USING GAPMINDER in the
classroom
6th July 2011
GI Forum
Salzburg, Austria
Bob Lang FRGS C.Geog
Geography teacher
King Edward VI Five Ways School, Birmingham UK
OBJECTIVES
• What is Gapminder?
• Why does Gapminder matter to Geography?
• How does Gapminder work?
• How can we use Gapminder in our lessons?
• How do you think we could use Gapminder in
our lessons?
What is Gapminder?
•A non-profit venture
•‘fight the most devastating myths by building a fact-based world view
that everyone understands’
•Promote sustainable global development.
•www.gapminder.org is free to use
•Current data about the world - accessible, meaningful and dynamic.
•‘A kind of modern ‘museum’ on the internet’.
Why does Gapminder matter to
Geography(and other subjects)?
Familiar concepts of ‘less’ and ‘more’ developed countries
(LEDCs and MEDCs), of ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries
and a global ‘North-South Divide’.
BUT THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND IS CHANGING!
Convergence between these ‘developed’ and ‘developing worlds’,
these concepts and terms no longer fit.
•Need to challenge our
assumptions
•Need to change mindset
•Need to use a different
vocabulary
There is no such thing
as a western world
or a developing world’
Prof Hans Rosling, September 2010
Why does Gapminder matter to
Geography?
Young people need modern understanding
of their diverse and changing world that is
drawn from the reliable data that actually
exists; they need this to understand the real
change that is happening in their places and
lives, and in the lives of others.
Gapminder gives us:
•Access to data
•Current data
•Control and choice
•Helps make sense of the data
•Its transferable : It that can be used in many countries
and contexts
How does Gapminder work?
How can we use Gapminder in our
schools/universities?
• Make your own animation and narration
• Investigating issues and challenging
assumptions
• Other School type activities:
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– Card sorting activity
– Trace or chase the graph
Play the casino!
Video clips
Data
Presentations
Examples of using gapminder:
• We have used gapminder to look at current events like the Haiti
Earthquake to look at the background of the country in terms of
development and regional context where the ability to select
groups of country. TTV link here http://www.gapminder.org/forteachers/
• A school in NY, USA has got its older(16-18year olds) students to
produce a high level piece of investigation
https://sites.google.com/a/nycischool.org/gapminder/aboutgapminder-at-the-ischool
• Recent new use by a UK Maths teacher Mr Craig Barton
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Gapminder-Video-5-Whois-best-at-Maths-6088929/
• www.mrbartonmaths.com
• Gapcasts
Resources on the website
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Data sets
Gapminder labs e.g China, Football world cup
Presentations
gapcasts
Teachers
Desktop version of gapminder world
Resources on the website
• Data sets
– These can be used freely with acknowledgement
– Could be used in GIS packages
– Allows further analytical development
– Allows the background of the data to be
understood.
Gapminder labs .e.g, Agriculture,
China, football world cup,
• Gapminder labs e.g China, Football world cup
Gapcasts
• There are many examples around 40
• This example focuses on the topic of two
hundred years that changed the world
• http://www.gapminder.org/videos/200-yearsthat-changed-the-world/
Presentations
Teachers area
• Wide range of resources produced by the
Gapminder team and teachers
Resources on the website
• Desktop version of gapminder world
Future resources in development
• Casino activity
• Population age/sex pyramid
• Economic wealth distribution within countries
http://www.geography.org.uk/resources/gapminderandworldmapper/
Brazil
Life expectancy
Trace (or chase) the country
Income per person
Trace (or chase) the country
Brazil
USA
Life expectancy
China
Straight up
Back
and
forth
rapid
Income per person
How do you think we could use
Gapminder in our lessons?
With the person next to you talk and
discuss how you could use
gapminder?
On the post it note please write down a way in
which you might use gapminder in your
education situation(school, university)
How do you think we could use
Gapminder in our lessons?
• Email us!
• Let Gapminder know
• Let Gapminder know via Gapminder
Movement
rlang@kefw.bham.sch.uk
bob.lang@btinternet.com
dan.lapidus@gapminder.org
Gapminder Movement
www.gapminder.org/movement
• Join as a member
• Participate in the forum discussions
• Upload resources
Final Thoughts
Geography has a powerful role to play in
allowing students to build a current and
knowledge-based world view, and to
develop their understanding of meaningful
data that are distinct from political discourse
and personal opinion.
Final thoughts…
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Facts and knowledge matter
Accuracy matters
The world is changing…..
…and with this knowledge we can change the
world
• Helps us teach understanding of the world as
it REALLY is NOW
• Problems are fixable… Collier?
With thanks to the following for
assistance with this presentation:
Paula Cooper King Edward VI Five Ways School, UK
Daniel Lapidus Gapminder Foundation,
SWEDEN