Earth @ Night

Because of the requirements of social distancing during the Coronavirus crisis, the EarthView team is using this blog to offer a variety of new geography lessons and activities -- please explore, as some have recently been posted.

We are also going to be offering some new ways to visualize the world while our giant maps and globes are safely tucked away. The first of these is an exploration of a famous satellite image that was produced in November 2000 and reproduced on thousands of printed posters since then.

BONUS: With the help of colleagues at RISE-UP! in Fitchburg, we have created a prequel to this video; it describes in greater detail some of the concepts used in the main video. Together, these videos comprise 40 minutes of instruction.

NOTE: Correction: this video includes an incorrect guess of South Africa's population. I meant only to say that greater Johannesburg has about 1/6 of the country's total population.

During the presentation, I promised to include a link to my personal experience of a solar eclipse in Chile in 2019.

Explore the image and technical details by clicking on the links below.

Astronomy Picture of the Day November 27, 2000
Imagery from the former DMSP program

DIY Reusable Shopping Bag

Contribution by Wrangler Bridget Byrne

Here's a hands-on activity for all ages: reusable shopping bags! This activity is great to keep young students engaged but also is also great for the whole family. They are eco-friendly because they reduce plastic and textile waste. Learn how to make them below!

Materials: T-Shirt (any size but preferably adult size S-M), scissors, and markers.

Step1: First, lay your shirt flat on a smooth surface like a table or floor. If your shirt has a design you want your bag to show off, flip your shirt inside out before laying it down, like mine!

 Step 2: Draw a line 1 inch down from the neckline with a marker and cut it off. Make lines on each of the seams on the sleeves and cut these off, too. You should be left with a shirt that resembles a tank top.

Step 3: Cut a straight line along the bottom of the shirt around one inch above the hem. Do not throw away the excess, we will need it in the next step.

Step 4: Make one cut on the excess fabric so it is one long piece instead of an oval.

Step Five: Gather the bottom part of the shirt in a fist. Use the excess fabric from step 4 to tie around the gathered end of the shirt. Make sure to tie it really tight!

Step 6: Flip the shirt inside out and enjoy your new reusable bag! If you have a plain shirt, you can decorate it with markers, too!

Global thinking: Where does a plastic bag go once it is thrown away? Why is it a problem when plastic bags are in the environment? What other ways can you help the environment besides using your reusable bag?

*It is important to note that many grocery stores are not allowing reusable bags to be used in stores at this time, however, they will most likely be usable in the future.*

Helpful resource:
https://www.sprep.org/attachments/Publications/FactSheet/plasticbags.pdf

Travel Around the World with YOGA!

Contribution by Wrangler Bridget Byrne

Travel around the world with... YOGA!

Yoga is the ancient Indian physical and mental discipline that involves meditation, mindfulness, and specific body postures. Below is an activity in which students can travel around a classroom or home to complete yoga poses that connect to a country.

Of course we can’t travel to all the countries in one day, so let's start with 10 stations to place around a large space. These activities can be incorporated into a number of lessons to engage kinesthetic learners. Yoga is also a great way to help students relax and refocus after recess or gym class!

*All of these poses can be modified to be easier for students of every skill level and ability.


Canada’s pose is the bear pose! There are three species of bears native to Canada: grizzlies, polar, and black bears. Today, almost 20,000 bears live in Canada!

Bear Pose

The United States’ pose is eagle pose! The eagle was chosen to be America’s national emblem over 200 years ago!

Eagle Pose

Mexico’s pose is the downward dog pose! The Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolo dog is native to Mexico. These dogs are hairless and love warm weather.  

Downward Dog Pose

Chile’s pose is the flamingo pose! Chile is home to many different landforms including mountains and deserts. The Chilean flamingo lives in the Atacama desert! Flamingos are pink because of the red and pink pigments in the food they eat.

Flamingo Pose

Kenya’s pose is the giraffe pose. Kenya is a country in East Africa.There are around 12,000 giraffes in Kenya.    

Giraffe Pose

Egypt’s pose is the camel pose. Egypt is a country in the north east part of Africa. In ancient Egypt, camels were used to travel long distances across the Sahara. 

Camel Pose

Spain’s pose is the cow pose! In Spain, bull runnings (male cattle) are a common celebratory event each year. 

Cow Pose

China’s pose is tiger pose! South China Tigers are an endangered species in China and need to be protected. Tiger Pose Variation 2

Tiger Pose

India’s pose is the rhino pose. India is the country where Yoga originated from. The greater one-horned rhino originated from India and is an endangered species. Its scientific name refers to the single horn: Rhinoceros unicornis!

Rhino Pose

Australia’s pose is the kangaroo pose! Kangaroos are only found in Australia. They have strong legs that allow them to jump everywhere. 

Kangaroo Pose

Thinking Globally: How many continents are represented by these ten countries? Can you find a pose to include the remaining continent?

Earth Day at Home 2020

On the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, this year's celebration poses unique challenges for people worldwide. With many celebrations being cancelled and social distancing being required, remote celebrations are necessary. Below are resources for families, children, and individuals to get involved.

• Get connected with nature virtually. The iNaturalist smartphone app allows the user to scan various forms of wildlife and find out information about insects, animals, or plants. There is also a children's version of the app called Seek by iNaturalist that lets kiddos scan wildlife and earn badges as they get immersed in the nature around them. The best part is that so much nature can be found in your own backyard, which helps make social distancing easier! Full Version of App  Children's App   
  
• If you are looking for a more hands-on Earth Day experience, this article provides many ways for adults and kids to get involved. The ideas in this article range for conventional Earth Day activities like cleaning up litter, composting, and planting a tree. Or more out of the box ideas like creating a bug hotel and a nature collage. Get crafty! article
  
• Participate in EarthDay.org's 24 hours of action. For the entirety of April 22, for each hour of the day there will be a new way to remotely promote positive changes for the plant. Such as sounding the call for climate action by ringing a bell or blowing a horn outside or sharing your favorite message of hope for the planet with a photograph of the Earth.
  
  
  
• Some other at home activities for Earth Day are eating dinner by candlelight to conserve electricity, educate yourself on sustainable seafood, or camp in your backyard. Article There is also an Earth Month Scavenger Hunt to the left that is fun for all ages. 

Another fun thing to do on Earth Day is look back and see how far Earth Day celebration has come in 50 years. Here is a link to a CBS New special covering the first ever Earth Day in 1970.  Video 

Enjoy your Earth Day at home! Remember although we can't celebrate together, we can still be together online. Our small efforts at home make a big difference worldwide!  

Thank you to Advanced Global Thinking students for sharing these great resources with us.