What did you learn this week? Let us know in the comments or at education@ngs.org.
This week, we learned …
… the World Nomad Games are SPECTACULAR.
- The World Nomad Games are being held at Lake Issyk-Kul. Find the lake on our map of Kyrgyzstan!
- Take a look at some of the sporting events at the World Nomad Games. What sports most intrigue you?
- One of the events at the World Nomad Games is yurt-building. What is a yurt? Can you build your own? (yes!)
- Why do you think horses play such a crucial part in the World Nomad Games?
… how to raise a genius.

Photograph by Lynn Johnson, National Geographic
- What is a genius?
- Who are some people we often refer to as “geniuses”? Why?
- “Whether we like it or not, these people really do control our society,” says one researcher. Do you agree?
… Yosemite just grew by 400 acres, and China is crowdfunding to preserve the Great Wall.

Photograph by Pillsbury Picture Co., courtesy National Geographic
- Take a look at our national park map. Are there any parks you would expand?
- If a national park wanted to expand into your neighborhood, would you support it? Why or why not?
- Do you think heritage sites such as national parks or the Great Wall should rely on private donations? Do you support taxes to fund their maintenance?
… what it’s like to be America’s wildest coyote. (Best read of the week!)

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic
- Why do you think immigrants take such risks to immigrate illegally to the United States?
- Why do you think “coyotes” such as Elden Kidd take such risks to conduct illegal “people smuggling” businesses?
- What “artifacts” do you think immigrants and coyotes leave as they cross the border?
… a VC firm’s simple investment thesis: Follow the women.

Photograph by Lynsey Addario, National Geographic
- Take an informal survey of your class. Is there a difference in how often boys and girls use social media?
- What pop culture memes, games, or news have you discovered through friends on social media lately?
- Why do you think young women are more active on social media sites such as Pintrest and Instagram, but men are more active on Twitter or Reddit?
… deep in the swamps, archaeologists are finding out how fugitive slaves kept their freedom.

Map by National Geographic Maps
- The article traces the history of “maroons” in the Great Dismal Swamp. Who were the maroons?
- What are some artifacts of hidden African American communities that archaeologists might have discovered?
- Besides African American slaves, what other groups found refuge in the Great Dismal Swamp?
… elephant footprints are their own tiny ecosystem.

Photograph by Michael Nichols, National Geographic
- What sort of creatures do you think find their home in elephant footprints?
- How does an elephant footprint benefit these animals? How do you think elephant poaching is impacting these animals?
- How do elephants and other animals adapt to wet and dry seasons?
… how to pick the fastest line at the supermarket. (Geography you can use!)

Photograph by David Shankbone, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-3.0
- Do an informal test and try some of these tricks at the supermarket this week. Which ones work?
- Where else do you typically wait in long lines?
- Do you think the tricks for choosing the fastest line at the supermarket would work anywhere else?
… what would happen if we burned all the fossil fuels on Earth.

Photograph by Emory Kristof, National Geographic
- What are some examples of fossil fuels?
- What impact does burning fossil fuels have on the environment?
- What are some alternatives to fossil fuels?
… Mumbai has an innovative, eco-friendly, women-only restroom.

Photograph by Sahej Mantri/Agasti
- Why is this public restroom a critical “safe space” for women in Mumbai?
- How does a restroom provide a public health service?
- Why do you think public health issues disproportionately impact the poor?
… Rapid City, South Dakota, has the most unpredictable weather in the country.

Photograph by Dykinga Photography LLC, courtesy National Geographic
- What makes for “wild weather”?
- Why does Rapid City have such unpredictable weather?
- Why do you think most of the places with unpredictable weather in the U.S. are not densely populated?
- Make a map of the cities with the most unpredictable weather in the U.S.! Send it to us at education@ngs.org and we’ll feature it here on the blog!
I’m a little late to this party but I love the concept of using bites of information to share for educators. National Geographic has been a staple of mine for many years. Thank you for making interesting finds easy.
This made our day!
Thank you so much for your gracious feedback and please let us know how you or educators you know are using our resources, and how we can improve them!