geography project materials

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Lesson Plans & Activities 9-12

Please see below for lessons and activities.

Biology/Ecosystems  ||  Geography  ||  Geology  ||  Global Change  ||  Natural Hazards  ||  Oceans/Coasts  ||  Water

Biology/Ecosystems

Wildlife and Contaminants - Lessons A series of lessons targeted to high school students that introduces the topic of ecotoxicology and guides students through the scientific process of gathering raw data and drawing conclusions about the impact of contaminants on wildlife.   

Become a Phenology Observer - Activity The National Phenology Network (sponsored by the USGS) is looking for volunteers to help monitor plant and animal species found across the United States. Learn how to monitor plant and animal phenology and sign up to contribute new observations to the national phenology database. Make this a classroom project!

Lessons on the Lake: An Educator's Guide to the Pontchartrain Basin - Lessons Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Basin is home to 1.5 million people and an estuary ecosystem with enormous biodiversity. Activities in the educator's guide help students in grades 5-12 gain an understanding and appreciation of the Basin and teaches them the skills to identify environmental concerns, make changes, and solve problems.

Land and People - Activity Students look at interactions between people and the environment in three regions of the United States: Cape Cod, Los Angeles, and the Everglades. Targeted to grades 7-12.

Interactive San Francisco Bay Data - Activity Look at plots of data collected from the water of San Francisco Bay, then generate your own plots using real data. How does a change in light penetration compare to water temperature? Does a change in salinity correspond with a change in chlorophyll?

Topographic Map Resources for Teachers - Lessons and Activities This directory level site includes links to various resources on topographic maps, how to obtain them, read them, their history, and map projections and includes links to various teaching activities and modules. It is the one-stop shop for learning about, using, and teaching topographic map concepts.

I ntroduction to Soils - Lessons A series of lessons teaching high school students about soils and linking them to climate, vegetation, and geology.

Exploring Maps - Lesson Exploring Maps  is an interdisciplinary set of materials on mapping for grades 7-12.  Students will learn basic mapmaking and map-reading skills and will see how maps can answer fundamental geographic questions.  The map images and activities in this packet can be used in various courses, including geography, history, math, art, English, and the sciences.   

Constructing a 3D Topographic Map - Activity This exercise uses clear plastic take-out lids, each marked with a different elevation line, and stacked to produce a 3D topographic map. It includes a base map of Angel Island (San Francisco Bay) but can be adapted to any local topographic feature.

27 Ideas for Teaching with Topographic Maps - Activity Contains 27 ideas for teaching with the approximately 57,000 topographic maps that the USGS offers.

Map Mysteries - Lesson Sample questions to use with USGS topographic and thematic maps as starting points to uncover mysteries about the cultural and physical geography of the Earth.

Corn Maze Geography - Activity Visit a corn maze and use these activities to learn about maps and geography.

How to Use a Compass with a USGS Topographic Map - Activity Learn to navigate using a topographic map and a compass.

Map-It: Form-based Simple Map Generator - Activity Enter the longitude and latitude of points to plot on a simple map. Download a postscript version of the resulting map.   Satellite Imagery

Tracking Change over Time - Activity Enhance students' learning of geography, map reading, earth science, and problem solving through landscape changes recorded by satellites in space.

AmericaView - Lessons USGS is a partner in AmericaView, which has lesson plans and other education resources for working with satellite imagery. Mostly targeted to grades 6-12.

Journey Along a Field Line - Activity A sixteen-page comic book about the Earth's magnetic field. Travel down through the interior of the earth then back up into the ionosphere to learn how the magnetic field works.

Antarctic Ice Sheet - Lessons and Activities This report illustrates, through a paper model, why there are changes on the ice sheet that covers the Antarctica continent. By studying the paper model, students will better understand the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet. Animations mentioned in the Educator Guides are no longer available.

Chicxulub Impact Event - Lessons and Activities This report illustrates, by means of two paper models, how dinosaurs may have become extinct as a result of an asteroid impact. By studying the paper models, students will better understand the mass extinctions that have been part of the Earth's history. Animations mentioned in the Educator Guides are no longer available.

Crinoids - Lessons and Activities This report illustrates, through the use of a paper model, how crinoids lived and became fossilized. By studying the paper model, students will better understand the flower-like animal that is referred to as a "sea lily" and its ocean-floor environment. Animations mentioned in the Educator Guides are no longer available.

How to Construct Four Paper Models that Describe Island Coral Reefs - Activity This report contains instructions and patterns for preparing a set of four, three-dimensional paper models that schematically illustrate the development of island coral.

Make Your Own Paper Fossils - Lessons and Activities This report illustrates, by means of paper models, how two organisms, a trilobite and a nautiloid, became fossils. The report is intended to help students and others visualize the size and shape of a trilobite and a nautiloid, the environment in which they lived, and the circumstances of their fossilization and subsequent discovery. Animations mentioned in the Educator Guides are no longer available.

Make Your Own Paper Model of a Volcano - Lessons and Activities

This report contains instructions and a pattern for making a three-dimensional paper model of a volcano. This model is intended to help students and others to visualize a stratovolcano (inside and out) and to learn some of the terms used by geologists in describing it.

Paper Model Showing Motion on the San Andreas Fault - Activity This report contains instructions and patterns for preparing a three-dimensional model that schematically illustrates the fault motion that occurred during the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989, in California. The model is intended to help students and others visualize the process of fault slip during earthquakes.

Sand Dunes - Lessons and Activities This report illustrates, through computer animations and paper models, why sand dunes can develop different forms. By studying the animations and the paper models, students will better understand the evolution of sand dunes.

How to construct 7 paper models that describe faulting of the Earth - Activity This report contains instructions and patterns for preparing seven three-dimensional paper models that schematically illustrate common earth faults and associated landforms.

2 Paper Models Showing the Effects of Glacial Ice on a Mountain Valley - Activity This report contains instructions and templates for preparing three-dimensional paper models of two features a mountain valley partly filled by a glacier and the same valley after the glacier has melted. Included are brief descriptions of how such glaciers form, how they erode the landscape, and what kinds of physiographic features they produce.

Earthquake Effects - Lessons and Activities The report is intended to help students and others visualize what causes earthquake shaking and some of the possible results of the shaking. Animations mentioned in the Educator Guides are no longer available.

Landslide Effects - Lessons and Activities This report illustrates how four different types of landslides (slide, slump, flow, and rockfall) occur and what type of damage may result. The report is intended to help students and others visualize what causes landslides and some of the possible result of the landslides. Animations mentioned in the Educator Guides are no longer available.

Plate Tectonics Tennis Ball Globe - Activity Create a mini globe that shows the major plate boundaries of the world (scroll to page 15).

This Dynamic Planet Teaching Companion Packet - Lessons and Activities This Teaching Companion is intended to assist teachers to teach plate tectonics, primarily for grades 6–14.

Schoolyard Geology - Activities - under construction Structured activities use man-made features that are found in a typical schoolyard to demonstrate geologic principles.

The Lifecycle of a Mineral Deposit - Activities A teacher's guide for hands-on mineral education activities. Designed to meet the National Science Standards, this product includes 10 activity-based learning exercises that educate students on basic geologic concepts; the processes of finding, identifying, and extracting the resources from a mineral deposit; and the uses of minerals. Geared for fifth through eighth grade science teachers.  

Collecting Rocks - Activity Learn about different types of rocks and how to identify and collect them.

What's in My Soil? - Activity Students separate, examine and identify the major components of soil to better understand how these components give soil its unique physical characteristics.

Introduction to Soils - Lesson This complete lesson plan teaches students how soils develop and provides links between soils, climate, vegetation, and geology. Includes materials for both teachers and students (handout, puzzle, field and lab sheets).

Graded Bedding - Activity Students are introduced to the concept of graded bedding, in which particles are sorted by size as they settle out of suspension. Students will discover that water is a good medium to separate and sort particles, and that particles have different behaviors in water and air.

Geologic Age - Activity Students investigate radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time.

Global Change

Greenhouse Gases - Activity Students observe and contrast thermal properties of three major greenhouse changes over time for dry air, water-saturated air, carbon dioxide, and methane.

Evaluating Glacier and Landscape Change - Lesson In this lesson students interpret USGS data in multiple formats and draw conclusions based on the data presented. 

Natural Hazards

Tabletop Earthquakes - Activity Construct a simple earthquake machine to demonstrate the principles of seismology. Includes supporting instructional material. 

Size and Occurrence of Floods - Activity Students use macaroni or beans to calculate the statistics of floor recurrence (see back side of poster).

Living with a Volcano in your Backyard - Activities A three-unit guide that provides science content and inquiry-based activities about volcanoes of the Cascade Range for middle-school students, with an emphasis on Mount Ranier. Includes more than 30 activities, a field guide, glossary, and supplementary information.

Predict an Eruption! - Activities This highly interactive site uses animations, illustrations, activities, and quizzes to show how eruptions at Mount St. Helens were accurately predicted by USGS scientists, then allows students to predict an actual eruption using real data.

Oceans/Coasts

The Fragile Fringe: A Guide for Teaching about Coastal Wetlands - Background Information and Activities Material to use for developing a comprehensive study of coastal wetlands.  Includes background information, suggested activities, glossary, references, and reading list. Activities can be demonstrated by the teacher or performed by students. Emphasis is on Gulf Coast wetlands.   

Hands-on Experiments to Test for Acid Mine Drainage - Activities Fourteen very basic exercises use home-made litmus paper and household items to test creek water for acid mine drainage and to look at plants, bacteria, and insects living in the water.

Ask a River to Text You with a WaterAlert - Activity Incorporate real-time data in the classroom by receiving instant, customized updates about water conditions at a specific river through WaterAlert.

Outreach Notebook for Groundwater - Lessons Five groundwater-related lesson plans for grades 6-8, complete with forms, diagrams, and supporting information. Although these were designed to be taught by an instructor and a water professional working together, a thoughtful educator could easily handle the lessons on their own.

Top 100 Geography Project Topics [Updated]

Geography is more than just maps and place names; it’s a dynamic field that studies the Earth’s features, inhabitants, and processes. Geography projects offer an exciting opportunity to delve into various aspects of our world, from physical landscapes to human societies. In this blog, we’ll explore a range of engaging top 100 geography project topics suitable for students and enthusiasts alike.

Benefits of Exploring Geography Project Topics

Table of Contents

Exploring geography project topics offers numerous benefits, including:

• Interdisciplinary Learning: Geography projects often integrate elements from various disciplines such as environmental science, sociology, economics, and technology, fostering a holistic understanding of complex issues.
• Critical Thinking: Engaging with geography topics encourages critical thinking skills as students analyze data, evaluate evidence, and propose solutions to real-world problems.
• Global Awareness: Examining various regions and cultures enables students to develop a more expansive worldview, nurturing empathy and comprehension of a wide range of societies and environments.
• Hands-On Experience: Many geography projects involve fieldwork, mapping, and data collection, providing students with practical experience and skills applicable in both academic and professional settings.
• Environmental Stewardship: Investigating topics like climate change, natural disasters, and sustainable development instills a sense of responsibility towards the environment and encourages environmentally conscious behavior.
• Cultural Appreciation: Exploring cultural geography topics allows students to appreciate the diversity of human cultures, traditions, and practices, promoting respect and tolerance for cultural differences.
• Career Opportunities: Geography projects develop skills highly valued in various fields such as urban planning, GIS analysis, international relations, and sustainable development, opening up diverse career paths for students.
• Personal Growth: Through independent research, problem-solving, and project management, students develop confidence, resilience, and a sense of achievement, contributing to their personal growth and academic success.

Overall, exploring geography project topics not only enhances academic learning but also cultivates skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential for informed citizenship and global engagement.

Top 100 Geography Project Topics: Category Wise

Physical geography project topics.

• Climate Change and Its Impact on Polar Regions
• Analysis of Tropical Rainforest Biomes
• Coastal Erosion and Management Strategies
• The Formation and Impact of Volcanoes
• Desertification: Causes, Effects, and Solutions
• Glacial Retreat and Its Consequences
• Hydrological Cycle and Water Management
• Plate Tectonics and Earthquake Prediction
• Weather Patterns and Climate Variability
• Soil Erosion and Conservation Techniques

Human Geography Project Topics

• Urbanization Trends and Challenges in Developing Countries
• Migration Patterns in Europe: Causes and Impacts
• Cultural Diversity in Urban Settings
• Economic Disparities between Rural and Urban Areas
• Gender Inequality in Access to Resources
• Tourism Development and Its Effects on Local Communities
• Globalization and Its Impact on Indigenous Cultures
• Population Growth and Urban Sprawl
• Political Geography of Border Conflicts
• Sustainable Development Goals and Progress

Geospatial Technology Project Topics

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Applications in Environmental Monitoring
• Remote Sensing Techniques for Land Use Mapping
• GPS Technology in Wildlife Tracking and Conservation
• LiDAR Technology for Terrain Mapping
• Spatial Analysis of Crime Patterns
• Mobile Mapping Applications for Disaster Response
• Drone Technology in Geographic Research
• Big Data Analytics for Urban Planning
• Crowdsourced Mapping for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Web Mapping Applications for Public Participation

Regional Geography Project Topics

• Case Study of the Amazon Rainforest: Biodiversity and Conservation
• Comparative Analysis of East Asian Megacities
• Geography of Conflict: The Middle East
• Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Environmental Challenges in the Himalayan Region
• Cultural Landscapes of Europe: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Political Geography of South America: Border Disputes
• Oceania: Islands, Culture, and Climate Change
• Arctic Region: Resources and Governance
• Caribbean Islands: Tourism and Sustainability

Interdisciplinary Geography Project Topics

• Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Coastal Communities
• Public Health and Environmental Pollution
• Urban Agriculture and Food Security
• Renewable Energy Potential and Implementation
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Building
• Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Management
• Smart Cities: Technology and Sustainability
• Environmental Justice and Equity
• Gender Perspectives in Disaster Management
• Climate Refugees: Challenges and Solutions

