Photo of the Week! 28/08/12

Thanks to Lexy Wildash for this fabulous photo of Turtle Bay at sunset. What amazing photography skills!!

practise your mapping skills!

Try out Ordnance Survey (UK) MapZone. Use Mapability to revise the skills or Maptivity to test them out!!

Or check out the BBC 'landscapes' site.

Latitude and Longitude getting you in a muddle... try this game! (There are also some good world map quizzes here too.)

Heat wave!!

We're still feeling the chill here, but there have been some areas of Australia experiencing heat waves. And... this natural hazard is getting more and more common.

Find out one reason why in Emma and Hollie's powerpoint for more information.

A new city for Saudi Arabia... what's so interesting about that?!

As part of the Y11 Society and Culture course, Kate told us about an amazing current event - the design and building of a brand new city in Saudi Arabia... for women only!! I thought it was interesting from a Geography perspective too.

In GEOGRAPHY it presents a new concept in the reasons for building new cities. WHO will POPULATE it? What will be the EFFECTS of this? What will this mean for the future of Islamic CULTURE?
See Kate's full report for more information on this story.

International Stats - UN Development Indicators

Here is a great website to find out a bit about different countries around the world.
Particularly useful for studying Global Inequality and th Global Link of Aid.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/
Click on the statistics tables tabs for even more data and to be able to search by country too.

First ever Photo of the Fortnight!!

Thanks to Mollie Boyd who sent in this great ‘wave action’ photo that she took at Manly.

It seems to perfectly capture the weather and water conditions at the moment! I love the sea spray off the waves and rocks.

Keep sending in your pictures that you've taken or seen somewhere. Perhaps we'll go for a 'human geography' one next...

The BIGGEST McDonalds in the World

Where is it?
Why is it being closed down and demolished just 3 weeks after it opened??!
See what McDonalds representatives have to say...

Find out in Michaela's powerpoint!

Shift Happens!

The speed of change in the world is amazing. Technology is a major factor in the process of globalisation and this video is just one example that shows why Geography is so important in the world today!

The original version of the video 'Shift Happens' was created in 2006 and went viral via the internet. Since then there have been many updated and varied versions. This is the most recent and you can see more on the video tab to the right of the Geography at Stella homepage!

NEW LAUNCH!! Photo of the Fortnight!

Brand new feature for the Stella Geog Blog....

PHOTO OF THE FORTNIGHT!!

Starting this week we will be showing an image that shows some sort of exciting, unusual, interesting or just plain gorgeous Geography!!

Send your fab photographic finds

(you've taken yourself or something you've found)

to katie_price@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au

and keep checking each fortnight to see if yours made it to be the latest 'Photo of the Fortnight'!!

Remember - please include the source of your photo if it is not your own!

Air Traffic Control

Check out this satellite view of global air traffic.
What do you notice about the More and Less developed countries??
Can you see the change from day to night around the world??

Christchurch Earthquake, New Zealand

In February 2011 a devastating earthquake hit the second largest city of New Zealand, Christchurch. The earthquake was measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale and killed 185 people. 1500 – 2000 people were injured with 164 serious injuries.

See Rachel's powerpoint giving more information about what happened.

Wild Winds Hit Sydney!!

Boats were blown on shore at Little Manly Beach, roofs were ripped off and planes at Sydney airport were delayed as Sydney was hit by strong winds on Friday.
The winds reached as high as 106km/h on Sydney Harbour, the strongest gusts in at least six years. And they reached 111km/h at the highly exposed station of Wattamolla in the Royal National Park.



Sydney and Wollongong, in the Illawarra region of NSW, were the worst hit. The electricity network Ausgrid electricity said winds had left Sydney homes and businesses without power.
Check out the synoptic chart below to explain what's been going on!
The SOUTHERLY WIND (blue arrow from the south) explains the cold temperatures from Antarctica.
The LOW PRESSURE (off the east coast) explains the rainfall.

