Here’s an advance look at some of the “This Day in Geographic History” (TDIGH) events coming up this week. For each date, we’ve matched it with a map or visual, background information, and a classroom activity so you can plan ahead.
TDIGH: First Meeting of the Security Council
The United Nations Security Council, which is tasked with the responsibility of “maintaining international peace and security,” first met in 1946.
Map: Current peacekeeping operations
Background: The United Nations
Activity: Read info about the UNSC and complete the quick quiz.
Wednesday, January 18
TDIGH: Paris Peace Conference Opens
Following the end of WWI, diplomats met in Paris to outline the terms of peace, including redrawing borders and placing restrictions on Germany.
Map: Europe after the Paris Peace Conference
Background: The end of WWI
Activity: The Paris Peace Conference resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Ask students: Why do many historians think the terms of the treaty helped lead to the rise of the Nazis in Germany?
Thursday, January 19
U.S. naval officer Charles Wilkes was the first person to identify the continent of Antarctica in 1840.
Map: Antarctica
Background: Facts and photos about Antarctica
Activity: Watch this video about the coldest place on Earth.
Friday, January 20
In 2009 Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president, and the first African-American president, of the United States.
Visual: Satellite image of the 2009 Inauguration
Background: Biography of President Obama
Activity: Use this blog post and video to discuss how the rhetoric used by Obama before he took office differs from the rhetoric used by President-elect Trump.
Saturday, January 21
TDIGH: ‘Underway on Nuclear Power’
The U.S. launch of the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautlius in 1954, changed the nature of naval warfare.
Visual: Interactive diagram of a nuclear reactor
Background: Nuclear energy
Activity: Trace the evolution of submarines during the Cold War using these photos and statistics.