HAA products launched and now available

 

 

HAA now has two products available after our successful professional learning program was completed for 2024 yesterday, Saturday 16 November. Here is some information on the HAA products that are now available for individuals and schools to purchase at https://hassaa.org.au/haa-products/ 

The Creative Teaching in HaSS Resource is a comprehensive A-Z listing of lesson starters and teaching activities to support creative teaching in schools. The resource includes a 35 page digital resource containing background on creative teaching, over 250 teaching activities (with links to online resources) and a professional learning presentation on creative teaching in the HaSS classroom. 

A resource written to support the teaching of mapping and fieldwork in the HaSS classroom. Classroom ready for the HaSS teacher! Lots of mapping and fieldwork ideas and links to resources.  The resource includes a 36 page handbook and a professional learning presentation to support HaSS teachers develop an achievable  mapping and fieldwork program for their HaSS class.

The cost of the each of the resources:

HAA Members price for individual copy for personal use only: $20

HAA Members price for an unlimited site licence for the resource in a school: $50. This offer is only available for HAA Corporate members. Details on Corporate membership at https://hassaa.org.au/membership-categories/

Non HAA Members price for individual copy for personal use only: $40

Non HAA Members price for an unlimited site licence for the resource in a school: $100

Join HAA at https://hassaa.org.au/haa-membership-form/ to be eligible for the membership price for the resource.

If you wish to purchase the resource, go to https://hassaa.org.au/haa-products/ for the details and order forms.

Making a mud map

 

Creating a mud map (line, point and area map) for students to use when out of the classroom in school grounds or excursion

Equipment prepared ahead with one set per 3 students:

•         A3 satellite image of a section of Mawson Lakes Campus
•        Tape measure
•          Pencil, coloured pencils and sharpener
•          Erasure
•          Ruler. Protractor and compass
•          Watch/time
•          Tracing paper
•          Sticky tape
•          A3 white paper – same size as aerial photo
•          Window as a light table
•          Observation skills

Step 1: Getting the satellite image of the site      

Download a satellite image of the field site from Google Maps A3.

·       Print one colour copy between 3 students.  

       Step 2:  Observations at the site

•           Determine the scale of the photo by measuring a feature on the map that is a known measurement at the site.
•           Identify the main features of the photo that students will focus on, i.e. buildings and trees as areas, roads as lines and special features as points (parking machine).
•        Orientate North using the sun and a clock, or a compass – place on image.

     Step 3: Using tracing paper digitise the photo to create a vector map (point, line and area map). To do this, trace over the photo to create a map with lines, points and areas  

Step 4: Tracing outline

•   Attach tracing to light table or window & cover with white sheet of paper.
•   Transfer the tracing to the white paper.
•   Use a ruler and protractor to ensure lines are straight.

     Step 5: Complete mud map: 

•          Place North on the map.
•          Put line and Representative fraction (1: …) scale at the bottom left hand corner of the map.
•          Create a legend and place at the bottom right hand corner of the map.
•          Colour for features according to legend.
•          Label key features.
•       Place title at top right hand corner of map.

      Ensure the map has BOLTSS plus R:

•          Border

  ·         Orientation (North)

  ·         Legend

  ·         Title

  ·         Scale

  ·         Source

  ·         Plus Referencing grid

S

What if? A different Australia if all statehood proposals since 1838 had succeeded

 

Map created by Sasha Trubetskoy

The map above shows what Australia might have looked like if all statehood proposals had succeeded.

Since 1838 and right up to 2003, there have been proposals for different divisions (States) of the Australian continent and nearby neighbours. We are used to seeing Australia as 6 States and 8 Territories (yes, 8, see below) but Australia could have 24 states if the proposal/submissions for Australian Statehood were successful. For example, Australia could have included New Zealand (split into North and South islands), Fiji, New Hebrides, East Timor, and the states of Papua and New Guinea. For an interesting summary of these proposals go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposals_for_new_Australian_states. 

The creator of the 24 States of Australia map, Sasha Trubetskoy, has also calculated the relative size and economic importance of each proposed state in 2014. Go to https://brilliantmaps.com/24-states-of-australia/ to see this data. I suggest, the Pilbara State would be rather wealthy by this stage as a result of mineral wealth.

This would be a great spatial what if? exercise for a geography class to show that what we see now may not have been the case if things happened differently. This example also highlights the entwinement of history, geography and civics when we look at a map.  It may seem rather far-fetched to think of such a patchwork of states on the Australian continent and neighbouring countries but we only have to look at Europe to see that Statehood is not about size. I am sure the history of Australia would have been very different and the culture much more varied if Australia had become a patch quilt of States rather than a continent with huge divisions as history and geography has determined.  

** By the 8 Territories of Australia in 2024 are:

Internal territories:

Australian Capital Territory

Northern Territory

Jervis Bay Territory

External territories

Norfolk Island

Christmas Island

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Australian Antarctic Territory

Coral Sea Islands

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

A case study of change and why - let's drink to some geographical analysis!