Earth Clock

Could watch this forever...!
Poodwaddle Widgets: Poodwaddle Earth Clock: Poodwaddle.com

Geography is EVERYWHERE and EVERYTHING is Geography

Geography is the what of where.
It is vitally important for understanding the world around us.
Geographers question the world and seek to understand it, they explain why things are where they are.
No other subject at school links so many factors together as one.
Geographers learn vital skills like map reading, problem solving, decision making.
They learn to link scientific factors alongside sociological, psychological and historical reasons for why the world is as it is.

Geography is on the news everyday, from war in the middle east, to closing of factories in cities, to farming subsidy arguments in the outback, to global climate change, the list in endless.

Geographer's of the Future

Not my words, the words of Michael Palin... (who has made a living out of travelling the world, seeing some of the most amazing places on the planet, and getting paid for it!)






"Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic and relevant. For me geography is a great adventure with a purpose.

So many of the world's current issues – at a global scale and locally - boil down to geography, and need the geographers of the future to help us understand them. Global warming as it affects countries and regions, food and energy security, the degradation of land and soils from over-use and misuse, the spread of disease, the causes and consequences of migration, and the impacts of economic change on places and communities. These are just some of the challenges facing the next generation, which geographers must help solve.

It is a subject that helps young people into work. Many employers prize the knowledge and skills that studying geography can provide and geography in higher education is thriving. Geography students are among those gaining greatest satisfaction from their studies, and geography graduates have a relatively low level of unemployment. It's no wonder there is a growing demand to study the subject at university."

Why studying Geography is SO brilliant!!

Philippines swamped by flood waters

Storms, including Typhoon Haikui have pummelled Western Asia-Pacific, triggering floods.
This video from BBC Weather describes the reasons behind these events:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/19178740

At least 19 people have died in severe floods in the Philippine capital, Manila, and nearby areas as a result of intense, heavy rainfall over recent days. The capital city of Manila got 504 millimeters (about 20 inches) of rain on Tuesday.

BBC News Video Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19160563

More than 80,000 people are being looked after in emergency shelters, with torrential rain leaving low-lying areas underwater.

BBC News Video Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19178288

Rescuers are using rubber boats to reach stranded people, but some have refused to leave amid fears of looting.

Fuelled by seasonal monsoon rains and a nearby tropical storm, widespread flooding in the Philippines worsened on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people, the national disaster agency reported.

A landslide in the Manila suburb of Quezon City buried two houses, leaving nine people dead and four others injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre. Three of the dead were children, the state-run Philippines News Agency reported.

Click on the links for a selection of images from recent days showing the impact on people and the environment from Reuters and The Daily Mail

CNN Video report:

The worst hit parts of Manila were mostly the poorest districts, where millions of slum dwellers have built homes along riverbanks and other areas susceptible to flooding. Residents of low-lying slums fled the huge shantytowns, lining Manila's rivers and sewers for the safety of schools, gymnasiums and government buildings as the downpour generated by seasonal monsoons struck overnight.

About 80 per cent of Manila, a sprawling metropolis of about 12 million people, remained inundated on Wednesday, Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster agency, told Reuters news agency.

Global Issues - Revision and Quizzes

Use these links to see what you know about the world around us.
(Don't forget to also check out the 'Geography in the News' section of this Blog too!)

Issues That Affect Us All
http://www.globalissues.org/

Oxfam – Cool Planet
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/

Measure your carbon footprint!
http://www.google.co.uk/carbonfootprint/index.html

Newsround – what is going on in the world today?http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/default.stm

International Images... a collage of GLOBALISATION

Lexy has produced this excellent collage of images from around the world showing evidence and impacts of globalisation - in particular, examples of well known TNCs (Trans National Corporations)!

Fancy having a go at this? Do the same for any other Geography topic and send it to katie_price@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au
Seen an amazing photo recently? Send it to the same email to be considered for the Geog Blog 'Photo of the Fortnight'!!

Just For Fun!!