Geography Education Project Topics

• The Use of Geospatial Technologies in K-12 Education
• Inquiry-Based Learning in Geography Classrooms
• Fieldwork Techniques for Geography Students
• Integrating Geography into STEM Education
• Geography Awareness Week: Activities and Resources
• Virtual Field Trips for Geography Education
• Story Maps as Educational Tools
• Gamification in Geography Learning
• Outdoor Education and Experiential Learning
• Citizen Science Projects in Geography Education

Environmental Geography Project Topics

• Air Pollution Monitoring and Mitigation Strategies
• Water Scarcity and Water Management Policies
• Waste Management and Recycling Initiatives
• Urban Heat Island Effect and Green Infrastructure
• Deforestation and Reforestation Efforts
• Marine Pollution and Ocean Conservation
• Sustainable Agriculture Practices
• Energy Transition and Renewable Resources
• Biodiversity Conservation in Urban Areas
• Green Building Design and Sustainable Architecture

Social Geography Project Topics

• Gentrification and Neighborhood Change
• Spatial Patterns of Poverty and Social Exclusion
• Health Inequalities and Access to Healthcare
• Gendered Spaces: Women’s Safety and Mobility
• Ethnic Enclaves and Cultural Identity
• Urban Segregation and Housing Policy
• Rural-Urban Migration and Social Integration
• LGBTQ+ Geographies: Space, Place, and Identity
• Ageing Population and Urban Design
• Disability and Accessibility in the Built Environment

Economic Geography Project Topics

• Global Trade Networks and Supply Chains
• Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth
• Industrial Clusters and Innovation Hubs
• Informal Economy and Urban Informality
• Tourism and Economic Development
• Agricultural Land Use and Food Systems
• Economic Geography of Natural Resource Extraction
• Economic Resilience and Regional Development
• Global Financial Centers and Urban Economies
• Economic Geography of Post-Industrial Cities

Political Geography Project Topics

• Geopolitics of Energy Resources
• Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea
• Border Walls and Border Security Policies
• Secessionist Movements and Self-Determination
• Refugee Camps and Forced Migration
• Electoral Geography and Gerrymandering
• Colonial Legacies and Post-Colonial Geopolitics
• Geopolitical Implications of Climate Change
• Geopolitics of Cyberspace and Digital Surveillance
• Nationalism and Identity Politics in a Globalized World

Things To Avoid Mistakes In Geography Projects

Avoiding mistakes in geography projects is crucial for ensuring accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Lack of Clear Research Objectives: Ensure that your project has well-defined research objectives and a clear focus. Unclear goals can lead to confusion and haphazard research.
• Insufficient Background Research: Conduct thorough background research on your topic before diving into the project. Lack of understanding can result in inaccurate interpretations and conclusions.
• Ignoring Methodological Rigor: Follow proper research methods and techniques appropriate for your study. Neglecting methodological rigor can undermine the credibility of your findings.
• Poor Data Quality: Use reliable and up-to-date data sources for your project. Relying on outdated or inaccurate data can lead to flawed analysis and conclusions.
• Misinterpretation of Data: Take care to analyze and interpret your data accurately. Misinterpreting data can lead to erroneous conclusions and undermine the validity of your project.
• Overgeneralization: Avoid making sweeping generalizations based on limited data or observations. Acknowledge the limitations of your study and avoid extrapolating findings beyond their scope.
• Neglecting Spatial Context: Geography projects often involve spatial analysis, so consider the spatial context of your research. Failure to account for spatial relationships can lead to incomplete or misleading conclusions.
• Ignoring Ethical Considerations: Be mindful of ethical considerations in your research, particularly when working with human subjects or sensitive data. Respect confidentiality, privacy, and consent guidelines.
• Inadequate Citation and Attribution: Properly cite and attribute sources for all data, information, and ideas used in your project. Failure to do so can result in accusations of plagiarism and academic misconduct.
• Poor Communication: Clearly communicate your findings, methodology, and conclusions in your project report or presentation. Use appropriate language and visuals to effectively convey your message to your audience.
• Failure to Seek Feedback: Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or advisors throughout the project to identify and address potential issues early on. External perspectives can help improve the quality of your work.
• Procrastination: Avoid procrastination and manage your time effectively throughout the project timeline. Starting early and maintaining a consistent workflow can prevent rushed or incomplete work.

By avoiding these common mistakes and following best practices in geography research, you can ensure the quality and success of your projects.

Geography offers a vast array of intriguing topics for exploration, ranging from physical landscapes to human societies and from traditional fieldwork to cutting-edge technology.

Whether you’re interested in understanding the forces shaping our planet or addressing pressing societal challenges, there are various geography project topics waiting for you to discover and delve into further.

So, grab your maps, data, and curiosity, and embark on a fascinating journey through the diverse and dynamic world of geography. Happy exploring!

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These political, physical, and demographic maps , videos and visualizations will assist you with classroom work, remote learning, doing homework, completing projects, and preparing lessons. The resources on these pages cover many of the curriculum elements for middle years and high school in Canada and the United States, Key Stages 2 and 3 in England, Wales, and Scotland, as well as GCSE, IGCSE, A level, AP, IB MYP and DP students and teachers around the world.

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Geography-Rich Classroom

Get ideas for incorporating geography into any classroom or discipline. Immerse your students in these creative projects.

Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography

Illustration by Mary Crooks

Get ideas for incorporating geography into any classroom or discipline.

Helping the Environment

Have students list ways that people affect their environment every day, for example, driving cars, using water, disposing of garbage, or smoking cigarettes. Have students make a second list of ways that people affect their environment through seasonal activities, for example, watering lawns, burning leaves, fishing, or hunting. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two lists. Have students discuss which activities are more harmful or helpful to their environment. Ask students to suggest ways that people can change their behavior and improve their environment.

Have students publish or present student-created maps whenever possible. Ask students to explain their mapmaking process and give them positive feedback.

Create a Geography Center

Include a variety of maps, atlases, globes, books, and magazines. Also include science or social studies concepts—such as the water cycle, plate tectonics, and migration patterns—presented through the lens of a geographic perspective.

Class Collage

Have students create a class collage on top of a wall-sized world map. Ask them to collect postcards, and arrange the postcards according to continent and country. Have students add illustrations and photos of political leaders, historical events, and native wildlife from postage stamps. They can also add objects by location; for example, a spice from the main area where it grows, or a feather from the main location of a type of bird.

Track the Weather

Have students keep track of the weather and discuss patterns on weather maps. Have them predict what the weather will be in one day, two days, or a week. Have students check and discuss their predictions.

Find Similarities

Have students list and discuss four ways their hometown is connected to a nearby town or city that they have located on a map.

Email Pen Pals

Have students begin an email correspondence with pen pals from around the country or world. Make sure they share information about the landscape, habitats, and ecosystems around their homes and school as well as details about daily life and culture.

If You Were Ambassador

Divide students into small groups and have each group choose a country. Tell each group to imagine they are the United States ambassador to that country. What kind of place is the country? What unique qualities must an ambassador possess in order to adequately represent the U.S. in that place? What should the ambassador learn about the country before moving there?

Identify Locations

Using latitude and longitude lines on a Mapmaker world map , have students locate the following: • the highest mountain on your continent • the capital cities of three foreign countries • the national park closest to your town • the mouths of three major rivers • three major cities in the United States

Include examples in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemispheres.

Guess That Place

Give each student a folded piece of paper on which you have written a different name of a place that is known and easily described by the students. Ask each student to write a description of their place without naming it, then exchange descriptions with another student. How many students can identify the place from its description alone? Have them discuss what makes one description easier or harder to guess than another.

Sense of Place

Make a list of common phrases that include the word “place” For example, “to put someone in her place,” “a place for everything and everything in its place,” “if I were in your place,” “caught between a rock and a hard place”. Have students analyze how these phrases help define the word “place.” Do the phrases imply physical and human characteristics? If so, how? Why are we comfortable in some places but not in others? Ask students to describe literal and figurative places in which they have found themselves and to explain whether they have been comfortable or uncomfortable in those places.

Consider Location

Ask students to imagine that they can pick up their school building—as if it were a toy block—and relocate it anywhere they choose. Have them discuss how their daily lives would be different if their school were located farther north, south, east, or west. Have students compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each location.

Discuss Current Events

Have students bring in the world news section of a daily newspaper and select two cities currently in the news to locate on a map. Have small groups of students research and present their findings on ways in which the two cities are connected. For example, the cities might be linked by human migration routes, weather patterns, economic concerns, communication systems, or transportation networks.

Geography and Music

Have students learn the words to and sing “Home on the Range.” Discuss how the song describes a specific place. What kind of place is it? What are its physical characteristics? What other songs do the students know that describe specific places?

Natural Disasters

Divide students into small groups. Assign each group a country. Then have each group choose a natural disaster that could realistically affect people in that country. What physical characteristics of the country might influence the disaster? What human characteristics of the place might affect government's ability to respond to the disaster?

School-Grounds Tour

Take students for a walk around the neighborhood or school grounds and have them observe the physical and human characteristics of the place. What makes it different from other schools or places in the area? When you return to the classroom, make a list of all the physical and human characteristics that students observed. Did all students observe the same characteristics? Did some students observe different characteristics? Had they ever made these observations before?

Compare Historical Photographs

Take a field trip to the local library or historical society. Collect representative photographs, both old and new, of your community, and photocopy them. Back in the classroom, have students compare all of the photographs and articulate their observations of how places and people have changed over the years. Are there more buildings or different types of buildings? What are the differences in types of transportation? Are there just as many trees in the older photographs as there are in the newer ones? Have students list ways in which the people of your town or city have changed the environment over the years.

Anytime a student returns from travels with his or her family, have the student present to the class about the state, region, or country and its people by showing pictures, maps, and artifacts.

Plant a School Garden

Have students design a garden for your school grounds or local community and explore the following questions: What kind of vegetation—flowers, trees, vegetables, or fruits—would grow in your area? How might the school grounds need to be changed before planting the garden? Is it possible that flowers or vegetables grew on this same land before the school was built? What is the native vegetation in your area? How could you make sure the garden gets enough water and sunlight? What effects—positive or negative—would your garden have on the school environment?

Adapting to Environments

Read aloud or have students read paragraphs from stories about people who struggle to survive in an unexplored environment, for example, The Swiss Family Robinson or The Mosquito Coast. Discuss ways in which the characters learn to adapt to their environment. How and where do they find food, clothing, and shelter? How does their environment change as they begin to create a home for themselves? As a class, compare the ways in which they adapt successfully or unsuccessfully. Then have students identify areas in the world where people must adapt to a harsh environment if they are to survive.

Compare Types of Movement

For example, compare the movement of blood and nutrients through the body with the movement of people and resources across bodies of land and water. What happens to the movement of blood when we stand on our heads? How does a person feel when food isn’t moving properly through the digestive system? What happens to the movement of traffic in a city when traffic lights are broken? Point out to students that we use the word "congested" to refer to people with colds as well as locations with heavy traffic. How do ideas move? What would happen if goods, ideas, or people stopped moving?

Investigate Communication

How do people react—personally, professionally, politically, and technologically—when they are able to freely communicate with one another? In what ways are people prevented from experiencing the movement of ideas? Examples might include censorship, geographic barriers, or language barriers. What happens when people are not able to communicate?

How Do Ideas Spread?

Discuss different ways that ideas travel from one place to another, for example, music, literature, and folk tales.

Learn From a Meteorologist

Invite a local weather forecaster to join your class and discuss climate conditions in your area over the last century. Is data available to indicate climatic changes? If so, what are the possible causes—such as urbanization, volcanic activity, or transportation systems? Is it warmer in the city or in the country during the summer months? Why?

Explore Different Physical Regions

Introduce students to physical regions on earth, including grasslands, deserts , rain forests, mountains, and polar regions. Assign groups of students to different regions. Have students list items that they would need to adapt to the environment when visiting their assigned regions. Items might include food, clothing, insect repellent, tools, and more. How many of the items do they have to buy? What kinds of items do people who live in rain forest regions have in common with people who live in mountainous regions? What items are unique to one region? What items are manufactured in their region? What items are imported? What items are absolutely essential?

Explore a Map of Your Community

Have students read the map and make a list of all the parks they can find in the immediate community. Then have students work independently or in groups to research each park and present their research to the class. Students should include their ideas on what is unique about the park. If possible, students should visit the park with adult supervision.

Where Was It Made?

Make a list of 12 items in the classroom that have been manufactured in the United States, including items of clothing, pencils, books, and other products. How many of the items in the classroom can students name that have been manufactured in another country? Choose several items—such as desks, light fixtures, or articles of clothing—and discuss the raw materials needed to make them, the most likely place of production or manufacture, and the most likely form of transportation from the place of manufacture to the classroom.

Compare Transportation Systems

Make a comparison chart of human-made transportation systems—such as cars, planes, and communication systems—and natural movement systems—such as weather, erosion, and tides. List the different "passengers" that are transported by the two different kinds of transportation systems. Encourage students to think of tangible goods like foodstuffs, as well as intangibles like sound, light, or ideas.

Divide Your Town into Regions

Have students use a city map to divide their town or city into regions, such as political, residential, recreational, ethnic, or commercial regions. How many regions can they name? What are the unifying characteristics that make up the regions? Do students in the class live in different regions? Have students choose additional characteristics and divide the town or city into new regions. What are the overlapping characteristics? Into how many different regions can students divide their town or city?

Play the Latitude and Longitude Game

Give students a list of geographic coordinates and have them use paper maps, globes, or online maps with latitude and longitude to find the country or location of the geographic coordinates. Or, have students make their best guesses and use the maps afterwards to see which guesses are closest.

U.S. History

Have students trace the history of regions in the United States. What regions existed in 1700, 1750, 1800, 1850, 1900, and 1950? Divide students into "century groups"; for example, 1700, 1800, and so on. Which regions in each century group still exist today? Why or why not? Have each group research why regional boundaries did or did not change and then present its findings to the class.

Climatic Regions

Have students use a MapMaker map of the United States to divide the United States into climatic regions. Assign groups of students to each region. How do people from different climatic regions dress? What different foods do they eat? Name some overlapping characteristics among the regions. Have students do the same exercise for language regions in Europe.

