Monday, April 15, 2013

Zombie-Based Geography

David Hunter, a humanities teacher at the Bellevue Big Picture School, teaches geography to 7th graders using a zombie-based learning system that he created with the help of Kickstarter.

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse? Learn Geography - KPLU
 
David Hunter / Zombie Based Learning


Sunday, February 24, 2013

Meteorite Map

Software developer Javier de la Torre has created an interactive map of every recorded meteorite impact on Earth since 2300 B.C. 

Every recorded meteorite strike on Earth since 2,300 BCE mapped - The Verge  
via cnet 

The Willamette Meteorite at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Dante Alighieri / Wikimedia Commons

Friday, February 22, 2013

Meteorite Victims

Despite the large number of injuries caused by the meteorite that impacted in Russia last week, only one person is known to have ever been hit by a rock falling from space.

The True Story of History's Only Known Meteorite Victim - National Geographic Daily News

The Hoba meteorite in Grootfontein, Namibia.
Damien du Toit / Wikimedia Commons



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Happiest State in the U.S.?

Researchers at the University of Vermont analyzed 10 million geotagged tweets from 2011 and determined that Hawaii is the happiest place in the United States.  Louisiana, on the other hand, is the most miserable.

Tweets study says Hawaii happiest, Louisiana not so much - cnet

For a captivating read on the topic of happiness, try Eric Weiner's The Geography of Bliss.

For some not-so-happy stories about Hawaii, pick up Jack London's South Sea Tales.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Loompaland

Mrs. Teevee: Loompaland? There's no such place.
Willy Wonka: Excuse me, dear lady, but...
Mrs. Teevee: Mr. Wonka, I am a teacher of geography.
Willy Wonka: Oh, well, then you know all about it and what a terrible country it is. Nothing but desolate wastes and fierce beasts. And the poor little Oompa Loompas were so small and helpless, they would get gobbled up right and left. A Wangdoodle would eat ten of them for breakfast and think nothing of it. And so, I said, "Come and live with me in peace and safety, away from all the Wangdoodles, and Hornswogglers, and Snozzwangers, and rotten, Vermicious Knids."