Using Today's (5/16) Maps in the Classroom

Two maps appeared online today. One, the Made in New York Digital Map shows the startups in New York City. It has received quite a lot of buzz, especially from the technology press. The other map, The AFL Players' Indigenous Map 2012 showing the home areas of indigenous soccer players in the Australian Football League, received far less. The two maps illustrate how two different organizations are using the medium to make sense of the world in 2012.

Made in NY Digital Map

AFL Players' Indigenous Map

These two maps could be the basis of a classroom comparison/contrast project. Half the students could explore the NYC map and the other half the Australian map, considering questions like:

• Describe what the map shows in one sentence.
• Who made the map?
• Who did they make it for?
• Why did they make it?
• What are the benefits for the maker?
• What are the benefits for the user?
• Why is a geographic perspective important for this topic/story?
• What kinds of questions does this map prompt?
• What might you change about how the map looks (cartography or interface) to make it more effective?
• What might you change about the content (add more, remove some) to make it more effective?
• Could you convey the same information in a static (printed on paper) map? Why or why not?
• What one thing did you learn from the map that you didn't know before?

Then, together, the class could compare the goals, techniques and success of the two maps in achieving their goals. 

• What do the maps have in common?
• What is different?
• Which of these maps is more likely to spur the user to action?

Decide to Make a Difference; Choose Geo-Literacy

Those are not my words, they are the closing words from the two most recent National Geographic Education videos. The first is titled What is Geo-Literacy? and the second is titled Why is Geo-literacy Important?

The first video recaps the three "I"s that define geo-literacy: interactions (systems), interconnections (how one place connects to another, reasoning) and implications (selecting a good choices for the future). The second video suggests why we need to enhance funding and teaching of geo-literacy. If we do not, the video suggests, we are likely to make poor decisions about our personal and global future (and perhaps already have).

The videos present a lot of information, not the least of which is that geography, while selected as a core academic subject by Congress in 2001, has received no funding whatsoever. All of the other core academic subjects have been funded to some degree. (See: 1:57 of Why? video)

I want to challenge National Geographic to do more.

• I want it to answer the logical follow up to the closing words of the videos cited in my title: What would you like viewers to do? What action(s) should they take? 
• These videos seem to be aimed at educators, parents and perhaps Congress. I want National Geographic to suggest with whom it wants viewers to share the videos.
• I encourage National Geographic to add some context to the videos (on Vimeo as of May 1 and YouTube as of May 10). Why were these made? At whom are they addressed? Where are further resources? Neither the Vimeo or YouTube versions have descriptive information as this post goes to press. Such information is very valuable to the press, among others!

The videos are a great start in getting the word out about geo-literacy. I look forward to seeing National Geographic's vision for action on the issue.