Research a Region

Have students study a new region each week for five weeks. Research the climate, landforms, population, cultural groups, and interesting places from that region.

Create Jigsaw Maps

First, have students color an outline map of a continent, using different colors for each country. Next, have students glue the map to a piece of cardboard and cut along the country borders. Time students as they put the puzzle back together.

Use a Scale Bar

A map usually includes a scale bar to show the relationship between distance on the map and true distance on the ground. Have students use rulers to measure the distance between two cities or other places and calculate the true distance using the scale bar. To do the activity online, they can use National Geographic MapMaker .

Research Religion

Have students look for local churches online and make a list of the different religious groups represented in their community. Have students research the origins of selected groups. Then ask students to plot the origins of each group on a map of the world . What are some of the reasons that these religious groups moved to the United States? What are the historical, political, and cultural factors involved?

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Related Resources

101+ Creative Geography Project Ideas For Students

Geography projects can be fun and engaging for students to learn about the world around them. Whether you’re a teacher looking for ideas or a student brainstorming topics, geography projects allow you to get creative and explore concepts like culture, environment, politics, and more through hands-on activities. 

In this blog post, we’ll share some creative geography project ideas to consider for your next assignment or homeschool lesson. The possibilities are endless when you think outside the box and tie geography into art, building, research, and other interests. We hope these ideas spark inspiration for your next geography project! 

The blog will include creative ideas, from designing cultural dress and food to constructing landform models. With the right innovative spin, geography projects can be exciting and enriching learning experiences.

What is a Geography Project?

Table of Contents

A geography project is an assignment where students research and present information about a specific geographic topic or location. Students typically choose a country, U.S. state, city, landform, or other geographic subject to focus their project on. 

The project often involves creating a visual display like a poster, diorama, or digital presentation along with a written report. The report summarizes key facts and details about the geographic subject, including location, climate, terrain, culture, economy, history, and more. 

Geography projects allow students to build research skills while learning in-depth about a place that interests them. The presentation portion adds a creative element and helps share what they learned. Overall, geography projects aim to expand students’ knowledge of world geography and cultures.

Importance Of Hands-On Learning In Geography

Here are a few thoughts on the importance of hands-on learning in geography education:

• Promotes spatial thinking skills: Working with maps, globes, imagery, etc., helps students develop spatial reasoning abilities. Visualizing relationships between places and patterns in geographic data is a crucial skill. Hands-on activities make these tangible.
• Engages multiple senses: Using 3D models, doing fieldwork, and working with photos/videos appeals to visual, tactile, and other forms of sensory learning. This can help concepts stick.
• Develop practical fieldwork skills: Using compasses, GPS, surveying equipment, and GIS software helps build skills used by geographers in the workplace. Practice makes students comfortable with applying technology.
• Encourages active learning: Instead of passively listening to lectures, hands-on learning allows students to construct and apply geographic knowledge actively. This promotes deeper, long-lasting understanding.
• Makes connections to the real world: Fieldwork helps students connect abstract concepts to real-world environments and spatial patterns. Seeing geography in action leads to greater interest and engagement.
• Promotes collaboration : Many hands-on activities are collaborative, developing teamwork and communication skills. Group projects and discussions also aid learning.

In summary, hands-on learning engages students, reinforces concepts through experience, and helps build essential skills. It’s an invaluable part of a well-rounded geography education.

Creative Geography Project Ideas

Here are some creative geography project ideas categorized for your convenience:

Physical Geography

• Create a 3D model of a mountain range.
• Study the formation of natural disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes.
• Investigate the impact of climate change on glaciers.
• Explore the formation and characteristics of different types of soil.
• Create a map highlighting different landforms around the world.

Human Geography

• Analyze population density in various regions.
• Examine the cultural impact of migration on communities.
• Investigate the effects of urbanization on local ecosystems.
• Explore the history and impact of a specific migration pattern.
• Create a project on the urban development of a city over time.

Cultural Geography

• Research the cultural significance of a traditional dance in a specific country.
• Examine the role of language in shaping cultural identities.
• Explore the impact of globalization on indigenous cultures.
• Create a project on the traditions and customs of a specific ethnic group.
• Investigate the cultural significance of particular landmarks.

Political Geography

• Analyze the impact of political borders on communities.
• Examine the history of a specific political conflict and its geographical roots.
• Investigate the geopolitical implications of a natural resource.
• Study the effects of gerrymandering on local politics.
• Create a project on the history and impact of a specific political ideology.

Economic Geography

• Investigate the economic disparities between urban and rural areas.
• Analyze the impact of trade agreements on a specific region.
• Explore the role of agriculture in shaping the economy of a country.
• Study the geography of a particular industry, such as technology or manufacturing.
• Create a project on the economic challenges faced by a developing country.

Environmental Geography

• Explore the impact of deforestation on biodiversity.
• Investigate the geography of renewable energy sources.
• Examine the effects of pollution on water sources.
• Study the geography of endangered species and conservation efforts.
• Create a project on the impact of climate change on a specific ecosystem.

GIS and Mapping

• Develop a GIS project to analyze crime patterns in a city.
• Create an interactive map showcasing the geographical features of a region.
• Investigate the use of GIS in disaster management.
• Analyze the impact of urban planning on traffic flow using GIS.
• Develop a mapping project to study population distribution.

Historical Geography

• Explore the geographical factors that influenced ancient civilizations.
• Examine the impact of geographical features on historical battles.
• Investigate the role of geography in the spread of diseases throughout history.
• Study the geographical factors that led to the rise and fall of empires.
• Create a project on the geographical context of a specific historical event.

Geopolitics

• Analyze the geopolitical implications of a major international conflict.
• Examine the role of geography in global power dynamics.
• Investigate the impact of geopolitical alliances on world politics.
• Study the geographical factors influencing international trade relations.
• Create a project on the role of geography in global security issues.

Regional Studies

• Explore the geography and culture of a specific region in Asia.
• Analyze the economic development of a specific African country.
• Investigate the impact of colonization on the geography of Latin America.
• Study the environmental challenges faced by countries in the Middle East.
• Create a project on the political landscape of a European nation.

Tourism and Recreation

• Develop a tourism guide for a specific destination, including cultural and geographical highlights.
• Concern about the effect of tourism on the environment of a popular destination.
• Investigate the geography of recreational activities in a specific region.
• Study the economic impact of tourism on a local community.
• Create a project on sustainable tourism practices.
• Design a fantasy world map, including geographical features and landmarks.
• Create a thematic map illustrating a specific aspect of geography.
• Develop a map highlighting the distribution of a particular animal species.
• Design a treasure map with geographical clues.
• Create a map showcasing the geographical settings of famous novels or movies.

Water Resources

• Investigate the geography of rivers and their importance to civilizations.
• Examine the impact of dams on river ecosystems.
• Study the geography of freshwater scarcity in different regions.
• Analyze the effects of pollution on freshwater sources.
• Create a project on the management of water resources in a specific area.

Land Use Planning

• Analyze the effect of urban sprawl on agricultural land.
• Investigate the geography of sustainable urban planning.
• Study the effects of zoning regulations on land use.
• Create a project on the geographical factors influencing land conservation.
• Analyze the impact of industrial development on land use patterns.

Climate and Weather Patterns

• Study the geography of monsoons in different regions.
• Examine the impact of El Niño and La Niña on global weather patterns.
• Investigate the geography of Tornado Alley and its weather patterns.
• Analyze the effects of climate change on tropical rainforests.
• Create a project on the geography of deserts and their unique weather conditions.

Remote Sensing

• Develop a project using satellite imagery to monitor deforestation.
• Analyze the use of remote sensing in agriculture and crop monitoring.
• Investigate the role of remote sensing in disaster response and recovery.
• Study the use of satellite technology in mapping urban growth.
• Create a project on the applications of remote sensing in environmental conservation.

Transportation Geography

• Examine the geography of major transportation hubs in a country.
• Investigate the impact of transportation on air quality in urban areas.
• Study the geographical factors influencing the development of transportation infrastructure.
• Analyze the role of geography in determining transportation routes.
• Create a project on the history and impact of a specific transportation mode.

Border Studies

• Explore the geographical and cultural dynamics of international borders.
• Examine the impact of border disputes on neighboring regions.
• Investigate the role of geographical features in shaping national borders.
• Study the effects of border security measures on local communities.
• Create a project on the history and impact of a specific international border.

Geography of Sports

• Analyze the geographical distribution of sports facilities in a city.
• Examine the impact of geography on the popularity of specific sports.
• Investigate the geography of sports events and their economic impact.
• Study the role of climate and geography in outdoor sports.
• Create a project on the geography of sports fandom in different regions.

Landscape Ecology

• Explore the geography of different ecosystems and their biodiversity.
• Examine the impact of human activities on landscape ecology.
• Investigate the role of geography in habitat fragmentation .
• Study the geographical factors influencing the spread of invasive species.
• Create a project on the restoration of degraded landscapes.

Geography and Technology

• Analyze the role of technology in changing geographical perspectives.
• Examine the impact of GIS and GPS on navigation and mapping.
• Investigate the geography of internet access and digital connectivity.
• Study the geographical implications of emerging technologies like drones.

So, these are the Creative Geography Project Ideas for students. 

Final Remarks

In summary, geography projects are a dynamic way for students to explore the world, combining research with creativity. By including hands-on activities, students develop important spatial thinking abilities, use multiple senses, and connect theoretical ideas to real-world situations. 

The different geography project ideas cover physical, human, cultural, political, economic, environmental, and technological aspects of geography, ensuring a complete learning experience. Geography projects promote active learning, teamwork, and practical fieldwork skills, encouraging a more profound understanding of global issues. 

Welcoming innovation and curiosity, these ideas aim to make learning geography exciting, memorable, and relevant for students, building a lifelong interest in the diverse landscapes and cultures that shape our world.

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Geography lessons today are more important than ever. As our world becomes more globalized, it’s crucial for kids to understand the places on Earth and their relationship with each other. It provides context about where we live and how we relate to people around us. It sparks curiosity about other cultures. And, ultimately, teaches that we are all connected. 

So don’t let your geography lessons fall flat. Here are some inspired projects that go above and beyond your classroom’s globe. 

Build a new way to view the world with Google Earth . A virtual globe, Google Earth’s ability to display a world map without distortion can shed light on why Greenland has always looked so big! Introduce your students to the amazing tools and features of Google Earth while comparing cartographer renditions of the world to a virtual version. Explore the world and its structures and ask 20 questions. 

Combine geography and self-exploration with autobiographical island maps . After completing an autobiographical survey, students choose symbols and use their map studies to create an artistic representation of their life in the form of an island.

Use a compass to find your way . Before there was an app for that, travelers used a compass to find their way. Introduce your students to orienteering with this awesome activity. With a short video, reading activity, and discussion questions, you can teach your students how to find their way the old-fashioned way. 

Learn how the world’s first metro system was built . Railroads united the world like nothing before it. Now able to travel longer distances more quickly and safely, industry and culture exploded in the early 19th century. Video and discussion resources can be customized to fit your classroom needs. 

Make a contour map . Topography is often a difficult topic for students to understand. Contour lines, meant to represent the highs and lows of an area on the map, don’t always translate to young students’ minds. By creating their own 3D version with drawing paper, clay, different colored markers, fishing line, and a pencil, students can kinesthetically create a topographical map that makes sense!

Geography Bingo! This activity from the New York Times challenges students to find examples of how geography relates to our world every day using national geography standards. A great online scavenger hunt for one class — or a semester-long project — add a little competition to learning more about the world.

Teach the 5 themes of geography using the newspaper . Full of class, group, and individual activities, this unit of study can be used as a whole, or as individual lessons to supplement your current curriculum. Requiring students to gather examples beyond the textbook will help them connect everyday life with the study of the world. 

Understand Environmentalism: Then and now . Give students a better understanding of the history of the conservation movement with this activity. Developed for high school, students will document the development of conservation over time through research and a culminating essay.

Help your students conquer the world by giving them the learning experiences that will truly engage their interests and solidify their sense of interconnectedness!

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75+ Creative Geography Project Ideas: From Peaks to Oceans

Embark on a journey of exploration with our creative geography project ideas, designed to make learning about the world an exciting adventure for students of all ages

Geography, often confined to the realms of maps and coordinates, is a subject with the power to transcend traditional boundaries and ignite the spark of creativity.

In this exploration, we embark on a journey beyond conventional study, unveiling a treasure trove of creative geography project ideas that promise to make the subject come alive.

From interactive digital maps that tell stories to sustainable initiatives that weave environmental awareness, these projects are designed to transform the way we perceive and engage with geography.

Join us as we delve into a world where geography isn’t just a subject; it’s an adventure waiting to unfold through the lens of creativity.

Table of Contents

Creative Geography Project Ideas

Check out creative geography project ideas:-

Physical Geography

• Rock Formation Exploration: Create a display showcasing various rock formations, explaining their origins and significance.
• Weathering and Erosion Diorama: Build a diorama illustrating the processes of weathering and erosion on different landforms.
• Hydrological Cycle Demonstration: Create a visual representation of the hydrological cycle, emphasizing the movement of water through different physical features.
• Extreme Weather Analysis: Research and present a report on extreme weather events in your region, including their impact on physical geography.
• Topographic Map Challenge: Develop a game or challenge for classmates to read and interpret topographic maps.
• River Basin Modeling: Build a 3D model of a river basin, showcasing how water flows through the landscape.
• Geological Time Capsul: Collect and curate samples representing different geological eras, creating a time capsule for classmates to explore.
• Natural Disaster Preparedness Plan: Develop a plan for your community to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, considering the physical geography.
• Coastal Erosion Simulation: Use sand and water to simulate coastal erosion and explore its impact on different coastal features.
• Biome Investigation: Choose a specific biome and create a comprehensive report on its physical characteristics, flora, and fauna.

