in Newport News, VA. Her site, Geography Classroom is designed to be a research tool for high school students, an instructional tool for teachers, and a support tool for parents. This site mainly provides links of interest to those who study and teach Geography at the secondary level.

DLESE

DLESE is the Digital Library for Earth System Education, a free resource that supports teaching and learning about the Earth system. DLESE's development was funded by the National Science Foundation and continues to be built by a distributed community of educators, students, and scientists to support Earth system education at all levels.

Thank you to former Bowie World Geography teacher Andrea Ramirez for many of these suggestions:

Please forward your favorite Web Resource links for World Geography to our WebManager.

 

9th graders TAKS Review

TAKS[Courtesy of ESC Region XIII]