Maps101 - GeoJournal
Students Who Love Animals Love Maps101
Posted on April 03 2022
Dear Educator, Spring is officially here, and with it is a mix of still-cold weather with warming days and rain in many parts of the United States. Animals that have hibernated or stayed hidden during winter are returning and readying for their mating season. It’s a great time for Maps101...
Remarkable Women Real and Imagined
Posted on March 27 2022
Dear Educator, We are taking a new look at a variety of women—poets, authors, and characters—who have made an impact on our culture. These Geography News Network articles showcase the breadth of content available with your Maps101 subscription. While Maps101 features A LOT of content involving maps and social studies,...
Celebrating Women's History with Female Leaders
Posted on March 13 2022
Dear Educator, March is the month to celebrate the achievements of women in our culture. Although women were originally denied the vote in most countries, they have had an enormous impact on the world. Women have contributed as doctors, scientists, astronauts, mathematicians, leaders, politicians, activists, artists, authors, poets, and much...
Russia Invades Ukraine: Will There Be Another Cold War?
Posted on March 06 2022
Dear Educator, In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. Typically, Maps101 would focus on women who have had an impact on our world, but instead, world events have caused us to put a pause on this celebration of women to bring you and your students the context for what is...
Black History, Science, and Exploring Space with Maps101
Posted on February 27 2022
Dear Educator, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA for short, was established in 1958 by President Eisenhower, the year after the Soviet Union (Russia today) launched Sputnik, the first satellite in space. As a result of NASA’s work, the United States was the first country to successfully land...
Black History Month Places
Posted on February 20 2022
Dear Educator, As we continue to not only celebrate Black History Month, but also educate students about the struggles and triumphs it involved, this week we are looking at places that resonate with Black history. From Compton in the Los Angeles area to Harlem, to the base of the Lincoln...
Exploring Maps101
Posted on February 06 2022
Dear Educator, Your school or district has provided you with a subscription to Maps101. If you haven’t used it before or if you are accustomed to your favorites, it’s time to explore more of what Maps101 offers. Of course, we have hundreds of maps—thematic maps, interactive maps, atlases, outline maps,...
Black History Month with Maps101
Posted on January 30 2022
Dear Educator, In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month for the month of February. He asked the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Here at Maps101, we are focused on doing...
Global Citizenship Means Caring in 2022 and Beyond
Posted on January 23 2022
Dear Educator, Civics and government studies the relationship between a nation and its citizens. In the U.S., citizens have rights to speak freely, practice their desired religion, and numerous other rights that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. We also have responsibilities—to vote, to be educated...
Maps101 Looks at Laws - Both Social and Scientific
Posted on January 16 2022
Dear Educator, Civilizations require rules of law. From Hammurabi’s Code to the U.S. Constitution, laws provide the guidelines for what will not be tolerated in the community and how to deal with those who break the laws. In this way, laws appear immutable. Laws in science and math also guide...
People and Places Go Together Like PB&J
Posted on January 09 2022
Dear Educator, Places affect people, and people affect places. In Geography studies, this is one of the main themes, called Human-Environment interaction. But as educators, you know that people and place belong together in far more ways than those specifically related to geography. Characters and settings interact inextricably....
4 Virtual Lessons
Posted on January 04 2022
Dear Educators, We hear you-coming up with new ideas for virtual lessons is exhausting. We want to shoulder that burden with you. At Maps101 we really want to help you facilitate the most engaging, fun, effective lessons with less time planning. We have some ideas that will help bring your...
What is New on Maps101?
Posted on December 19 2021
Dear Educator, As a subscriber, you may be wondering, “What is new on Maps101?” Every week new content is uploaded! Geography News Network (GNN) in particular, can be your first stop on Monday to see what is new on Maps101. We also regularly add new Lesson Maps (available on the...
Using Mapping Skills in Multiple Disciplines
Posted on December 12 2021
Dear Educator, Maps101 includes interactive lessons with teacher editions, called GeoInquiries. Using a map as the foundation for a GeoInquiry lesson, you can teach a variety of subjects, even math! Let’s take a look at some of the subject areas that GeoInquiries cover. With this GeoJournal newsletter, you can discover...
Winter Is Coming
Posted on December 05 2021
Dear Educator, With winter approaching, you and your students may wonder what type of weather to expect. Will a polar vortex push temperatures along the Eastern Seaboard to the lows seen in 2014? Will there be a warming trend as there was last winter? People who live in the north...
Geography Is Everywhere and Is Everything
Posted on November 28 2021
Dear Educator, Although Maps101 includes a massive number of maps, our content isn’t only maps, as you no doubt know from using us in your classroom. In fact, we support all social studies, science, English language arts, fine arts and music, and even physical education. Why? The answer is simple:...
Maps101 Has Maps, of Course -- Lots of Them!!!
Posted on November 21 2021
Dear Educator, We’ve been highlighting our wide variety of content lately, but let’s not forget about the thousands of maps your subscription provides for you. Atlases, history maps, interactive maps, and more are housed on Maps101. Let’s take a look at some interesting maps! Maps For...
