Here’s an advance look at a some of the “This Day in Geographic History” (TDIGH) events coming up this week. For each date, we’ve matched it with a map or visual, background information, and a classroom activity so you can plan ahead.
Monday, October 31
In 2011 the UN recognized that the worldwide population had reached 7 billion; it is projected to pass 9 billion by 2050.
Map: Population Density
Background: 7 billion video
Activity: Why are some parts of the world more crowded than others?
Tuesday, November 1
TDIGH: Happy Birthday, Alfred Wegener
Geologist Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift, the idea that continents move over time, was later explained by plate tectonics.
Map: The movement of Earth’s tectonic plates
Background: Continental drift
Activity: Watch this video about plate tectonics.
Friday, November 4
TDIGH: King Tut’s Tomb Discovered
In 1922, the tomb of the boy pharaoh was discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, nearly 3,000 years after his death.
Visual: Exclusive photos of King Tut’s tomb
Background: More info about the pharaoh’s life and early death
Activity: Learn about and discuss the “virtual autopsy” of King Tut.
In response to US support for the deposed shah, Iranian revolutionaries stormed the US embassy in 1979 and held Americans hostage for over a year.
Map: Iran
Background: Timeline of US-Iranian relations
Activity: Read and discuss reactions to the crisis at the time. Ask students if they agree with how Carter handled the crisis. How could he have responded differently?
Saturday, November 5
TDIGH: Susan B. Anthony Illegally Votes
The famous suffragist and women’s rights advocate illegally voted in 1872, decades before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.
Visual: Map showing the role of women voters in the 2016 election
Background: Woman Suffrage
Activity: Read The 1913 March for Woman Suffrage. Why was there conflict between the woman suffrage movement and civil rights movement?