Check out the following websites for Geography games, quizzes and facts! Use them for REVISION or just to find out something new!

Where in the World???! Can you complete the map quizzes here?...

http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/

National Geographic – Lots of Great Geography Games! http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/geographygames/

LOADS of quizzes here – try ‘Rags to Riches’ for 'Who Want to be a Millionaire' style games. http://www.quia.com/pages/all.html

Geography games, including 'walk the plank', 'hoopshoot', 'key word crosswords' and LOADS more! Just choose a topic you want to revise or find out about down the left hand side of the page! http://www.games4geog.com/index.html

Tectonic Activity and Hazards - Revision and Quizzes and other Fun stuff!

Check out where the most recent earthquakes and volcanoes are, and test your knowledge with the links below.US Geological Survey - Check out where is shaking and erupting right now! http://www.usgs.gov/

Forces of Nature – set off your own earthquake or volcano!! http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/

Tectonics HoopShoot and other games!
http://www.games4geog.com/earthquakesvolcanoes.html

Earthquakes, volcanoes and tectonics quiz!
http://www.geography4kids.com/activities.html

Seven Cameroonian athletes have disappeared while in Britain for the Olympics.

David Ojong, the head of the Cameroon delegation, said five boxers, a swimmer and a female football player had been missing since the weekend. The reason for their disappearance is not known, amid some reports that they wanted to stay in the UK for economic reasons.

Mr Ojong said the athletes had visas allowing them to stay until November.
"What began as rumour has finally turned out to be true," Mr Ojong said, in a letter sent to the Cameroonian sports ministry.
"Seven Cameroonian athletes who participated at the 2012 London Olympic Games have disappeared from the Olympic Village."
A reserve goalkeeper for the women's soccer team, Drusille Ngako, was the first to vanish, according to Mr Ojong. She disappeared while her teammates left for Coventry for their last preparatory encounter against New Zealand, he said. Her disappearance was followed by that of swimmer Paul Ekane Edingue, reportedly along with his personal belongings.
The five boxers who had been eliminated from the games disappeared from London's Olympic village on Sunday, Mr Ojong said. They were named as Thomas Essomba, Christian Donfack Adjoufack, Abdon Mewoli, Blaise Yepmou Mendouo and Serge Ambomo.
The home office said it could not comment on whether any of the seven had sought asylum in the country, the Associated Press reports. According to the news agency, it is not the first case of its kind, with Sudan's embassy confirming last month that three athletes had gone missing. One had applied for asylum and the other two were expected to do so.

If the Earth were a village of a hundred people

This year the world population tipped over 7 billion. It is practically impossible to image the actual size of the Earth and it's population. So try condensing it into a community of just 100 people and check out this Miniature Earth website!
What if, rather than grapple with endless triplets of zeros, we shrank the world, and all the potentially flummoxing data we mine from it, down to a more manageable size? What if the world were a truly global village of, say, 100 people? What would those faces look like, and who would those people be? How many people would be from Oceania? Click on the link and find out!

There are lots of other versions of this idea too, try finding more in an internet search. Why do you think different versions have slightly different results?

Washed up whale... not all bad news

Last week a humpback whale carcass washed up on Newport Beach.

Authorities are warning beachgoers to stay away from New port beach after a dead hump back whale washed  up at the ocean pool on the 1^st of august  Wednesday morning. Authorities said that the juvenile hump back whale had probably been sick and died as no evidence showed other wise. 

It may have died from sickness because it was late in migrating north from the Antarctic

waters into the tropics. The whales spend most of their time in the cold waters of the Arctic they then migrate north along the east Australian coast to calf in the warmer waters of the tropics. 

The whale had been washed into the pool by the rough seas that were present that day. The following mourning the whale was washed back out of the pool and was washed up onto the beach at Newport where the 25 tonne mammal had to be cut up and removed. Geoff Ross ,national Parks and Wildlife Service “I know that a dead whale on a beach can seem like a very sad thing…says but is actually a good sign of a growing population.”