Connecting to Music with Maps101
Posted on November 14 2021
Dear Educator, Music and other art forms help humans communicate emotions and ideas. Nearly every culture practices some style of music. Musical styles can help form people’s identities, including clothing choices, and shared musical tastes can be the basis for friendship groups. This week, Maps101 takes a look at different...
Celebrating Native American Month in the Classroom
Posted on November 07 2021
Dear Educator, November is Native American Month. Also called the First Peoples, groups of indigenous people lived in the Americas—including North America—before the Europeans arrived and discovered the land for themselves. The Europeans were intent on settling the land and did not understand the cultures of the people who already...
English Language Arts on Maps101
Posted on October 31 2021
Dear Educator, This week, we are looking specifically at how Maps101 enhances ELA classrooms. Of course, if you are not specifically an ELA teacher, you can still use these ideas to tie your subject area into reading, given that reading skills are required to acquire knowledge in any subject area....
The Biography Collection in Maps101
Posted on October 24 2021
Dear Educators, Learning from other people is fundamental to student growth. An important way to learn from others is to learn about their experiences—through biographies. In fact, here at Maps101, we believe biographies are so important that we have developed a collection featuring only these stories. Why are biographies useful...
Engage Students with Sports Content on Maps101
Posted on October 17 2021
Dear Educator, As educators, we are regularly focused on engaging our students. Without their initial interest, it is difficult to help them practice the skills they need to be successful in their careers. One arena that engages all genders is sports. Many American students spend a great deal of their...
Columbus Day AND Indigenous Peoples' Day with Maps101
Posted on October 10 2021
Dear Educator, Monday, October 11, 2021, is when many Americans celebrate Columbus Day. You no doubt are aware that Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the New World in 1492. However, you also no doubt know that people already lived in the Americas. In fact, there were thriving populations of...
Curated Collections on Maps101: An Introduction
Posted on October 03 2021
Dear Educators, Maps101 creates exclusive content that is only available through your subscription. We are especially proud of our Curated Collections. They feature topics that support DEI awareness, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month. We also focus on Climate Change, Earth Day, and STEM...
Maps101 Helps You Engage Students of All Grade Ranges
Posted on September 26 2021
Dear Educators, You may be a long-time subscriber to Maps101, in which case, you probably have your go-to pieces of content in mind when you teach. Or, you may have recently benefitted from your district’s subscription. In either case, this week, we are looking to expand your knowledge of some...
Religious Freedom and Diversity with Maps101
Posted on September 19 2021
Dear Educators, One of the founding principles of the United States is the freedom to practice religion. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s third president, said, “[A]ll men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and...
Talk About Schools and Schooling with Students
Posted on September 12 2021
Dear Educators, The start of a new year is a great time to talk about schools and schooling with your students. For children, school is a major part of their lives and experience. They often spend more of their waking hours in school than at home, especially as students age....
Maps101 Looks at Climate Change
Posted on September 05 2021
Dear Educators, A look at the news of late includes stories from all over the United States that feature extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, heatwaves, floods, and droughts. Different regions face different climate crises. Experts warn that these extreme events are more likely to occur and will be...
You Have Maps101 - Now Learn What You Get
Posted on August 29 2021
Dear Educators, The new school year is upon us. COVID-19 continues to affect the way many will teach. Fortunately, however, you have access to Maps101 and all of the content within it. As an online education platform with thousands of pieces of content, you merely have to open up your...
Understanding Afghanistan Today
Posted on August 22 2021
Dear Educators, The United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for nearly twenty years. Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks that brought down the World Trade Center in New York City, had been hiding there. He led al-Qaeda, a terrorist group that had also bombed U.S. embassies in...
Back to School
Posted on August 15 2021
Dear Educators, Many of you are already back to teaching, while many others are preparing for what the new year will bring. Here at Maps101, we are taking a look at school from many angles. School was quite different in the 1800s. We will delve into what schooling was like...
Early U.S. History: How Did We Get Where We Are?
Posted on August 08 2021
Dear Educators, With school returning as early as August, U.S. history courses will begin the year with a focus on the colonists. Educators and historians recognize that the best way to understand what is happening now, in the world today, is to examine the past, and early U.S. history is...
Extreme Weather Is Everywhere!
Posted on August 01 2021
Dear Educators, The Bootleg Fire in Oregon involves over 410,000 acres of land. California and the West Coast are experiencing record high temperatures. A typhoon is expected to affect the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, hurricane season started early this year, monsoons in India are causing destruction and many have...
Do You Love Music? Maps101 Does!
Posted on July 25 2021
Dear Educators, Research points to early humans using music to communicate perhaps even before the development of language. Using one’s voice was the likely first step. The earliest known artifacts considered to be musical instruments date from about 40,000 years ago in Europe. Today, music is an important part of...
K-2 Resources in Maps101
Posted on July 18 2021
Dear Educators, Maps101 is an appropriate resource for all grade levels, K-12. This week, we are focusing on content that is especially beneficial to students from kindergarten through second grade. Of course, students in upper elementary may also benefit from these resources as well. We strive to create content that...
