Have you ever seen the world from the inside?
The EarthView globe is 20 feet in diameter and 2 stories tall
On October 21st, students at Collins Middle School were able to glimpse a strange view of our beautiful planet – backward and 2 stories tall. EarthView is a program offered by nearby Bridgewater State College and on its journey to local schools, the globe is joined by a team of educators. “To see the world in its entirety like this is to appreciate the interconnections that one place has with every other place,” said Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan, Professor of Geography and one of the team members. On the recent visit to CMS, the essential question was about how environments and cultures affect each other. Students learned about the makeup of the Earth’s waters (97% salt water, 2% ice and only 1% freshwater) and about important geographical features including tectonic plates, archipelagos and the Ring of Fire.
Students inside the EarthView globe see the world in reverse
Educators at Bridgewater State College began this program in 2008 when they wanted to underline the importance of having a geographically literate society. According to the BSU website, “the goal of the program is not only to teach students about the world, but also to emphasize the need for more geography instruction in primary and secondary schools.” “Almost no geography is taught beyond the 7th grade,” said Rosalie Sokol, the educator who leads the students on their tour of EarthView’s interior. “This is unacceptable in a world that is becoming increasing globalized, where we must know about the places that make up our world. The EarthView is a great dramatization of a globalized world and we are eager to bring the study of geography to our students using this unique and effective tool.”
As we watch the excitement on the faces of students grasping for the first time the three-dimensional entirety of our planet, we can see that it is working.
Get more information about the EarthView program here!
Visit the Massachusetts Geographical Alliance website.
