Earth Day 2022 with Maps101

Dear Educator,

Can you believe it is almost Earth Day again???? Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970, in the United States. It is always held on April 22^nd. Earth Day represents and encourages the modern environmental movement to save our planet. By 1990, the movement became global. Now, more than 190 countries hold events and bring awareness to the issues that face our environment. This week, we are looking at Maps101 content on climate change, global warming, and alternative energy sources. How will you and your students honor our planet on April 22^nd?

An excellent first stop for you and your class is the Field Trip on climate change. Using a map, images, and text, students can tour the topic and understand key concepts such as greenhouse gases, changing atmosphere, theories, opposition, effects on the Arctic and in the oceans, and more.

The gases in our atmosphere that trap solar radiation are increasing, warming the planet. The effect of global warming is being felt in Antarctica, as major ice shelves are melting. Read more about this concerning phenomenon in this exclusive GNN article.

Antarctica is not the only location where global warming is felt. In fact, winter is warming in general.  As greenhouse gas emissions rise, so too does the temperature. There are fewer cold snaps in winter and average winter temperatures are on the rise. This article includes text and two maps showing the temperature changes in the United States to use for comparison in the classroom. 

We’ve looked at emissions creating the greenhouse effect that causes global warming. Now, what policies should we use to reduce emissions? This GNN article discusses this very question. 

Now let’s turn to energy itself. With this Field Trip, students will learn the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy, and about alternative energy sources. This Field Trip helps explain solar energy, hydroelectric energy, harnessing the wind, nuclear energy, and more.

This is a small sample of the kind of content available to you with your Maps101 subscription. Every week, the editors at Maps101 will provide you with highlights from our extensive collection in this GeoJournal newsletter. We suggest you make a folder to store them for future reference. Expand your students’ world with Maps101!