Human Geography

• Cultural Exchange Fair: Organize a cultural fair showcasing different aspects of your community’s diverse cultures.
• Demographic Changes Over Time: Analyze historical census data to understand how demographics in your community have changed over time.
• Urban Planning Challenge: Develop a plan for sustainable urban development in your community, considering population growth and environmental impact.
• Globalization Impact Survey: Conduct a survey to gather opinions on how globalization has impacted local businesses and communities.
• Community Storytelling Project: Collect personal stories from community members to create an oral history archive reflecting the human geography of your area.
• Cultural Heritage Preservation Proposal: Develop a proposal for preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of your community.
• Migration Patterns Analysis: Research and present a report on historical and current migration patterns in your community.
• Impact of Technology on Social Interactions: Investigate how technology has influenced social interactions in your community and present your findings.
• Community Resilience Plan: Develop a plan to enhance your community’s resilience in the face of economic challenges.
• Community Tourism Campaign: Create a campaign promoting local tourism and emphasizing the cultural attractions of your community.

Economic Geography

• Supply Chain Simulation: Develop a simulation game illustrating the complexities of global supply chains and their impact on economies.
• Entrepreneurship Challenge: Organize a competition for students to develop innovative business ideas that contribute to local economic development.
• Trade Policy Analysis: Research and write a report on the impact of trade policies on your community’s economy.
• Economic Disparities Investigation: Conduct a study on economic disparities within your community and propose strategies for improvement.
• Future Job Market Trends: Research and present a report on anticipated job market trends in your region and their economic implications.
• Local Business Sustainability Plan: Develop a sustainability plan for a local business, considering economic, social, and environmental factors.
• Impact of Automation on Employment: Investigate how automation technologies may affect local employment opportunities and propose solutions.
• Circular Economy Initiative: Develop a plan for implementing circular economy principles in your community to reduce waste and enhance economic sustainability.
• Investment Portfolio Simulation: Create a simulated investment portfolio reflecting the economic sectors present in your region.
• Local Economic Innovation Challenge: Organize a challenge for students to propose innovative ideas to stimulate economic innovation in your community.

Political Geography

• International Relations Simulation: Conduct a simulation of international relations, considering geopolitical events and alliances.
• Conflict Resolution Workshop: Organize a workshop on conflict resolution, exploring strategies for resolving political conflicts in communities.
• Geopolitical Risk Analysis: Research and present a report on geopolitical risks that may impact your country or region.
• Local Governance Improvement Proposal: Develop a proposal for improving local governance structures and processes.
• Comparative Political Systems Analysis: Compare the political systems of different countries and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
• Political Ideology Debate: Organize a debate on different political ideologies, exploring their implications for governance.
• Human Rights Advocacy Campaign: Develop a campaign advocating for human rights, focusing on political issues within your community.
• Analysis of Political Representation: Conduct a study on the representation of different groups in local politics and propose measures for inclusivity.
• International Diplomacy Simulation: Simulate international diplomacy negotiations, exploring how countries interact on a global scale.
• Impact of Media on Political Opinion: Investigate the role of media in shaping political opinions in your community and present your findings.

Environmental Geography

• Biodiversity Conservation Plan: Develop a plan for conserving biodiversity in a local natural area, considering flora and fauna.
• Sustainable Agriculture Project: Create a sustainable agriculture project focusing on environmentally friendly farming practices.
• Environmental Education Campaign: Develop a campaign to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote eco-friendly behaviors.
• Impact of Air Quality on Health: Conduct a study on how air quality affects public health in your community and propose solutions.
• Waste Management Improvement Plan: Develop a plan for improving waste management practices, emphasizing recycling and reducing waste.
• Climate Action Initiative: Create a comprehensive plan for addressing climate change impacts on your community.
• Renewable Energy Feasibility Study: Research and present a feasibility study on the implementation of renewable energy sources in your region.
• Ecosystem Restoration Project: Develop a project to restore a local ecosystem affected by human activities.
• Water Conservation Campaign: Organize a campaign to promote water conservation practices in your community.
• Community Green Space Enhancement: Develop a plan to enhance and expand green spaces in your community, promoting environmental well-being.

These project ideas aim to inspire students to explore the diverse facets of geography while engaging in hands-on, real-world applications.

What should be included in a geography project?

Embarking on a geography project is like setting off on a thrilling exploration of Earth’s wonders. Here’s your roadmap for creating a project that not only educates but also captivates:

Unveil the Excitement

Kick off with a splashy introduction that sparks curiosity. Imagine your project as the opening scene of a blockbuster movie – it’s got to grab attention!

Set the Scene

Paint a vivid picture by offering a quick background. Why is your chosen geography topic so fascinating or important? Let your audience in on the excitement.

Project Objectives Unveiled

Clearly lay out the goals of your project. What mysteries are you aiming to unravel? Share your objectives, like clues to a treasure hunt.

Spill the Data Secrets

Dish out the deets on your data collection methods. Did you embark on a daring field expedition or decode hidden patterns in existing research? Spill the secrets!

Show off your findings with flair! Utilize visuals – charts, graphs, or maps – to make your data dazzle. Let the numbers tell a story that even a geography newbie can follow.

Geography in 3D

If your project allows, bring it to life with maps, models, or diagrams. Think of it as creating a mini world where your audience can step into the geographical wonder you’re unveiling.

Case Studies: Geo-Detective Style

If you’ve got case studies up your sleeve, present them like a seasoned detective solving a mystery. Dive into the details, spill the clues, and reveal the “aha” moments.

Impact Unleashed

Analyze the impact of your geographical findings – it’s like decoding the aftermath of an epic adventure. Discuss how the geographical elements influence the world around them.

Spot the Oddities

Play the comparison game. Spot the similarities and differences, the geographical oddities that make your topic stand out. It’s like finding hidden gems in a crowded landscape.

Geo-Conclusions

It’s the grand finale! Summarize your findings and dish out the conclusions. Make it the satisfying ending to a captivating geography tale.

Bold Recommendations (if you dare)

If your project sparks ideas for change or improvement, lay them out boldly. Your recommendations are like the plot twists that keep the geography story evolving.

Sources: The Detective’s Notebook

List your sources – the trail of clues that led you to your geographical revelations. It’s like giving credit to the brilliant minds who paved the way for your exploration.

Applause for Allies

Shout out to anyone who lent a helping hand. Acknowledge the allies who made your geography journey smoother, like a team celebrating a successful mission.

Spice with Visual Delights

Sprinkle your project with visual treats – images, maps, or even a sprinkle of humor. Keep it visually engaging, like a graphic novel bringing geography to life.

Remember, your geography project isn’t just a report; it’s a thrilling adventure, and you’re the guide leading your audience through uncharted territories. Let the geography magic unfold!

What are the themes of the geography project?

Embarking on a geography project is like choosing the theme for an epic adventure, and the themes are the landscapes you’ll explore. Let’s ditch the formalities and spice it up:

Eco-Warriors Unleashed: Nature’s Showdown

Dive into the wild side of geography! Explore how ecosystems, biodiversity, and human activities tango with the environment. It’s like a nature showdown—who will emerge victorious?

Cultural Kaleidoscope: Where Cultures Collide and Conspire

Pack your bags for a global journey through human geography. Uncover the tapestry of cultures, languages, and the intricate dance of societies. It’s a kaleidoscope of human stories!

Climate Chronicles: Weathering Earth’s Drama

Get ready for a weather report like no other! Dive into the drama of climate geography—uncover patterns, changes, and the stories behind every raindrop. Earth’s weather, the ultimate drama queen!

Urban Utopia or Dystopia: Cityscape Rollercoaster

Fasten your seatbelts for the urban geography rollercoaster! Explore the highs and lows of city life, from megacities to cozy towns. Will it be a utopian ride or a dystopian plunge?

Mapping Marvels: Cartography Quest

Grab your magnifying glass and join the Cartography Quest! Uncover the secrets of maps, spatial wizardry, and the art of turning landscapes into masterpieces. X marks the spot!

Resource Odyssey: Earth’s Hidden Treasures Hunt

Set sail on an economic geography adventure! Hunt for Earth’s hidden treasures—resources! Explore their distribution, utilization, and the impact they have on economies. It’s a treasure hunt with a global twist!

Political Frontiers Unraveled: Global Chessboard Intrigues

Time to play geopolitical chess! Unravel the mysteries of political geography—boundaries, conflicts, and the intricate moves on Earth’s chessboard. Checkmate or check again?

Historical Geography Journeys: Time-Traveler’s Guide

Step into the time-traveler’s shoes! Explore landscapes shaped by historical events. It’s like flipping through Earth’s photo album and witnessing the stories etched in its terrain.

Sustainable Futures: Green Revolution Blueprint

Become a sustainability superhero! Craft the blueprint for a green revolution—sustainable development, conservation, and eco-friendly practices. Mother Earth needs you!

Globalization Odyssey: Culture Clash and Fusion

Brace yourself for a cultural rollercoaster! Dive into the globalization Odyssey—explore its impact on cultures, economies, and the intriguing dance of global connections. It’s a mashup of traditions and trends!

Remember, your theme is the compass guiding your geography adventure. Choose the one that sparks your curiosity and promises the most thrilling exploration. Let the geography games begin!

How do you make geography hands on?

Making geography hands-on is like turning the pages of an interactive atlas. Here are some engaging ways to bring geography to life and make it a tactile, immersive experience:

Map Masterpieces

• Activity: Create 3D maps using different materials.
• How: Use clay, salt dough, or even papier-mâché to mold physical features like mountains, rivers, and valleys. Paint and label your map for an interactive geography masterpiece.

Geo-Culinary Adventure

• Activity: Cook and taste your way around the world.
• How: Pick recipes from different countries, gather the ingredients, and whip up a global feast. Learn about the geography and culture while enjoying a delicious hands-on experience.

Virtual Field Trips

• Activity: Explore different landscapes virtually.
• How: Use virtual reality (VR) apps or online resources to take a virtual field trip to diverse  geographical locations . It’s like having the world at your fingertips without leaving your seat.

Earth Science Experiments

• Activity: Investigate natural phenomena.
• How: Conduct experiments related to geographical concepts, like creating a model volcano to understand volcanic eruptions or simulating erosion with water and sand. It’s hands-on science in action!

Geo-Crafting Extravaganza

• Activity: Craft geographical features.
• How: Get creative with crafts to replicate geographical elements. Make a salt dough relief map or construct a mini ecosystem in a jar. Crafting turns geography into art.

Geography Games Galore

• Activity: Play interactive geography games.
• How: Explore board games, online quizzes, or apps that turn geography into a game. It’s a fun way to reinforce knowledge while engaging in friendly competition.

Outdoor Exploration

• Activity: Field trips and nature walks.
• How: Take learning outdoors. Visit local parks, nature reserves, or landmarks. It’s a hands-on way to connect classroom knowledge with the real world.

Mystery Geography

• Activity: Solve geographical mysteries.
• How: Create mystery challenges related to geographical concepts. Students become detectives deciphering clues and solving puzzles to uncover the location. It’s geography meets detective work.
• Activity: Act out geographical scenarios.
• How: Role-play historical events or simulate geographical processes. Whether it’s acting out a cultural exchange or dramatizing weather patterns, it’s a hands-on way to understand complex concepts.

Geography Through Technology

• Activity: Use digital tools for exploration.
• How: Leverage interactive apps, online mapping tools, and GIS platforms. It’s like having a digital atlas with dynamic features at your fingertips.

Sensory Mapping

• Activity: Engage multiple senses in mapping.
• How: Incorporate textures, scents, and even sounds into map-making. This multisensory approach enhances the learning experience and makes geography more memorable.

Storytelling Adventures

• Activity: Craft geographical stories.
• How: Encourage students to write or illustrate geographical stories. It could be a travel diary, a mythical journey, or an adventure exploring different climates. It’s geography through storytelling.

Geo-Puzzles

• Activity: Solve geographical puzzles.
• How: Use jigsaw puzzles featuring maps or geography-related images. It’s a hands-on way to piece together the world.

Cultural Show and Tell

• Activity: Share cultural artifacts.
• How: Encourage students to bring in or showcase artifacts from different cultures. It’s like creating a mini-museum in the classroom.

Making geography hands-on transforms it from a theoretical concept to a dynamic, memorable experience. With these activities, learning geography becomes an adventure rather than a lesson.

And there you have it—the grand finale of our whirlwind journey through creative geography project ideas! As we wrap up, let’s not just close a chapter but imagine it as the final scene of an adventure movie where the heroes have unearthed hidden treasures and left us craving more.

From shaping 3D maps that practically breathe to cooking up a storm with global flavors, these projects have been more than just dots on a map. They’re like magic portals transporting us to lands unknown, stirring the pot of curiosity and inviting us to taste the diverse flavors of our world.

In this tapestry of themes—whether we’re battling the weather drama, riding the urban rollercoaster, or weaving through the cultural kaleidoscope—we’re not merely studying geography; we’re part of an epic saga, each project a thrilling chapter.

So, as we bid adieu to this creative geography extravaganza, remember, these projects are not just a means to an academic end. They’re passports to becoming explorers, chefs, scientists, and storytellers, navigating the globe with creativity as our compass.

In the grand spirit of exploration, let your projects be the launchpad for endless curiosity. Whether you’re molding mountains from clay, savoring global delights, or cracking geographical mysteries, envision your projects not as tasks but as adventures waiting to be unleashed.

In the vast world of geography, where every landscape tells a story, let your projects be the storytellers. May your geographical adventures be filled with wonder, discovery, and the joy of unraveling the mysteries that make our world extraordinary. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can teachers assess these projects.

Assessment can be based on creativity, research depth, and presentation skills. Rubrics can be tailored to each project’s unique requirements.

Are there variations for remote learning environments?

Certainly! Many projects can be adapted for remote learning, utilizing virtual collaboration tools and online resources.

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National Geographic Education Blog

Bring the spirit of exploration to your classroom.

Teaching the Art of Geography

This post was written by educator Sandra Turner.

