I have mentioned the 'Visual Capitalist' web site in a number of previous blogs, and have shared a number of the images or maps produced there.
This is truly a treasure chest of data and images for the geography classroom - all up-to-the-moment information in a number of exciting visual formats. It provides valuable materials to illustrate lesson content, form a stimulus for questions, and provide display material. I would highly recommend that geography teachers subscribe to the site, and receive a regular feed of information in their in-box. Each individual article contains a 'lead graphic', but then also a mass of additional data and information - most of which having a direct relevance to modern teaching. Why not give it a try?
As a recent example, here is a proportional circles (or bubbles) map showing world GDP. The screenshot below shows the most up-to-date version (for 2020), but this scrolls through maps for 1970 and 1995, so that a comparison over time can be made.
The accompanying article reveals data in table form for GDP at different times in our history:
The text in the article makes it easy to crystalise some key facts about the article subject matter:
- Global GDP has grown massively over the last 50 years, but not all countries experienced this economic growth equally
- In 1970, the world's nominal GDP was $3.4 trillion. By 2020, it had reached $85.3 trillion
- In 1970, USA accounted for the largest share of global GDP (making up one third of the global economy) with the USSR in second place, and Germany third
- By 1995, USA still held top spot, but its global share of GDP had shrunk. Japan was now in second place, nearly tripling its global share of the economy compared to 1970
- In 2020, USA remained at the top, but China has now moved into second place, following its economic reforms and its new position as a cheap manufacturing hub for multinationals
No comments:
Post a Comment