Map created by Näytä Data

The map above shows how alcoholic drink preferences in Europe are not static. Between 1990 and 2015 several countries switched their preferred alcoholic beverage, most notably Russia and Eastern Europe moving from spirits to beer.

Everything is subject to change over time, alcohol preference is no exception. The above maps are a very relatable and an interesting example of change over a relatively short term. The maps shows what has changed (or not change) in relation to alcohol preference across Europe from 1990 to 2015. Beyond the description of change, the geographical question is what has driven and caused this change. This is a great conversation and an invitation to seek other maps to help explain the change or not the change. For example, economic maps, demographic maps, climate maps, migration maps (and many others) may help explain the change but it could just be that change happens and cannot be explained. As geographers, we are always looking for the reasons for change in cultural, economic, political and environmental terms via the spatial representation of maps. Do you think we would see a similar change across the States of Australia?  

Go to https://brilliantmaps.com/preferred-alcohol-1990-vs-2015/ for an analysis of what the maps show - not why the change or not the change occurs across space.

A great starting point for a discussion on global perception of democracy

              

Email contact:

malcolm.mcinerney@unisa.edu.au

HaSS links

HaSS Association Australia

Australian Geography Teachers' Association website

Geography Teachers Association of South Australia

History Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of Australia
Humsteach
GeogSpace
Geogaction

People don't think their countries are very democratic - even in democracies

The map above shows how democratic they feel their government and country to be (the % that say that their country is currently democratic). What a great starting point to start teaching about Global democracy and democratic perceptions of people around the world. 

The data comes from the Democracy Perception Index, and is not an objective measure of democracy but a subjective measure of how democratic they perceive their country as being.

Only about half the world (58%) says their country is democratic. Greece is considered the least democratic by its people (43%) out of all countries labelled as “free” democracies by Freedom House.

Just a random interesting map re: dreams around the world ... or does it tell us more

Email contact:

malcolm.mcinerney@unisa.edu.au

HaSS links

HaSS Association Australia

Australian Geography Teachers' Association website

Geography Teachers Association of South Australia

History Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of Australia
Humsteach
GeogSpace
Geogaction

Mapping dream searches

The map above shows the most frequently searched dreams by country, categorized into themes like The Human Body, Animals & Nature, Love & Relationships, Money & Objects, Family, and Death. What does it tell us about what is happening in different countries. Yes, geography via random maps. To create this map, Google search data for every country was entered in a spatial data base.

For example, snakes are the most common dream in many countries worldwide. Teeth falling out is a significant dream theme in North America and parts of Europe.  Dreams related to Marriage and Pregnancy are also prevalent in various regions.

Each country is color-coded based on the theme of its most common dream.

For more information about this map go to https://brilliantmaps.com/the-most-common-dreams-by-country/ and watch the video.

Mapping the UK election in 2024

 

Some thematic maps of the 2024 UK election - published in September 2024.

Email contact:

malcolm.mcinerney@unisa.edu.au

HaSS links

HaSS Association Australia

Australian Geography Teachers' Association website

Geography Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of Australia
Humsteach
GeogSpace
Geogaction

Thematic mapping of different types is a powerful way to display election data for analysis. At the last ESRI user conference in San Diego in July 2024, different ways to map the results of the last U.K. parliamentary election were shown. In particular, how the thematic mapping changed from the previous election. The following posts discuss how each presenter went about their mapping tasks: 

Kenneth Field at https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-pro/mapping/a-melange-of-maps/ and John Nelson at https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-pro/mapping/how-to-make-this-thematic-map-and-stuff/

Some fantastic examples of authentic and useful thematic mapping. We look forward to see similar maps for the next Federal election in Australia in 2025 (to be held  on or before 27 September 2025). Keep posted - there should be some great data to map after the election.

The power of maps to make sense of the world - or just question why!

 

The map above shows where Twitter (aka X) is blocked or restricted. 

Email contact:

malcolm.mcinerney@unisa.edu.au

HaSS links

HaSS Association Australia

Australian Geography Teachers' Association website

Geography Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of Australia
Humsteach
GeogSpace
Geogaction

Check out the new HaSS Association Australia at https://hassaa.org.au/

Hi all!

I have been busy for the past 6 years and neglected the Spatialworlds blog - sorry about that but life got in the way! Here is the start of the blog again, now that I am teaching geography at Uni SA in Adelaide. Time to get into all things geographical and spatial again.

With the discussion on the role of social media in our society, I thought this map showing where Twitter (X) is blocked is a great starting point to discuss freedom of information and the role of governments in the HaSS classroom.

Posts such as this one will be brief and provide just one or two examples of resources. A great site to get such maps is Brilliant maps at https://brilliantmaps.com/ There are maps of everything on this site, some you really scratch your head about why they have made them, i.e. the map below on preferred sauce on chips in the UK  is such an example of map porn! I am sure the creative HaSS teacher can find a purpose for such a map - even if just to say "it is just interesting and why is there such a range of sauce use across space?"

I am looking forward to share my love of geography with you again over coming years. I am afraid many of the links on previous Spatialworlds blogs do not work now - I hope these new ones make up for that!