My life and teaching practice has been made richer by the study of people, place, and the natural world. This insatiable curiosity to see and discover more has cultivated a zeal for travel, photography, and diving. My journey is always crafted with the unfolding of a wall-sized paper map given to me by a world traveler. Oddly to some, my choice of destination is largely driven by how remote the location and how much of the ocean surrounds it.  I then immerse myself into learning everything I can about its people, points of interests, landscapes, culture, and history. My favorite part of the journey are the life-long memories that I return home with that get stitched into stories while sharing photos. 

To me, geography means intellectual expanse and awakening. Our planet is an inexhaustible exploration to behold. It can begin right where we are! I became a National Geographic Certified Educator to share my adventures with my students and teach them what I call, the art of geo.

National Geographic Education (NG): Geography helps build bridges and create connections. How do you see this play out in your work?

Teaching global climate change is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an educator. It hasn’t always been easy. Midway into my first year of teaching elementary students, I was asked, “What does global warming have to do with me?” After a bit of contemplation about my students and teaching curriculum, it occurred to me that my students were not connecting to the learning objectives because they didn’t know enough about the natural world and how it works. 

So as a preamble to teaching about the science of climate change, I now begin lessons with an introduction to the concept of earth as an ecosystem with a myriad of species dependent upon its resources to sustain all life.  Students learn spatial skills as they illustrate models of the carbon and water cycle and create detailed maps of their neighborhood. To increase their geographic knowledge, students read carefully selected books and watch videos to learn how young people in other parts of the world experience their environments. Our discussions include the use of interactive maps to deepen their discovery.

Surprisingly, until holding a globe during our class instruction, many of my students didn’t know that the ocean covers more than half of the Earth’s surface.  Because of their hunger to know more, I added additional geo-inquiry activities to help them make the human connection to the ocean. They also learned that the ocean is home to a vibrant marine life and with virtual reality headsets, they were able to have an immersive experience to glimpse the wonder of life below the sea.

Lastly, we set our compass coordinates and navigated across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Island of Jamaica where we met up a youth adventurer and free diver for a live YouTube session. As he walked through a tropical rainforest, he shared stories of his boyhood memories growing up close to the land and sea.  Then he marveled the students as he made a backward triple somersault into a hidden waterfall. The students cheered with excitement!

I am amazed to see the transformation of my student’s zeal for learning by simply incorporating the use of geographical tools and thinking activities. These activities created the bridge to connect students to understanding climate change in a meaningful way and across multiple scales. To demonstrate their understanding of how interconnected humans are to the natural world, my students are now able to communicate and visually model how unsustainable human behaviors in one part of the world can negatively impact the environment of people living in another part of the world. That’s Geography!

NG: How is geography relevant to 21st-century thinking and what might we do differently with geography in mind?

As an informal educator who works primarily with elementary students in afterschool settings, I enjoy having the flexibility to design interdisciplinary lessons for students to develop a wide range of new skill sets without the pressure of achieving perfect grades and test scores. Students can take risks, try new ideas, and expand their creativity while working on project-based assignments that will send them around the world to brainstorm solutions to real time problems.  

This year I had the unique opportunity to partner with Esri to create a collection of StoryMap lessons called, On An Island .  The lessons in the first collection address the importance of stimulating early geographical thinking and spatial skills through creativity and visual storytelling. Students act as cartographers and explorers who design and analyze maps to learn about Earth’s dynamic physical features.  

As a backdrop to this assignment, I shared the personal story of being a non-swimmer who was petrified of deep water, to becoming a certified scuba diver who partners with marine protected areas on coral reef restoration initiatives in the Caribbean. Connecting with my students through storytelling is a 21 st century thinking strategy that I use to help students to begin to envision their future selves. They learn how to craft their identity narrative and tell the powerful story of who they want to be! This is an important mindset development particularly for underrepresented students who are often confined by limited identities and opportunities.  

In the forthcoming second collection, students deepen their geographical competencies as they examine the cultural and environmental challenges unique to the Caribbean region. Students broaden their understanding of scale, perspectives, and scientific modeling as they learn about the growing inequities faced by small island developing states. Students will create a final multimedia StoryMap to help tell the story of a people who are on the frontlines of our climate crisis.

With close to 8 billion people on this planet, developing global knowledge through geographic study is vital. So that my students can thrive against the pressures of studying about a burgeoning planet and global environmental unrest, in the activities described above, I’ve incorporated the ancient practice of mindfulness and breathing techniques to help my students cultivate connection to the natural world. I am curious to see how the lens of social emotional learning in my teaching practice can help my students to become resilient thinkers and compassionate observers. 

I would love to be part of a global think tank of educators to brainstorm ideas, best practices, and to co-create learning experiences with resilience thinking in mind. Our learning environments can become safe operating spaces for our student’s overall well-being as we call upon them to grapple with the complexities of a changing world. I’m not sure if we have given enough consideration to how our need to keep students informed, may unknowingly cause additional burden to our students. 

NG: Where/how do you see geography playing out in the news/world today? (related to relevant topics)

Although alarmed by the increased coverage of environmental degradation taking place around the world suspected to be due to climate change, I believe the media has done a fair job to help raise awareness on its global impacts. However, the commentaries and debates remind us of how insular and intolerable we are as a nation. This also points to how very little we know about people and places in other parts of the world. This presents a tremendous opportunity for educators to frame discussions that will help students take ownership of their geographic knowledge by learning to analyze information, formulate and ask their own questions, and communicate to demonstrate their understanding.

NG: How can we connect geographic thinking to solving the world’s most pressing problems?  

We all have an instinctive desire to be a part of what makes life on earth more sustainable for our own survival.  It’s only human! The pressing problems we face can be overwhelming, leaving us perplexed as to how and where to begin.  

Kudos to our National Geographic Explorers and Storytellers for their mastery of connecting geographic thinking to our unprecedented time and place.  Their brave pursuits give voice to stories that inspire our intentions and ambiguous beginnings.  Their images open our vision to what we are unable to see or have refused to give attention to because of our own discomforts.  They invoke in us the moral courage to say, yes to new possibilities to achieve a sustainable planet.  I think every educator should be a storyteller…for every storyteller, is an educator ! 

NG: What geography fact fascinates you the most and why?

I have always been fascinated with the geological Strand of Pearls formed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. With more than 7,000 islands, this region is home to a diverse culture of people, indigenous knowledge, and one of the world’s richest biodiversity.

I have seen much of this paradise during my travels across islands as I research how people arrived at these places. 

With each sojourn I gain a deeper appreciation for the sacredness of the natural world as I capture the images of vibrant rainforests, mountains, flora, landscapes and its intoxicating blue water. I have devoted my conservation efforts and life’s work to this region and its people who are disproportionately impacted by climate change. 

I took the image, “Little House of Hope” while traveling through the island of Carriacou with Kirk Elliott, a fellow National Geographic Certified Educator and photographer. As I framed the house against the bejeweled sea, I began to imagine who may have lived here and what were the circumstances that led to the abandonment of such a quaint house. The laughter, children at play, family gatherings and such. Moments after taking the photo, another story came into view as a weathered, yet graceful gentleman emerged from the house to greet us. Hope McLawrence, a soft-spoken, veteran fisherman of Scottish descent, shared with us secrets of a long life lived on the wild seas. Transfixed by the story he shared of discovering a foot long, red-lipped batfish , we knew that he was no ordinary man. We made a promise to return and to see him again.

Sandra Turner is a National Geographic Educator and Explorer who teaches global climate science and ocean literacy. Trained under former Vice-President, Al Gore, Sandra is a member of Climate Reality Corp and serves as a facilitator and training mentor. She received additional certification training from the SDG Academy and Harvard University’s, The Health Effects of Climate Change, and Educating Global Citizens programs. 

Sandra uses a unique blend of field experiences as an ocean conservationist, certified scuba diver, and Caribbean photographer to cultivate new generations of young explorers who connect with the natural world from geographical and cultural perspectives. An ArcGIS enthusiast, she incorporates StoryMaps and the Living Atlas of the World to deepen geo-literacy development.  Just Breathe, Our Human Connection to the Ocean , is her most recent project that integrates aquaculture, ocean science, and ecological justice with mindfulness to foster resilience and compassion.

Explore the StoryMap Sandra created about the Little House of Hope and check out National Geographic’s selection of online courses for educators to follow in Sandra’s footsteps!

Lead photo: Little House of Hope, the seaside Home of Mr. Hope McLawrence, Carriacou. Courtesy of Sandra Turner.

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One thought on “ Teaching the Art of Geography ”

This blog highlights the importance of connecting students to the material they are learning and to the world they are living in. In the social studies discipline, we constantly talk about historical empathy, which is understanding how people in the past felt, thought, lived, etc. It is incredibly difficult for students (well all of us actually) to connect their experiences to the experiences of people in the past. The activities proposed here go a long way in connecting students to the larger problems of climate change, which is a huge step towards connecting students towards their own agency in the problem. These same strategies could be used to connect students to the past or to at least connect the problems of today to the problems of the past.

I love the idea of using case studies for climate change to make the interactions between the environment, identity, and advocacy cleaer. I have seen the use of case studies in some classrooms, but it is obviously easier to do at the elementary or middle school level where the curriculum is more flexible. I think that the Caribbean case study makes connections clearer while offering students the chance to forge their own connections to the environment and advocacy.

The effectiveness of this type of teaching comes down to the “storyteller” aspect. Just as indicated, teachers are storytellers!!! I am working on pulling in the tools and sources that tell an overarching story that students can understand and see themselves in.

The only reservations I have are surrounding the idea of “resilience,” especially as it is framed with mindfulness. I do not know that I would want to pair mental health exercises with the concept of critical resilience for my students. This is more an issue with the term itself and not the actual concept proposed. There is an obvious attention to the “burdening” of students today in this post, so it is not discounting any personal difficulties or mental health issues that students may have. At the secondary level, this becomes even more prevalent as new stressors enter students’ lives and workloads increase.

Overall, I loved the attention to connecting students to the content learned, especially in relation to world problems like climate change. I anticipate this will be an ongoing exploration in my own classroom, and I can see myself using these practices in my discipline going forward!

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Open Educational Resources and Geography

This collection was curated by an ASCCC OERI discipline lead.  A comprehensive list of current discipline leads is available.

Archived Geography Webinars

Introduction to Physical Geography (C-ID GEOG 110)

Accessed June 2021. A textbook with 21 chapters covering concepts related to Earth Sciences. Chapters contain links to relevant videos, articles, website and instructional activities appropriate for studying the concepts and topics.

Accessed June 2021. This text is disseminated via the Open Education Resource (OER) LibreTexts Project ( https://LibreTexts.org ) and like the hundreds of other texts available within this powerful platform, it freely available for reading, printing and “consuming.” Most, but not all, pages in the library have licenses that may allow individuals to make changes, save, and print this book. Carefully consult the applicable license(s) before pursuing such effects. Instructors can adopt existing LibreTexts texts or Remix them to quickly build course-specific resources to meet the needs of their students. Unlike traditional textbooks, LibreTexts’ web based origins allow powerful integration of advanced features and new technologies to support learning. 

Resource by Adam Dastrup, Open Geography Education.  Accessed June 2021. The intent of this textbook is to update and build upon the body of knowledge that exists within the geographic discipline. Unless otherwise noted within each chapter of the textbook, this body of work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Created by Dr. Michael Pidwirny & Scott Jones University of British Columbia Okanagan. Accessed June 2021. PhysicalGeography .net  contains six main components: Fundamentals (of Physical Geography) Online eBook, Understanding (Physical Geography) Online eBook, Learning Visualizations, Glossary of Terms, Internet Weblinks, and Search Site. The Fundamentals of Physical Geography ( 2nd Edition ) online textbook contains over three hundred pages of information and more than four hundred 2-D illustrations, photographs, and animated graphics organized into ten chapters. Important key terms in the text are linked to an interactive Glossary of Terms. Nested within the pages of this online textbook are links to  study guide  pages and  additional reading  pages for each chapter. Please note that the pages found in this work are always in a state of being improved. Your comments and corrections, emailed to me, play an important role in this process.

Physical Geography – Version 1 PDF  (CC BY). Accessed July 2021. The textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to many topics in the field of physical geography, but it is unbalanced in favor of geology/geomorphology. There is no unit focused on the hydrosphere. Instead, there are two units – Unit 16: Shaped by Coastal Processes, and Unit 17: Shaped by Rivers & Running Water, discussing mostly the role of water as a geomorphic agent. Thus, the textbook falls short of information about important topics like the properties of water, ocean currents, lakes, etc. Also, there is no unit about the biosphere. Each unit starts with a Goals and Objectives section and ends up with a Summary. The text is well illustrated with tables and figures. However, there are no discussions, study questions, or other activities to help students understand the concepts introduced.

Physical Geography, Laboratory (C-ID GEOG 111)

Physical Geography Lab Manual (Ray et al., 2020) (CC BY-NC 4.0) – Google Docs Manual for Physical Geography, Lab Course – Canvas Commons Manual for Physical Geography, Lab Course – Word Doc

This peer-reviewed lab manual includes twenty lab exercises designed for California community college students.

Accessed June 2021. This lab manual is intended to be used in introductory physical geography lab courses. It is tailored to the Antelope Valley College program, but can be adapted for use elsewhere. Certain labs reference The Essential World Atlas, and Physical Geography, both published by Oxford University Press. Other textbooks can be substituted as needed.

Introduction to Physical Geography, with Lab (C-ID GEOG 115)

Geog 115 is a combination lecture and laboratory course. For a combination course, including lecture and laboratory components, refer to C-ID Geog 110 and C-ID Geog 111 resources as listed above.

Introduction to Human Geography (C-ID GEOG 120)

Accessed June 2021. Part of the  Open Geography eTextbook Collection .  This eTextbook is freely available for use under the  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . All content will be mobile-friendly for smartphone and tablet use and could be used in face-to-face, flipped, blended/hybrid, or online teaching environments. 

See site for information regarding ancillaries. Accessed June 2021. Introduction to Human Geography: A Disciplinary Approach is a free eText designed for students enrolled in survey courses in Human/Cultural Geography or US Geography.  This textbook is used by students at California State University, Northridge, and by students at several dozen other colleges and universities.  Some high schools are using it for AP Human Geography.

