Here’s an advance look at 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 or lesson plan so you can plan ahead.
Check out our Pinterest board for more related resources!
Monday, February 19
Art by Vincent Decourt, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-4.0
TDIGH: Rescuers Reach the Donner Party
The Donner Party made crucial geographic mistakes from the beginning of their journey west. Lesson: “Remember, never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can.”
Background: Wikipedia has an outstanding timeline of the events of the Donner Party. Alternately, if you have the opportunity to watch the outstanding documentary The Donner Party, discuss why it’s been called “the most terrifying PBS special of all time.”
Activity: Use this podcast and worksheet to develop a class debate: Was Lansford Hastings responsible for the tragedy? This is an excellent geography lesson!
Monday, February 19
Photograph by Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic
TDIGH: First Oil Pipeline Completed
Since the first oil pipeline was built in Pennsylvania in 1863, networks of underground pipelines have been constructed around the world.
Map: Navigate this interactive map of U.S. pipelines.
Background: Learn what is being transported in those pipelines, and why it matters.
Activity: Connect this to the simmering debate over the Dakota Access Pipeline by reading “Dakota Access Pipeline: What You Need to Know” and NPR’s series on the topic.
Tuesday, February 20
Russia’s “national ballet” went en pointe, with dueling swans and a quartet of cygnets (above), in 1877.
Visual: Compare and contrast the delightfully famous cygnets dance above (the Pacific Northwest Ballet) with this version from the Mariinsky Ballet and this version from choreographer Matthew Bourne.
Background: This short synopsis of Swan Lake might help students follow the loose narrative of the ballet.
Activity: Swan Lake is nicknamed Russia’s “national ballet.” The performance has roots in Russian arts, culture, and history. Can students think of a movie, piece of music, or dance that embodies the United States? Why?
Tuesday, February 20
Photograph by James P. Blair, National Geographic
President Nixon’s surprising 1972 visit to Beijing paved the way for the U.S. government’s eventual recognition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Visual: Interactive timeline of US-China relations
Background: The Two Chinas
Activity: Considering the context of 1972 (the Cold War and the Vietnam War), why did the U.S. want to have improved relations with China? (Answer can be found here.)
Thursday, February 20
This 1980 upset victory of the U.S. over the Soviet Union in hockey was named the international “story of the century” by the International Ice Hockey Federation, and Sports Illustrated’s “sports moment of the century.”
Background: Learn how journalists prepared to cover the game, and how hockey coverage has changed since 1980.
Activity: The “Miracle on Ice” was promoted as a sort of victory of capitalism over communism. Do you think Olympic or international sports stories are still promoted in that way? Think about coverage of the current PyeongChang games and use our study guides on the Russian and Korean delegations as jumping-off points.