Geography Is Everywhere and Is Everything
Posted on July 11 2021
Dear Educators, Although Maps101 includes a massive number of maps, our content isn’t only maps, as you no doubt know from using us in your classroom. In fact, we support all social studies, science, English language arts, fine arts and music, and even physical education. Why? The answer is simple:...
Focusing on Diversity with Maps101
Posted on July 04 2021
Dear Educators, Classrooms that practice DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, are vital to supporting all learners and to providing an environment that offers students the skills needed to uphold the values of equality that permeate the documents of the founding of the United States. Diversity refers to including all...
Learning About COVID with Maps101
Posted on June 27 2021
Dear Educators, While America starts to recover from the pandemic, its effects are still being felt. Students may have questions about COVID. Since the pandemic, our staff has been covering issues related to COVID. Compiled together, you can see what you can review with your students to help their learning...
Maps101 and America's Pastime: BASEBALL
Posted on June 20 2021
Dear Educators, For many, the summer months mean a return to baseball, a sport often referred to as America’s pastime. The COVID pandemic greatly changed last year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season—with opening day delayed for months and the schedule of games reduced from 162 to only 60 total games...
Flag Day and Civics with Maps101
Posted on June 13 2021
Dear Educators, Flag Day is June 14, which is an excellent opportunity to focus on civics with Maps101. Civic engagement has been on the decline according to the Brookings Institute. We don’t need researchers to explain this, however. Clear evidence of this decline is everywhere, from the news to social...
Get the Creativity Flowing
Posted on June 06 2021
Dear Educators, The cartography team at Maps101 works to deliver the best classroom maps in the industry. With your subscription, you have access to more than 4,600 maps! We have exclusive world history maps, physical and pollical maps, outline maps, separate state atlases for Texas and California, and so much...
California Dreaming
Posted on May 30 2021
Dear Educators, Maps101 is based in Santa Barbara, California, but that is not the only reason we are partial to the Golden State. It has miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean, with waves that attract surfers. It is a top vacation destination. It also has North America’s hottest desert,...
Texas - The Lone Star State
Posted on May 23 2021
Dear Educators, One U.S. state spent part of its history as its own republic. That’s right, at Maps101 we are headed to Texas for the #SummerofWhere this week!!! Texas is also known as the Lone Star State. The state is famous for oil, cattle, cowboys, ranches, and lots of land....
Washington, D.C.
Posted on May 16 2021
Dear Educators, The #SummerofWhere is heading to Washington, D.C., this week, as we continue to highlight content available with a subscription and focus on ways to use our content to enrich student understanding. Since Washington, D.C., is the U.S. capital, many people visit its numerous sites and museums. You or...
Investigate Parks this Summer with Maps101's Help
Posted on May 09 2021
Dear Educators, As Maps 101 explores the #SummerofWhere for 2021, this week let’s highlight parks! Of course, national parks are high on everyone’s road trip list for the summer. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the most visited park in the National Park Service (NPS) during 2020, with over...
Welcome to the #SummerofWhere - in the West!
Posted on May 02 2021
Dear Educators, With spring winding down, it's time to think about summer—it will be coming soon. For many families, that means a road trip! Since Pilgrims and immigrants arriving in America settled first along the East Coast, closer to Europe, travel to the West has always had a mystique about...
Going Beyond Earth Day to Look at Ice on Our Planet
Posted on April 25 2021
Dear Educators, You will have celebrated Earth Day this past week on the 22nd, but at Maps 101, we want to take your students beyond Earth Day itself to help them learn the importance of being stewards of planet Earth in their future. One indicator of Earth’s health is the...
Integrating Earth Science in Your Classroom
Posted on April 18 2021
Dear Educators, Here at Maps 101, we continue to focus on planet Earth during April as we look toward celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd. Although Earth Science is typically seen as part of the STEM curriculum, other disciplines and subject areas can benefit from Maps 101’s Earth Science content....
Maps101 Cares About Our Earth
Posted on April 11 2021
Dear Educators, With spring in bloom around much of the United States, people are heading back outdoors to hike, to take walks on beaches, or to simply picnic in a nearby park. But Earth and its plants and animals need our help to thrive, so we can continue enjoying the...
Focusing on Economics - Globally and in the U.S.
Posted on April 04 2021
Dear Educators, Recent news regarding the ship Ever Given running aground, blocking the Suez Canal, and causing a massive traffic jam, shows how one event can have global impact. In fact, this is such a remarkable story in illustration of this point, that it will be our Geography News Network...
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Recent Posts
Students Who Love Animals Love Maps101
Apr 03 2022
Dear Educator, Spring is officially here, and with it is a mix of still-cold weather...
Remarkable Women Real and Imagined
Mar 27 2022
Dear Educator, We are taking a new look at a variety of women—poets, authors, and characters...
Celebrating Women's History with Female Leaders
Mar 13 2022
Dear Educator, March is the month to celebrate the achievements of women in our culture. Alt...
Russia Invades Ukraine: Will There Be Another Cold War?
Mar 06 2022
Dear Educator, In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. Typically, Maps101 would focus ...
Black History, Science, and Exploring Space with Maps101
Feb 27 2022
Dear Educator, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA for short, was est...