World Regional Geography (C-ID GEOG 125)

World Geographies: A Critical Introduction was designed to serve as a foundational resource for students taking World Regional Geography courses. It is a peer-reviewed textbook that was curated and authored by diverse geography educators, as part of the efforts of the Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI) of the Academic Senate of California Community Colleges (ASCCC). This book uses ASCCC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism framework and a critical geography lens and utilizes a thematic approach to world regional geography. This focus enables readers to understand processes driving global inequities and develop a better understanding of contemporary global issues. All efforts were made to ensure the material covered in this resource is consistent, relevant, accurate, and accessible.

The intent of this textbook is to update and build upon the body of knowledge that exists within the geographic discipline. Unless otherwise noted within each chapter of the textbook, this body of work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization – LibreTexts (CC BY-NC-SA) Note: The version by the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing Services is unpublished as of 12/31/24. The link goes to the version by Saylor Academy, an exact copy.

World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization  is designed for students to experience and study as much of the world as possible within a limited amount of time. It gives students the fundamental concepts and the latest data regarding world places in a concise, easy-to-read format. This textbook focuses on the primary issues that have created our cultural and societal structures, and presents them within a framework for global understanding

Introduction to Weather and Climate (C-ID GEOG 130)

Climate change is an urgent problem. Because it is causing new weather extremes and fatal catastrophes, climate change is better-termed climate disruption. Bending the curve to flatten the upward trajectory of pollution emissions responsible for climate disruption is essential in order to protect billions of people from this global threat. Education is a key part of the solution. This textbook book lays out ten solutions that together can bend the curve of climate warming below dangerous levels. These solutions fall into six categories: science, societal transformation, governance, economics, technology, and ecosystem management

This book describes how Earth’s climate is changing, how it has been changing in the recent geological past and how it may change in the future. It covers the physical sciences that build the foundations of our current understanding of global climate change such as radiation, Earth’s energy balance, the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. Both natural and human causes for climate change are discussed. Impacts of climate change on natural and human systems are summarized. Ethical and economical aspects of human-caused climate change and solutions are presented.

The Climate Toolkit is a resource manual designed to help the reader navigate the complex and perplexing issue of climate change by providing tools and strategies to explore the underlying science. As such it contains a collection of activities that make use of readily available on-line resources developed by research groups and public agencies. These include web-based climate models, climate data archives, interactive atlases, policy papers, and “solution” catalogs. Unlike a standard textbook, it is designed to help readers do their own climate research and devise their own perspective rather than providing them with a script to assimilate and repeat. The activities in the manual are divided into five sections that include weather and climate basics, present climate impacts, past climate change, future change and impacts, and strategies for climate mitigation and adaptation. These are followed by three appendices which contain information about the on-line tools used in the activities in this manual; a catalog of on-line and print resources produced by research groups, government agencies, and community groups involved in climate and sustainability work; and background on the history and key players in the international climate negotiation process. Though originally aimed at undergraduate non-science majors, the manual has been broadened for a wider audience in non-academic settings like community groups, service organizations, workplace study groups, and faith communities.

California Geography (C-ID GEOG 140)

Map interpretation and analysis (c-id geog 150).

• Mapping, Society, and Technology (Manson, 2017) (CC BY-NC)
• Spatial Analysis (Smith) (CC BY)

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Techniques, with Lab (C-ID GEOG 155)

As the title suggests, “Mapping, Society, and Technology” provides an excellent overview of the fundamentals of mapping as a technology in contemporary society (admittedly and understandably skewed towards the Global North). The book works well as an introductory text to how maps work, their basic components, and the challenges of understanding and displaying spatial data. Many of the topics covered are what one might expect to find in a beginning Geographic Information System (GIS) textbook, but are helpfully presented independently of GIS or a specific platform.

• Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (Dastrup) (CC BY)

Nature of Geographic Information (DiBiase) – LibreTexts  (CC BY-NC-SA) The purpose of this text is to promote understanding of the Geographic Information Science and Technology enterprise (GIS&T, also known as “geospatial”).

Essentials of Geographic Information Systems  integrates key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications. Recognizing that many potential GIS users are nonspecialists or may only need a few maps, this book is designed to be accessible, pragmatic, and concise.  Essentials of Geographic Information Systems  also illustrates how GIS is used to ask questions, inform choices, and guide policy. From the melting of the polar ice caps to privacy issues associated with mapping, this book provides a gentle, yet substantive, introduction to the use and application of digital maps, mapping, and GIS.

Regional Field Studies (C-ID GEOG 160)

General resources.

• Libre Texts – Bookshelves This central Bookshelves area in this LibreTexts Library holds texts that are curated by the LibreTexts Development team and can be used either directly or as content for building customized remixes (i.e., texts that are generated from existing content often with customized editing and/or content interspersed) for use in Course Shells housed in  Campus Bookshelves . There are two classes of texts found in the Bookshelves: “Textbooks” and “Textmaps”. Textbooks are the central spot for integrated content into our library and are identified by “Book:” in their titles. Textmaps are specialized remixes that are constructed to follow the organization of existing commercial textbooks. Textmaps facilitate adoption by faculty that are unable to switch from a commercial textbook to an OER alternative; these texts are identified by “Map:” in their titles. For details on how to have a text added to the bookshelves or how to remix content into your customized remix contact us at  [email protected] .
• Libre Texts, Campus Bookshelves The Campus Bookshelves area holds campus-specific and faculty-specific course shells. Each shell is customized to address the needs of faculty and their students and typically contains text remixes (i. e., texts generated from existing content often with customized editing and/or content interspersed) that students and faculty can directly access for their class activities. While the textbooks in the  Bookshelves  are centrally curated by the development team, the text remixes in the course shells are primarily curated by the faculty that created them. The shells can be exported into Learning Management Systems or as PDFs or even as physical texts. For details in how to construct a shell for your class contact us at  [email protected] .
• Libre Texts, Geosciences. Learning Objects Learning objects are content items, practice items, and assessment items. These resources are self-contained, digital or non-digital resources that can be used for learning, education or training. Learning objects can be organized to easily form collections of themed content, including traditionally designed courses.

Using an OER resource that is missing from the list above?  If so,  please let us know .

This page last updated April 14th, 2022.

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11 Simple Creative Geography Projects

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin

As a busy parent with a million and one tasks on your plate, the thought of tackling hands-on, possibly messy projects, which will almost certainly initiate a plethora of questions (many of which you won’t know the answer to) can feel somewhat overwhelming. 

And yet, as Mr Franklin tells us, it’s often the most powerful way to learn.

Getting children involved in the learning process, rather than just imparting facts you know, allows them to grasp even the most complex of concepts, and increases their chances of remembering what they’ve learned.  

Phrases like, “Do you remember when we did that crazy experiment…”, “Oh look, I remember designing that model/making that lapbook/drawing that picture/writing that story/creating that video…” are much more common than “I remember when you taught me about…” (unless it involves a funny story and then they’re almost certain never to forget!).

And although it can feel overwhelming sometimes, involving your children in the learning process can be much simpler than you think. The trick is to accept that whatever they produce will not be a prize-winning piece of art, literature or science. The learning is all in the process, not in the end product.

With that in mind, here are some simple geography projects which teach aspects of the GCSE geography curriculum but in fun and creative ways, enabling younger children to build their geographical knowledge in a way they’ll remember.

World Geography

Personally, I believe it’s very important to have a good knowledge of where places are in the world and it’s something children love to learn about.

Activity No. 1 : To draw a continent

The Draw book series by Kristin J. Draeger (e.g. Draw Africa ) is the perfect way to study how the countries of a continent fit together through the medium of art. We have the whole series as the Beans, and I can spend many a happy hour engrossed in sketching the world! Each page gives the next step in drawing the continent, whether by adding the next country, part of a coastline or a group of islands, until finally, by the end of the book, you have produced an outline of the whole of Europe or Africa!

Activity No. 2: To plan a tour of the UK or Europe

Invite your children to imagine they are tour guides planning a month-long tour around either the UK or countries across Europe, for a group of families with children aged between 7-13. Using the internet and guidebooks to research, ask them to plan:

• a route for their tour group, working out how which cities, villages or renowned sites to visit
• how long they would have in each destination
• how they would transport them from place to place
• what activities or trips they plan to do each day, from tours of famous museums to white water rafting excursions
• optional : a total cost, how much they would charge each person (including discounts for children) and thus a profit for the tour

Or alternatively, they could plan their dream UK summer tour, with free rein to choose where to go and what to visit!

Geographical Facts and Figures

If your children are anything like Bean9, they’ll love facts and figures. He’s obsessed, happily pouring over reference style books to find fascinating titbits to share. Here are two activities to build their world geographical knowledge and practise some maths skills at the same time.

Activity No. 3: To find the most interesting geographical facts to blow your parent’s minds !

A super simple challenge for your children to search your book collection or the internet for ten of the most mind-boggling, fascinating geographical facts they can find. One or both parents can then act as judge (judging scoring paddles optional!) and score each fact from 1-10 on how interesting or incredible they deem it to be. Highest total score wins. Here are some examples:

• Continents shift at about the same rate as your fingernails grow!
• Australia is wider than the moon.
• Russia spans 11 time zones.
• In the Philippines, there’s a tiny island (Vulcan Point) within a lake (Crater Lake), situated on an island (Taal Island) in a lake (Lake Taal) within an island (Luzon)…

Activity No. 4: To graphically represent interesting world statistics.

Practice their statistical ability in a meaningful way by using a varying array of graphs and charts (think bar charts, histograms, line graphs, pie charts) to represent geographical information your child is interested in, such as the lengths of the longest rivers, drops of the biggest waterfalls, heights of the tallest mountains, or size of the largest lakes.

Here are some examples the Beans completed when they were younger:

This is a great way of demonstrating how powerful it can be to see data in a pictorial form, turning a bunch of numbers into a meaningful story. For example, Bean10 was surprised by just how big a percentage of the world’s population was represented by people from Asia and Bean9 was amazed by the difference between the height of Mt. Everest versus the height of South America’s highest peak, Mt Aconcagua – something he didn’t fully appreciate just by looking at the numbers.

Maps, glorious maps! I have a slightly weird fascination with them: I am that person who gets excited to receive a fresh new OS map through the post…

Getting children familiar with using them is a key geographical skill. In this post , I highlighted easy ways to do just that with the ubiquitous OS maps. Aside from this most popular of map, there are a few other types they should know and feel comfortable deciphering. Here are a couple of them:

1. Isoline Maps – isolines are simply lines on a map that join up places which have the same value of something, so for example the same heights, average temperatures, wind speed or rainfall. Normally the lines are labelled with this value and the closer the lines are together, the steeper the gradient (how swiftly the value is changing) at that point.

Activity No. 5: To design their own island

Explain the above and show altitude isolines on an OS map as an example. Then, ask your child to draw a blueprint for their very own island! It’s up to them to decide on its name; its shape; the names and locations of key towns, ports or major landmarks; and finally, its topography. They can do this by drawing on altitude isolines and labelling them to show the height of the land across the island, thereby demonstrating where the hills or valleys are located (NB: you may need to show them the “normal” heights of hills in your local area to give them a reference point for the values of the isolines). Here’s an example:

Once this is complete, ask them to set you a number of questions! My kids love doing this, but what they don’t realise is just how much they’re learning in the process. So, for example, they might ask you the height of the peak of Mt. Major or which town sits at a lower altitude, Port Ena or Upperville? Or, if you were to climb Castle Hill from Port Ena, how many metres would you ascend? Or, what is the difference in metres of the lowest point on the island and the highest?

2. Latitude and Longitude – these are lines that run horizontally (latitude) and vertically (longitude) around the Earth, breaking it up into sections. Using lines of latitude, you can work out how far north or south of the equator (the middle line across Earth’s belly) a place is. Using lines of longitude, you can calculate how far west or east from the Prime Meridian (the central vertical line which runs through Greenwich) a place is. If you have both a latitude and longitude coordinate (measured in degrees), you can use it to work out exactly where a place is on Earth.

Activity No. 6: To track an enemy target’s movements!

The back story: pretend they are spies working for MI6 tracking an enemy target’s journey across the world. They receive information about the locations he’s visited on route and their job is to work out which cities (and countries) he visited, and thus who he may have interacted with. The information they receive is in latitude/longitude co-ordinates. Can they work out his route?

Write out the following co-ordinates on slips of paper and deliver them one at a time for your child to work out which city the co-ordinates correlate with:

• 30.04 degrees N, 31.24 degrees E
• 15.50 degrees N, 32.56 degrees E
• 28.70 degrees N, 77.10 degrees E
• 14.60 degrees N, 120.98 degrees E
• 6.21 degrees S, 106.85 degrees E

It looks like he might be headed to Sydney next, as you know he has key contacts there. Approximately, what would be the co-ordinates for this Australian city?

The answers are as follows:

• Cairo, Egypt
• Khartoum, Sudan
• Delhi, India
• Manila, Philippines
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• 34 degrees S, 151 degrees E

Now they have completed their mission, can they set you a similar challenge by looking up the exact co-ordinates of cities online?

Learning how to carry out and write up fieldwork projects is a key part of the geography syllabus. Practising this by doing simple hands-on experiments on rivers is an easy and fun way for younger children to build these skills.

Activity No. 7: To measure how quickly water flows down a river

A super straightforward experiment which involves dropping an orange into a point in a river and timing how quickly it travels across a pre-measured distance, to determine the speed of the water flow along the river:

• Measure out a 5m section along a river, marking the start and end points
• Have two people hold a piece of string or tape measure across the river to mark the entry point
• Place the orange in the water under the string and start timing as soon as you let go
• Stop timing as soon as it reaches the end of the measured stop
• Catch the orange with a fishing net (probably their favourite part!)
• Repeat 3 times and work out the mean time
• Speed (m/s) = Distance/Time, so 5m/mean time
• Optional : Repeat on different parts of the river to see how the flow rate changes along its course

This should show that rivers flow progressively faster on their journey downstream as more water is added via tributary rivers. The increase in total water means that less of it is in direct contact with the riverbed, so less energy is required to overcome friction.

