Tag: urban planning

Educator Spotlight, Main

Educator Spotlight: Designing Sustainable Cities

Reggie Vasquez challenged his fifth-graders to design a future city incorporating sustainable and alternative energy sources. Students used the inquiry process and education technology, such as green screen, virtual reality, and mapping tools, to create public service announcements explaining their sustainable cities. What inspired you to create a National Geographic Educator Certification project focused on designing sustainable cities? My young children, my students, my passion … Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Designing Sustainable Cities

Jessica SheaLeave a comment
Classroom Ideas, Educator Spotlight, Exploring Our World, Main

Educator Spotlight: Exploring Human Geography Outside

Eric Carlson, this week’s Educator of the Week, is an American educator teaching human geography in Beijing, China. Eric is as passionate about geography as he is about teaching, and he uses his own personal travels to enhance his classes. In an effort to get his students out of the classroom and to bring geography to life, Eric created the Beijing Explorers Club, which tackles … Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Exploring Human Geography Outside

Kristen Smith1 Comment
Current Event Connection, Main

14 Things We Learned This Week!

What did you learn this week? Let us know in the comments or at education@ngs.org. This week, we learned … … that you can download and print absolutely gorgeous Landsat maps of your state. DO IT!     … “Elegy for the Arctic” is a haunting composition for piano accompanied by crumbling glacier.     … an L.A. artist’s ’emancipation project’ encourages students to create … Continue reading 14 Things We Learned This Week!

carylsue3 Comments
Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Geography In the News, Main

Five Cities That Are Leading the Way in Urban Innovation

WORLD From skyline gondolas to downtown “pink zones,” urban planners around the world are redefining what cities can be. (Wall Street Journal) Use our resources to learn more about the challenges of urban planning. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources, including today’s simple MapMaker Interactive map. Discussion Ideas Read through the questions in our “Housing in Jaipur” study guide. What are … Continue reading Five Cities That Are Leading the Way in Urban Innovation

carylsue1 Comment
Current Event Connection, Geography In the News, Main

Study Records Biodiversity in Cities

ENVIRONMENT A new study has found that cities supported far fewer species of birds and plants compared with similar areas of undeveloped land. However, it also showed the vast majority of flora and fauna in a city reflected an area’s “unique biotic heritage.” (BBC) Use our resources to better understand biodiversity. Discussion Ideas This fascinating new study has a “good news/bad news” quality. What is … Continue reading Study Records Biodiversity in Cities

carylsue2 Comments