How map data saves lives

How Do You Start Mapping Unmapped Streets?

Click on the embedded link above to read the article and see photos on the NPR website.

This article is about a project aimed at gathering map data in developing countries. Word count: 785

Before reading:

  

General Knowledge:

• What is Google Street View? Have you ever used it?
• Can you find Tanzania on a map? Dar es Salaam is its largest city. Where is this city?

    

Speculate:

• In addition to helping individual people navigate, what might be the benefits of having good map data for a city? In other words, why are detailed city maps necessary?

   

After reading:

   

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• Why do you think developing countries are less likely to be mapped by Google?
• Make a list of the uses of map data mentioned in the article. Do any of these surprise you?
• The article says that over 260 people have volunteered to take pictures or video of the roads in Dar es Salaam. What do you think motivates these volunteers?
• What kinds of tools and training do you think these volunteers might need?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

    

Reflect and evaluate:

• What kinds of natural disasters is your area prone to? What kinds of help do people need when they happen?
• Are there unmapped areas where you live? Why?
• How might maps created by ordinary citizens be different than maps created by big companies like Google?
• What areas of your town are growing or changing the most quickly? Why?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

    

Beyond the page

• Read the blog post about the World Bank's use of Mapillary: Building Infrastructure with Mapillary in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below.

When 'temporary' feels permanent

Click on the embedded link above to read the article, see photos, and listen to or download the audio file on the NPR website.

This article is about efforts to recover from the 2011 disasters in Japan. Word count: 846

Before reading:

 

General Knowledge:

• What happens when an earthquake hits?
• How can you prepare for an earthquake? What should you do during and after an earthquake?
• What happened in Japan on March 11, 2011?

Speculate:

• Many of the people who evacuated during the disaster five years ago are still living in temporary housing. What might be some of the obstacles to providing them with permanent housing?

After reading:

  

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• The article says that the temporary houses are "about the size of a king-size mattress". What do you think life is like in a space this small?
• What are the difficulties of living in temporary housing for so many years? Use examples from the article as well as your own ideas.
• The article says that many people are not returning to villages even after they have been deemed "safe". What are some possible reasons that they are choosing not to go back?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

Reflect and evaluate:

• What helps people to rebuild their lives and communities after natural disasters strike?
• What might the disaster in Japan have taught people about disaster preparation, emergency response, and warning systems?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

Beyond the page

• Do an internet search to find out more about earthquakes and earthquake-prone regions in the world.

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below!

Creating a "coffee culture" in Rwanda

Rwanda Tries To Persuade Its Citizens To Drink The Coffee They Grow

Click on the embedded link above to read the article and see photos on the NPR website.

This article is about coffee consumption in Rwanda. Word count: 605

Before reading:

  

General Knowledge:

• Can you find Rwanda on a map? What do you know about this country?
• What do you know about coffee consumption around the world? How about in your country?

Speculate:

• The Rwandan government wants to increase coffee consumption within the country. What might be the advantages of this?

After reading:

  

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• In order to increase domestic coffee consumption in Rwanda, what are some of the obstacles that the government must overcome?
• What are some strategies that might encourage more people to drink coffee in Rwanda?
• If coffee consumption does not increase in Rwanda, what will happen in the country if international markets go down?
• We learn in the article that Rwanda's coffee production is connected to its history of colonization, and that this has also affected attitudes about drinking coffee. What are some other ways that colonization might have affected the country?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

Reflect and evaluate:

• How popular is coffee in your country? Do you like to drink it?
• What are your country's main exports? Are these exports also popular within your country? Why or why not?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

Beyond the page

• Find out more about the process of making coffee. This page has step-by-step explanations and photos of how coffee beans are prepared for drinking: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup.
• Find out more about ways that people drink coffee around the world. Look here for an infographic explaining how different coffee drinks are made in different countries: 31 Ways Coffee is Made Around the World. Or look here to see a collection of photographs of different coffee drinks from around the world: Here's How the Rest of the World Drinks Coffee.
• Pop quiz! Where does coffee come from? Make a list of the countries where you think coffee is a major product, then compare your list to this chart: Coffee Producing Countries. 

Also in the news...

• Read about coffee consumption in another African country, Ethiopia, in this article from October, 2014: Boom Times for Ethiopia's Coffee Shops. How does the situation compare with Rwanda? What might explain the differences?

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below!

Can you speak Java?

Click on the embedded link above to read the article, see photos, and listen to or download the audio file on the NPR website.

This article is about one state's plan to treat computer coding like a foreign language in schools. Word count: 492

Before reading:

General knowledge:

·Can you find Florida on a map?

·Agree or disagree: "Computer skills are as important as speaking another language." Give reasons to support your opinion.

After reading:

Review and discuss:

·Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".

·In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of allowing computer coding to fulfill a foreign language requirement?

·In the article, Senator Jeremy Ring argues that "a technology understanding" is important for the professional environment but Linda Markley argues that employers prefer world language ability over certain other skills. What do you think about these claims?

·What about the ways that Texas and Alabama are building coding into the curriculum? How do you think they compare with Florida's proposal?

·In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

Reflect and evaluate:

·If you are employed, which skill—computer coding or world languages—would an employer prefer in your work environment, and why?

·Can you think of additional skills besides coding or world language ability that are important to employers?

·Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?

·What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below!

Denmark shows the world how to reduce food waste

Denmark's New Grocer Is Selling Expired Food, And It's A Hit

Click on the embedded link above to read the article and see photos on the NPR website.

This article is about how one nonprofit in Denmark is trying to reduce food waste. Word count: 680

Before reading:

General Knowledge:

·Can you find Denmark on a map?

·What is "food waste"? Why is this a problem?

·What is a "carrot or stick" approach?

Speculate:

·The supermarket discussed in this article sells food that other stores refuse to sell because of damaged packaging or because it will expire soon, yet it has become a popular place to go shopping. Why might people like it so much?

After reading:

Review and discuss:

·Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".

·Explain what Per Bjerre means when he says, "If you want to stop [the] waste of food, everybody has to be into it."

·Why is it important that a Danish princess attended WeFood's grand opening?

·What does the writer mean by saying that the Danish supermarket uses a "carrot" approach while the French government uses the "stick" approach?

·In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

Reflect and evaluate:

·The article says that food waste is a cause célèbre in Denmark, which means that food waste is a controversial issue attracting a lot of attention. How do people feel about this issue where you live? ·Are there other things that people care very much about?

·Why does food waste happen? What are the consequences of food waste?

·Consider the "carrot or stick" approach again. Can you think of examples of how both types are used where you live, perhaps in your community, school, or office? Is one always better than the other?

·Are there ways that you can reduce your own food waste? What can you do?

·Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?

·What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

Beyond the page

·Search online for information about other stories about Denmark's efforts to reduce food waste.

·Are there any stores like WeFood or organizations fighting food waste where you live? Find out.

·Take a look at the website for Daily Table, the grocery store in Boston that was mentioned in the article: http://dailytable.org/.

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below!