To extend it for older children, teach them how to write up the experiment using the correct terminology, including:

• An initial question, such as How does the water speed change over the course of a river? Or a hypothesis – your prediction – so, I predict that the water flow will be faster on downstream than upstream sections .
• Your method – step-by-step what they did, like the set of instructions above
• The results – what the data shows and an opportunity to practise their graphing skills
• Conclusions – an explanation of how the data provides evidence to support the initial hypothesis or an answer the question
• Improvements – were there any problems in how they collected the data? How could they improve the experiment, by for example taking more readings or using data from additional sites? How reliable are their conclusions?

We’re currently studying coastal landscapes, so I thought I’d share one of the simple activities we did which the Beans really enjoyed. We’d learned about how waves wear away the coastline using two processes of erosion:

• Hydraulic power – as waves hit the rocks, air in the cracks are compressed, putting pressure on the rock. As this is repeated again and again, the cracks gradually widen, and sections of rock break off.
• Abrasion – small particles in the water scrape and wear away the rockface, taking smaller pieces of rocks with them.

We then discussed how these two actions erode headlands to form caves, arches and stacks. First cracks are enlarged and eventually form into caves. Over time, continued wave erosion deepens the cave until it breaks through onto the other side of the headland. This forms an arch like the one at Durdle Door in Dorset. Finally, as the waves continue to attack the sides of the arch, they become unable to support the weight of the material at the top of the arch, until ultimately it collapses. This leaves behind a stack, isolated from the headland, such as Old Harry in Dorset.

Activity No. 8: To make a clay model of an eroded headland

All you need is some modelling clay and paints. Ask them to make a model of a headland to demonstrate how the cliff is eroded over time from cracks, to a cave, to an arch, to a stack. They could also paint it and label the distinct sections. Finally, ask them to explain their model to another family member. Here’s Bean10’s model:

Rainforests

Tropical rainforests are a fascinating ecosystem to study and one of the key topics within the GCSE curriculum. There are some lovely rainforest picture books, such as Lynne Cherry’s: The Great Kapok Tree , The Shaman’s Apprentice (Cherry & Plotkin) and The Vanishing Rainforest (Platt & van Wyk) to name but a few.

Below are two simple ideas for bringing this topic to life, but first watch this virtual field trip of the Amazon Rainforest which gives a great nine-minute overview of this complex world.

Activity No. 9: To describe the rainforest through your senses

Have your child imagine he is sitting on the floor of the rainforest. Ask him to describe what he can see, hear, feel and smell, along with what a meal in the rainforest would taste like! Here’s an example:

Activity No. 10: To draw the adaptations of animals in the rainforest

Find out and discuss the various adaptations animals have evolved to optimise life in this tough environment, such as the flaps of skin that allow glider monkeys to fly from tree to tree; or the strong limbs of the spider monkey, climbing and leaping amongst the canopy; or the perfect camouflage of leaf-tailed geckos as they hide amongst the leaves from predators. Ask them to have a go at drawing some of these amazing creatures.

The UK’s weather appears to be becoming more and more extreme and, following the global pattern, temperatures continue to rise slowly with the ten hottest years recorded within the last twenty years.

Activity No. 11: To become a news presenter reporting on extreme weather conditions in the UK

Let your kids sharpen their acting, producing and directing skills by asking them to film a weather report highlighting the different climatic hazards to the UK: extensive rain, strong winds, heavy snow and ice, thunderstorms, hailstorms, drought and heat waves. Challenge them to get creative when thinking about how to film wet and windy weather even on a dry, sunny day! They could either present the film themselves or allocate this role to one of their teddies/toys.

In their report, ask them to touch on the impacts of this extreme weather on people; crops; buildings; road and rail networks; businesses; and schools.

If they’re planning on filming each weather condition in different takes, show them how to edit the video using a free editing tool, such as Lightworks , which has an associated, easy to understand instruction video (even I managed to follow it!). Here, they can connect short segments of film together to make one seamless report. My two have been using this to edit a production of Henry V acted by their loyal teddies (!), and they’re loving fiddling around with it.

As you can see, it doesn’t have to be difficult to involve your children in building geographical skills in creative and memorable ways. Offer your children one of the challenges above and watch their little imaginative minds set to work!

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A friend on the island took his wife and three children down to the local coast this morning to watch the sun rise. An excellent life-moment. Have you done that Debbie?

A lovely idea Michael, we’ve done this with the kids on our travels, but never in the UK! Consider it a plan! xx

Thank you Debbie, very inspirational!

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Live rhino horns injected with radioactive material in project aimed at curbing poaching in South Africa

Updated on: June 26, 2024 / 10:32 AM EDT / CBS/AFP

South African scientists on Tuesday injected radioactive material into live rhino horns to make them easier to detect at border posts in a pioneering project aimed at curbing poaching .

The country is home to a large majority of the world's rhinos and as such is a hot spot for poaching driven by demand from Asia, where horns are used in traditional medicine for their supposed therapeutic effect.

At the Limpopo rhino orphanage in the Waterberg area, in the country's northeast, a few of the thick-skinned herbivores grazed in the low savannah.

James Larkin, director of the University of the Witwatersrand's radiation and health physics unit who spearheaded the initiative, told AFP he had put "two tiny little radioactive chips in the horn" as he administered the radioisotopes on one of the large animals' horns.

The radioactive material would "render the horn useless... essentially poisonous for human consumption," added Nithaya Chetty, professor and dean of science at the same university.

The dusty rhino, put to sleep and crouched on the ground, did not feel any pain, Larkin said, adding that the radioactive material's dose was so low it would not impact the animal's health or the environment in any way.

In February the environment ministry said that, despite government efforts to tackle the illicit trade, 499 of the giant mammals were killed in 2023, mostly in state-run parks. That represents an 11% increase over the 2022 figures.

Twenty live rhinos in total are to be part of the pilot "Rhisotope" project , whereby they would be administered a dose "strong enough to set off detectors that are installed globally" at international border posts that were originally installed to thwart nuclear terrorism, Larkin said.

Border agents often have handheld radiation detectors that can pick up contraband, in addition to thousands of radiation detectors installed at ports and airports, the scientists said.

"Best idea I've ever heard"

According to Arrie Van Deventer, the orphanage's founder, efforts including dehorning rhinos and poisoning the horns have failed to deter poachers.

"Maybe this is the thing that will stop poaching," the conservationist said. "This is the best idea I've ever heard."

Wildebeest, warthogs and giraffe roamed the vast conservation area as more than a dozen team members performed the delicate process on another rhino.

Larkin meticulously drilled a small hole into the horn and then hammered in the radioisotope.

About 15,000 rhinos live in South Africa, according to an estimate by the international Rhino foundation.

The last phase of the project will ensure the animals' aftercare, following "proper scientific protocol and ethical protocol," said the project's COO, Jessica Babich. The team will take follow-up blood samples to ensure the rhinos were effectively protected.

The material should last five years in the horns, which Larkin said was a cheaper method than dehorning the animals every 18 months when their horns grow back.

Why are rhino horns poached?

High demand for rhino horns has fueled an illegal market. In parts of Asia, the horns are thought to have unproven, powerful medicinal properties and at one point they were more expensive than  cocaine in Vietnam .

Even though the horns grow back, poachers kill rhinos instead of sedating them to cut off the horns. In response, several initiatives have been launched to thwart poachers, including  moving rhinos  to different parts of Africa to get them out of poachers' reach and also safely  removing rhinos' horns  so they're not targeted.

During the coronavirus pandemic, rhino poaching surged across Africa as a lack of funding caused security shortages in conservation areas. 

Earlier this month, authorities in Indonesia announced six poaching suspects were arrested, accused of being part of a network that used homemade firearms to kill more than two dozen critically endangered  Javan rhinos since 2018 to get their horns.

Last year, a Malaysian man known as the "Godfather" who sold a dozen black rhino and white rhino horns to a confidential source was sentenced to a year and a half in a U.S. prison.

Alex Sundby contributed to this report.

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CISA Report Finds Most Open-Source Projects Contain Memory-Unsafe Code

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More than half of open-source projects contain code written in a memory-unsafe language, a report from the U.S.’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has found. Memory-unsafe means the code allows for operations that can corrupt memory, leading to vulnerabilities like buffer overflows, use-after-free and memory leaks.

The report’s results, published jointly with the FBI, Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre, and Canadian Cyber Security Center, are based on analysis of 172 critical projects defined by the OpenSSF’s Securing Critical Projects working group.

Out of the total lines of code for these projects, 55% were written in a memory-unsafe language, with the larger projects containing more. Memory-unsafe lines make up more than a quarter of all of the 10 largest projects in the data set, while the median proportion among them is 62.5%. Four of them are made up of more than 94% memory-unsafe code.

What are memory-unsafe languages?

Memory-unsafe languages, like C and C++, require developers to manually implement rigorous memory management practices, including careful allocation and deallocation of memory. Naturally, mistakes will be made, and these result in vulnerabilities that can allow adversaries to take control of software, systems and data.

On the other hand, memory-safe languages, like Python, Java, C# and Rust, automatically handle memory management though built-in features and shift the responsibility to the interpreter or compiler.

SEE: The 10 Best Python Courses Worth Taking in 2024

The report’s authors wrote: “Memory safety vulnerabilities are among the most prevalent classes of software vulnerability and generate substantial costs for both software manufacturers and consumers related to patching, incident response, and other efforts.”

They also analysed the software dependencies on three projects written in memory-safe languages, and found that each of them depended on other components written in memory-unsafe languages.

“Hence, we determine that most critical open source projects analysed, even those written in memory-safe languages, potentially contain memory safety vulnerabilities,” wrote the authors.

Chris Hughes, the chief security advisor at open source security company Endor Labs and cyber innovation fellow at CISA, told TechRepublic: “The findings certainly pose a risk to both commercial organisations and government agencies because of the prevalent exploitation of this class of vulnerabilities when we look at annual exploitation across classes of vulnerabilities. They are often among the most commonly exploited class of vulnerabilities year-over-year.”

Why is memory-unsafe code so prevalent?

Memory-unsafe code is prevalent because it gives developers the ability to directly manipulate hardware and memory. This is useful in instances where performance and resource constraints are critical factors, like in operating system kernels and drivers, cryptography and networking for embedded applications. The report’s authors observed this and expect it to continue.

Developers might use memory-unsafe languages directly because they are unaware of or unbothered by the risks. They can also intentionally disable the memory-safe features of a memory-safe language.

However, those aware of the risks and who do not wish to incorporate memory-unsafe code might do so unintentionally through a dependency on an external project. Performing a comprehensive dependency analysis is challenging for a number of reasons, making it easy for memory-unsafe dependencies to slip through the cracks.

For one, languages often have multiple mechanisms to specify or create dependencies, complicating the identification process. Furthermore, doing so is computationally expensive, as sophisticated algorithms are required to track all the potential interactions and side effects.

“Somewhere underneath every programming language stack and dependency graph, memory-unsafe code is written and executed,” the authors wrote.

SEE: Aqua Security Study Finds 1,400% Increase in Memory Attacks

Hughes told TechRepublic: “Often, these (memory-unsafe) languages have been widely adopted and used for years before much of the recent activity to try and encourage the transition to memory safe languages. Additionally, there is a need for the broader development community to transition to more modern memory safe languages.

“It would be difficult to change many of these projects to memory safe languages because it would require resources and efforts from the maintainers, to refactor/rewrite to memory safe languages. The maintainers may not have expertise in the memory safe language and even if they do, they may not be incentivized to do so, given they are largely unpaid volunteers not being compensated for the projects they’ve created and maintained.”

He added that organisations should offer monetary incentives and other resources to encourage open-source developers to transition their code, but also need to monitor any efforts to ensure that secure coding practices are implemented.

Recommendations to reduce risks of memory-unsafe code

The report refers to CISA’s The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps document and the Technical Advisory Council’s report on memory safety for recommendations on how to reduce the prevalence of memory-unsafe languages. These recommendations include:

• Transition existing projects to memory-safe languages, as recent advancements mean they now parallel the performance of memory-unsafe languages.
• Write new projects in memory-safe languages.
• Create memory-safe roadmaps that include clear plans for integrating memory-safe programming into systems and addressing memory safety in external dependencies.
• Manage external dependencies by ensuring third-party libraries and components are also memory-safe or have mitigations in place.
• Train developers in memory-safe languages.
• Prioritise security in software design from the beginning of the software lifecycle, such as by adhering to Secure by Design principles .

Efforts from officials to reduce prevalence of memory-unsafe code

Federal officials and researchers in the U.S. have been working to reduce the amount of memory-unsafe software in circulation in recent years.

An October 2022 report from Consumer Reports noted that “roughly 60 to 70 percent of browser and kernel vulnerabilities — and security bugs found in C/C++ code bases — are due to memory unsafety.” Then, the National Security Agency released guidance for how software developers could protect against memory-safety issues .

In 2023, CISA Director Jen Easterly called on universities to educate students on memory safety and secure coding practices. The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy and its implementation plan were then published, which discussed investing in memory-safe languages and collaborating with the open source community to champion them further. That December, CISA published The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps and the Technical Advisory Council’s report on memory safety .

In February this year, the White House published a report promoting the use of memory-safe languages and the development of software safety standards, which was backed by major technology companies including SAP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

The U.S. government’s efforts are being supported by a number of third-party groups that share their aim of reducing the prevalence of memory-unsafe code. The OpenSSF Best Practices Working Group has a dedicated Memory-Safety Special Interest subgroup, while the Internet Security Research Group’s Prossimo project wants to “move the Internet’s security-sensitive software infrastructure to memory safe code.” Google has developed the OSS-Fuzz service that continuously tests open-source software for memory-safety vulnerabilities and other bugs using automated fuzzing techniques.

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Vue.js crash course files. Vue Jobs project.

bradtraversy/vue-crash-2024

Folders and files.

