Tag: Colombia

Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Main

Scientists Find the $17-Billion ‘Holy Grail of Shipwrecks’

SCIENCE Three years after locating the ghostly galleon San José, researchers reveal how they made their famous find. (Science Alert) Use our article to learn how marine archaeologists explore the history and cultures of ancient civilizations. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas What was the San José? Why was it so laden with precious metals … Continue reading Scientists Find the $17-Billion ‘Holy Grail of Shipwrecks’

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Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Main

Oil Spill Devastates Western Colombia

ENVIRONMENT At the beginning of March, an oil well in northern Colombia burst, spewing an unclear amount of oil into the Magdalena River. (National Geographic) Use our resources to learn more about oil spills and their impact on ecosystems and human activity. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Hundreds of barrels of petroleum have spilled … Continue reading Oil Spill Devastates Western Colombia

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Current Event Connection, Geography In the News, Main

Record Number of Internally Displaced Persons

WORLD A record 33.3 million people around the world had been internally displaced by conflict at the end of 2013—that’s 4.5 million more than 2012, an international report said this week. (Reuters) Use our mapping resources to better understand internally displaced people, refugees, and asylum-seekers. Discussion Ideas According to the Reuters article and the Norwegian Refugee Council, most internally displaced persons (IDPs) forced to migrate due … Continue reading Record Number of Internally Displaced Persons

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Current Event Connection, Geography In the News, Main

Colombians Are Tired of People Misspelling Their Country’s Name

GEOGRAPHY It’s Colombia, not Columbia. Organizations including Virgin Mobile, P.F. Chang’s and Lufthansa—and performers including Paris Hilton, Ozzy Osbourne, and Justin Bieber—have all made the mistake recently, which really annoys Colombians. (Wall Street Journal) Don’t be like Bieber. Use our mapping resources to put the right names with the right places. Discussion Questions Why does it matter that people misspell Colombia? Read the terrific Wall … Continue reading Colombians Are Tired of People Misspelling Their Country’s Name

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Cartography Award Winners PT 2: Aly DeGraff

Thumbnail image for Alison K. DeGraff - Treasure Island EDITED-10.jpg
Each year the National Geographic Society sponsors a number of cartography awards to support up-and-coming student map makers. Last week, we met Adam Thom, winner of the Arthur Robinson Award. This week, we’ll meet Aly DeGraff, who won the National Geographic Award in Mapping with Treasure Island, a map of Colombia’s Isla de Providencia, a.k.a. Old Providence Island. Her prize: $900 and a National Geographic Atlas. Aly shared her map with us, as well as her thoughts on cartography, design, and “ground-truthing.”
First, can you give us some information about yourself?
What was your undergraduate major?
Geography with minors in Latin American History and Portuguese
Where are you from?
East Middlebury, VT
Name one or more dream jobs: 
Cartographer
Who is your favorite geographer, map maker, or adventurer?
Bernard Nietschmann, a Latin Americanist Cultural Geographer whose work focused on empowering native peoples to fight to protect their rights to land and the environment, and on the use of traditional knowledge in marine conservation (he received five grants from National Geographic for his work).
What is your favorite thing about cartography?
I love making visually appealing and yet extremely practical products that help the audience to approach the landscape through a new and different mindset.
Name an important skill that you learned before college: 
The most important skill I learned before college was basic graphic design from my mom. I understood early on the importance of presentation in my work and I cannot thank her enough for that!
Now then, about your map…
What class was it for?
I turned the final work in for my Spatial Visualization (Cartography) class, but I collected all the field data during an independent mapping project over Middlebury College’s January-Term
What inspired you to do this project?
I decided to embark on creating a map of Old Providence, Colombia on my second trip to the tiny Caribbean island where my best friend spent his childhood.

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