Repository files navigation

Vue jobs project (youtube).

This is the jobs listing project from the YouTube crash course .

This project uses JSON-Server for a mock backend.

Install Dependencies

Run json server.

The server will run on http://localhost:8000

Run Vite Frontend

Vue will run on http://localhost:3000

Build for Production

Preview production build.

• JavaScript 2.7%

Large-scale Pilbara gold project Warrawoona calls in receivers despite record high gold prices

Calidus Resources, the ASX-listed company behind a major Pilbara gold mine, has been placed in receivership.

Its Warrawoona gold project has only been operational for two years.

What's next?

Receivers have told the ABC they plan to continue operations on site and hope to sell and recapitalise the business.

The company running one of Australia's youngest gold mines has collapsed under debt, despite record-breaking conditions in the global market.

Macquarie, the main financier of Calidus Resources, called in receivers KordaMentha for the ASX-listed company at the weekend.

Calidus Resources began operations at its Warrawoona gold project, south east of the remote town of Marble Bar in WA's Pilbara region, only two years ago. 

The company also owns 40 per cent of the Pirra lithium project, which it has been developing in the Pilbara alongside one of the world's largest lithium miners, SQM.

In an announcement to shareholders, KordaMentha's Richard Tucker and John Bunback said they were undertaking an urgent assessment of operations and would be starting a recapitalisation and sale process for Calidus. 

"Right now it is business as usual at Warrawoona and the associated sites and there have been no job losses," a KordaMentha spokesperson told the ABC.

"We can confirm we've already received some serious interest in the sale, which is to be expected given the value of the asset and current all-time high gold prices."

Price of gold not the reason for downfall

Independent analyst Peter Strachan has been watching the price of gold rise to record highs over the past 12 months.

"The gold price is over $3,500 per ounce — it's within $200 of its all-time high," he said.

But mining for gold in the Pilbara provides significantly more challenges than in the south of the state, where the bulk of the country's gold resources are located.

The Pilbara's ancient ground means the rock is very hard, expensive to explore and mining companies do not have much experience in searching for the "nuggety" conglomerate type of gold being found in the region.

"You need to have enough gold coming out of the ground to make it work when you have ongoing costs," he said.

Acknowledging the high price of gold, Mr Strachan said other factors may have caused the Warrawoona gold project's collapse. 

"At the end of March [Calidus] still owed Macquarie bank $61 million in debt, and to service that debt they had about $8 million of cash in the bank," he said.

"I suspect the bankers have really pulled the plug on this and are looking to sell the assets and recoup their $61 million."

Mr Strachan had not lost hope in the future of the Pilbara's gold mining industry. 

"There's gold in the ground there," he said.

"Someone will be able to do it on a lower budget than Calidus was able to achieve."

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Mining and Metals Industry
• Rural and Remote Communities

Hurricane Beryl, now Cat 4, targets Jamaica with ferocious winds: Live updates

Editor's note: This page reflects news on Hurricane Beryl from Tuesday, July 2. For the latest news on Hurricane Beryl , which is now a Category 4 storm, please follow USA TODAY's live updates on the storm for Wednesday, July 3 .

Hurricane Beryl weakened slightly Tuesday into a Category 4 storm − from the monster Category 5 it became overnight − as it pushed farther into the Caribbean Sea, homing in on Jamaica and triggering warnings and advisories across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Cayman Islands.

Beryl made landfall on Carriacou Island in Grenada as a Category 4 on Monday with 150-mph winds, causing at least three deaths and devastating Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The fast-moving storm then regained strength over the Caribbean Sea, and on Monday night it became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record.

The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory that Beryl had maximum sustained winds of near 150 mph − just 7 mph below the Category 5 threshold and down from 165 mph earlier in the day. But forecasters say Beryl will remain a powerful hurricane this week as it moves on a west-northwest path at almost 22 mph.

Forecasters said the center of Beryl will "move rapidly" across the central Caribbean Sea on Tuesday night before it reaches Jamaica. Beryl is "expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica" on Wednesday and to the Cayman Islands that night and into Thursday, the hurricane center said .

The storm surge along the Jamaican coast could be as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels, according to the hurricane center. As Beryl passes over or near Jamaica, currently about 300 miles east-southeast from the capital Kingston, its winds are forecast to decrease but the danger will remain high.

"Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength early on Wednesday,'' the NHC said, "making outside preparations difficult or dangerous."

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned residents on Tuesday night "to take the hurricane as a serious threat," and advised people to prepare for potential impacts but to remain calm. Holness added that officials have taken several precautionary measures in anticipation of Beryl.

The hurricane center is forecasting 4 to 8 inches of rain and up to 12 inches in isolated locations of Jamaica and the Barahona Peninsula in the southwest Dominican Republic, which could lead to flash flooding and mudslides.

Hurricane Beryl in photos: See the damage as storm moves through Caribbean

The storm is predicted to pass near or over the Cayman Islands, potentially raising water levels by as much as 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels and drenching the area with torrential rain. The southern coast of Haiti was placed under a hurricane watch as forecasters warned both Haiti and the Dominican Republic could start to see tropical storm conditions Tuesday.

Elsewhere, residents and visitors in the Cayman Islands, Belize, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf are advised to closely monitor Beryl's path. Additional weakening is expected later in the week, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean.

Hurricane Beryl tracker: See projected path of storm

Developments:

∎ Officials in Mexico and Belize have issued advisories for parts of their countries, according to the National Hurricane Center. In Mexico, the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is under hurricane watch while Belize issued a tropical storm watch from the south of Chetumal to Belize City.

∎ Winds gusted into the high 40s in Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning, while a gust of up to 54 mph was reported at Buck Island in the Virgin Islands.

∎ Swells capable of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are expected to reach the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola on Tuesday afternoon, the NHC said.

∎ Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados announced on its website that it's resuming operations after it closed on Sunday before Beryl caused considerable damage across the island.

∎ Jamaica's government has issued a hurricane warning for the island country, while tropical storm warnings were in effect for parts of the southern Dominican Republic. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area along the south coast of Hispaniola by late Tuesday, the hurricane center said.

President Biden is monitoring Hurricane Beryl, White House says

In a statement posted on X , the White House said President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring” Hurricane Beryl and his administration is poised to assist Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the region.

The statement added that Biden has been in contact with officials on the ground, including those with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the National Weather Service said Beryl's impacts were minimal. However, coastal flood and high surf advisories will remain in southern Puerto Rico for another night.

Will Hurricane Beryl hit Texas, the US Gulf Coast?

As Hurricane Beryl heads across the Caribbean Sea after tearing through the Windward Islands, impacts on the U.S. and Gulf Coast remain unclear. There is still no consensus among the forecast models for the path Beryl could take after it crosses the Yucatan Peninsula and emerges in the Gulf of Mexico.

The models don't agree on the strength or location of a possible break in the ridge over the southern United States. Weather Service offices in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, still aren't expecting impacts outside ocean conditions by Saturday, but forecasters in both field offices Tuesday morning said they'll be closely monitoring the center's forecast over the next couple of days as the track becomes clearer.

"Folks in the Texas coast, as we go into the holiday weekend, you're going to want to make sure you check back on the forecast and make sure you're ready for any potential impacts,'' National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said. "If we were to see tropical storm conditions affect those areas in the far western Gulf of Mexico, it could be during the day Saturday."

Because the forecast track puts Beryl in the Bay of Campeche − at the southern end of the gulf − as a tropical storm by Friday night and Saturday morning, a few models are showing an influx of tropical rain starting Saturday afternoon.  

There’s likely going to be "an increasing rainfall threat in Mexico and Texas” by the weekend, said Alex Lamers, chief of the forecast operations branch at the service’s Weather Prediction Center. But there remains “a really high degree of uncertainty in the forecast once you get beyond Saturday.”

Regardless of Beryl's exact track in the gulf, the weather service office in Corpus Christi said the southeast Texas coast also can expect a high risk of rip currents this weekend, and a medium chance for coastal flooding. Six rip-current deaths have already occurred this year along gulf coast beaches, and the weather service is increasingly concerned about the potential for rip currents over a holiday weekend when the beaches will likely be packed.

Embedded content: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/07/02/hurricane-beryl-category-5-records-broken/74273113007/

Ahead of Hurricane Beryl, the streets of Jamaica are 'in pandemonium'

Racquel Layne, a project coordinator with the local disaster relief organization St. Patrick's Rangers, said the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, were chaotic on Tuesday as residents of the capital city braced for what's expected to be the most devastating hurricane to hit the island in 30 years.

"The streets are in pandemonium right now," she told USA TODAY. "I think everybody's doing last-minute shopping and preparation."

Some hurried to fortify their houses against the storm. "You see persons doing repairs on their walls, putting cinder blocks on their roof, getting their sandbags in preparation for Beryl," Layne said.

Layne's organization activated all of its response team members and was in the process of assigning them to specific communities Tuesday. Relief workers had also stockpiled family emergency and shelter kits and prepared community shelters throughout the parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Thomas and St. Catherine, she said. For 72 hours, "it's been nonstop coordination and preparation and execution of our emergency response plan," she said.

A climate of fear descended in Kingston as Beryl approached, Layne said. "The majority of persons are concerned, they're scared," she said. "They don't know what to expect. They have seen the damage that Beryl has already done in the eastern Caribbean, and they are very anticipatory of what will happen in Jamaica."

Neighbors stick together as Kingston, Jamaica, is in crosshairs

Ian Nicholas and his family spent hours Tuesday securing the roof of their home in the Riverton neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica, with galvanized wire. The roof, made of zinc, would not fare well against Hurricane Beryl's ferocious winds, he thought.

Nicholas, 34, and his wife Alicia, 31, felt confident they could weather the storm. Their five children were even excited to help out with the roof project. "They don't really understand," he said.

Nicholas recalled going through the same routine ahead of Hurricane Ian several years ago. "I don't know if we're scared. Because we have so many hurricanes, we have more experience," he said.

Regardless, the neighborhood is sticking together ahead of Beryl's arrival. "We encourage each other to prepare, button up roofs and windows," Nicholas said. "We communicate."

Experience informs Hurricane Beryl preparation

Danesha Wilson, 31, still remembers how her mother's house filled with leaking water after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

This time around in Kingston, Jamaica, she has a solid preparation plan for Hurricane Beryl. "I am currently on the road getting tall bunk lights and candles and stuff. I already have food at the house and water," she told USA TODAY on Tuesday. "I'm going to board up the windows."

Wilson said supermarket shelves in Kingston were cleaned out as people rushed to stock up ahead of Beryl's landfall. "A lot of persons came yesterday and they got rid of everything," she said.

The hurricane could take some financial toll on Wilson's customized gift business by interrupting a peak week for school graduations. "People were going to give customized gifts to the graduates, and they won't be able to get those anymore, because they have to be prepared for a hurricane," she said. "That money that I was supposed to get, I won't be able to get that anymore.''

Confidence in Hurricane Beryl projection cone is 'rather low'

It is still too soon to say where the storm will wind up this weekend. The models used to forecast track have a wide spread of potential outcomes, and the forecast confidence in the official track is "rather low," Philippe Papin, one of the National Hurricane Center’s hurricane specialists, wrote in Monday night’s forecast. 

That includes uncertainty about what Beryl’s structure and intensity will look like as it approaches or crosses the Yucatan, but conditions in the Gulf of Mexico do not appear "especially favorable" for regaining strength if Beryl moves back out over the Gulf, Papin wrote. 

The key question will be how strong the ridge of high pressure remains over the Gulf and whether it contracts to the east and gives Beryl a potential pathway for turning in a more northerly direction, National Weather Service forecasters said Monday. There's certainly no consensus in the computer models used to forecast track, but a few of the projections hinted Monday at a possible northwestward turn in Beryl’s track that could point it toward the U.S. Gulf Coast by the weekend.  

Hurricane Beryl kills at least 3 people, flattens islands

Officials reported devastating damage across the southern Windward Islands after Hurricane Beryl ripped across the region on Monday, including at least three deaths and damage to 90% of homes across the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said in a news conference that Carriacou "was flattened" in just 30 minutes. “The situation is grim,” Mitchell said Tuesday. “There’s almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable."

Mitchell said the minister of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Tevin Andrews, reported at least two deaths related to Hurricane Beryl.

On Monday, at least one death was reported in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines archipelago, and more may be revealed, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said. The hurricane "has left in its wake immense destruction," Gonsalves said, adding that 90% of the homes in Union Island have been "severely damaged or destroyed."

Fierce winds ripped the roofs off buildings and knocked out power across the St. Vincent community of Prospect. Other parts of the island of Grenada were plunged into the dark as well.

In Barbados, authorities gave the "all clear" after intense weather conditions from the passing hurricane subsided on Monday. While there was "considerable damage" to homes, buildings and boats throughout Barbados, no one was badly injured, Wilfred Abrahams, minister of home affairs and information, said at a news conference.

Meanwhile, at a restaurant in Kingston, Jamaica, waiter Welton Anderson told Reuters he felt calm despite the hurricane's approach.

"Jamaicans wait until the last minute. The night before or in the morning the panic sets in. It's because we're used to this," he said.

'A massive warning sign': Record-smashing Hurricane Beryl may be an 'ominous' sign of what's to come

What is the 2024 hurricane season forecast?

Beryl has surprised forecasters almost since it formed, including rocketing from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in about 48 hours, and then in strengthening to a Category 5 storm. It was fueled by much warmer than normal ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and aided in that development by light winds that allowed it to build a strong inner core. 

Forecasters fear it could be a scary sign of things to come in what has been projected to be a very busy season for tropical storms and hurricanes. Federal forecasters have predicted  a hurricane season unlike any other , with as many as 25 named storms possible.

It is the most storms the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever predicted in a preseason outlook. "All the ingredients are in place for an active season," National Weather Service director Ken Graham said in May.

NOAA director Rick Spinrad said the Atlantic hurricane season is shaping up to be "extraordinary" − an 85% chance for an above-average year. "The forecast … is the highest NOAA has ever issued for the May outlook," he said.

Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network; Reuters