Slide deck from 2004 introducing GWHAT's historical mapping ideas

1. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
1
GWHAT Project Proposal – March, 2004
GWHAT – Graphical World History ATlas
Provides map content and map browser at no cost
• GWHAT content: high quality, comprehensive, & interoperable
• GWHAT browser: for easily finding and displaying maps
To help teachers teach better
• By providing materials that: are easy to find, customizable, work
together, and can be tied directly to curriculum requirements
And to help students learn in new ways
• By providing a means to explore the world throughout history

2. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
2
The GWHAT need: current history and
geography achievement are unsatisfactory
Millions of students and teachers use maps each year
• 32 million students, 4 million new each year (grades 5-12)
• 1 million teachers teach history and geography
But students are not meeting US standards
12th graders below basic achievement (2001)
• History – 57%
• Geography - 29%
And not doing well relative to non-US students
• American students – scored 41% on National
Geographic Geography Literacy Survey
• Others scored >67% - Sweden, Germany, Italy

3. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
3
The GWHAT need: current map-based
resources are inadequate
Textbook maps, wall maps
– limited in scope, variety, and
interactivity, quickly outdated
Online maps – clumsy,
incomplete, and hard to find
Commercial software –
expensive, proprietary, not
customizable
GIS – interoperable data, but can
be very complex, hard to learn

4. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
4
The GWHAT solution:
free map content and free map browser
MAIN CONTENT TYPES
BASIC GEOGRAPHY – like
shorelines, terrain relief
THEMATIC INFORMATION – like
political boundaries, census
data, battle campaigns
MAIN BROWSER FUNCTIONS
FINDING MAPS – think of it as a
DISPLAYING MAPS – that can be
animated or interactive, the same
way a media player plays video
Map

5. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
5
GWHAT content addresses key shortfalls of
existing content for K-12 use
GWHAT contentExisting digital content
- Poor labeling
- Scope limited by area of map
- Snapshot in time
- No interoperability
- Inconsistent shorelines
- Very often niche in focus
- Often restricted for reuse
… is a fuzzy picture
- Standardized labeling
- Comprehensive across globe
- Comprehensive across time
- Interoperable – maps work together
- Consistent shorelines
- High level to start
- Freely resuable
- Designed to be viewed online
- Designed for K-12 education needs
- Expandable
… creates a virtual time machine

6. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
6
GWHAT browser
brings GWHAT content to life
map and player source: www.timemap.net
Makes maps easy to find –
search by region or time period
Enables comparisons by
overlaying information from
multiple maps at the same
time
Displays map animations to
show the unfolding of events
over time
Zooms in to show more detail
Zooms around to show what
else was going on at that time
Supports multiple languages
Can display non-GWHAT maps
Links from map to related
information

7. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
7
Sample teacher workflow using GWHAT
Teacher
reviews
lesson
plan
Uses browser
to search for
relevant content
Finds and
downloads map
produced by
teacher across
the state
Adds other map
modules to
provide
additional
information
Removes
some map
info not
relevant to
lesson
Adds notes &
publishes
new, custom
map so other
teachers can
find it.
Uses map in
lecture using
printouts or
LCD projector
Students
access map
online from
class, library,
or home

8. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
8
GWHAT could provide totally new benefits
for education
STUDENTS
• Comparative learning – e.g.
overlaying a natural resources
map with a population density
map
• Exploratory learning – panning
across the world to Asia to see
what was happening there at the
same time Columbus was
discovering the New World
• Experiential learning -
animations – remembering the
sequence of history because you
have watched it, instead of by
remembering dates
TEACHERS
• Customizable course materials
– bundle together sets of different
maps for a particular lesson plan
• Quickly find course materials –
quickly find the right maps instead
of searching the web endlessly
and compromising on content and
quality
• Self-populating content catalog
– teachers can publish content to
the search engine and also find
content created by other teachers

9. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
9
GWHAT in action:
Supporting current events
6th grade students in California study
ancient river valley civilizations,
like Mesopotamia
A teacher wants to describe how
current Iraq conflict is related to
what her students are studying
GWHAT use:
1. Teacher starts with a current
map
2. Removes terrain information
3. Adds transparency of current
ethnic diversity
4. Plays map backwards in history
to show where current ethnic
groups came from (not shown)
5. Keeps playing map backwards,
all the way to the dawn of
civilization (next slide)

10. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
10
GWHAT in action:
Supporting current events
6th grade students in California study
ancient river valley civilizations,
like Mesopotamia
A teacher wants to describe how
current Iraq conflict is related to
what her students are studying
GWHAT use:
1. Teacher starts with a current map
2. Removes terrain information
3. Adds transparency of current
ethnic diversity
4. Plays map backwards in history
to show where current ethnic
groups came from (not shown)
5. Keeps playing map backwards,
all the way to the dawn of
civilization (next slide)

11. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
11
GWHAT in action:
Supporting current events
6th grade students in California study
ancient river valley civilizations,
like Mesopotamia
A teacher wants to describe how
current Iraq conflict is related to
what her students are studying
GWHAT use:
1. Teacher starts with a current map
2. Removes terrain information
3. Adds transparency of current
ethnic diversity
4. Plays map backwards in history
to show where current ethnic
groups came from (not shown)
5. Keeps playing map backwards,
all the way to the dawn of
civilization (next slide)

12. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
12
GWHAT in action:
“Drilling down” into more detail
Students are still studying
Mesopotamia, which they
now know is where current-
day Iraq is
The students then:
1. Select a region of
Mesopotamia in Iraq
2. Go back in time, stopping to
notice Hammurabi
3. Back further, to the period of
interest
4. Then the city of Babylon
5. Then the Temple of Marduk
(GWHAT supports pictures,
too!)

13. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
13
GWHAT in action:
“Drilling down” into more detail
Students are still studying
Mesopotamia, which they
now know is where current-
day Iraq is
The students then:
1. Select a region of
Mesopotamia in Iraq
2. Go back in time, stopping
to notice Hammurabi
3. Back further, to the period of
interest
4. Then the city of Babylon
5. Then the Temple of Marduk
(GWHAT supports pictures,
too!)

14. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
14
GWHAT in action:
“Drilling down” into more detail
Students are still studying
Mesopotamia, which they
now know is where current-
day Iraq is
The students then:
1. Select a region of
Mesopotamia in Iraq
2. Go back in time, stopping to
notice Hammurabi
3. Back further, to the period
of interest
4. Then the city of Babylon
5. Then the Temple of Marduk
(GWHAT supports pictures,
too!)
NOTE: Internet viewers may need a special plug-in to see the animations

15. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
15
GWHAT in action:
“Drilling down” into more detail
Students are still studying
Mesopotamia, which they
now know is where current-
day Iraq is
The students then:
1. Select a region of
Mesopotamia in Iraq
2. Go back in time, stopping to
notice Hammurabi
3. Back further, to the period of
interest
4. Then the city of Babylon
5. Then the Temple of Marduk
(GWHAT supports pictures,
too!)
NOTE: Internet viewers may need a special plug-in to see the animations

16. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
16
GWHAT in action:
“Drilling down” into more detail
Students are still studying
Mesopotamia, which they
now know is where current-
day Iraq is
The students then:
1. Select a region of
Mesopotamia in Iraq
2. Go back in time, stopping to
notice Hammurabi
3. Back further, to the period of
interest
4. Then the city of Babylon
5. Then the Temple of
Marduk (must supports
pictures, too!)

17. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
17
GWHAT in action:
Multilingual support for language studies
GWHAT-targeted content will be
able to support multiple
languages
Map labeling can be switched
from one language to another
at the touch of a switch
Contextual information, such as
links to related web-based
information can be changed as
well
Students can use the same tool
across classes

18. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
18
GWHAT in action:
Multilingual support for language studies
GWHAT-targeted content will be
able to support multiple
languages
Map labeling can be switched
from one language to another
at the touch of a switch
Contextual information, such as
links to related web-based
information can be changed as
well
Students can use the same tool
across classes

19. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
19
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

20. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
20
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

21. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
21
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

22. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
22
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

23. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
23
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

24. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
24
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

25. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
25
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

26. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
26
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

27. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
27
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

28. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
28
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

29. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
29
GWHAT in action:
Art history
Example: Picasso’s career
Students can see the order of
his paintings and styles
and where he created
them
Layers could be added to
compare the careers of
Matisse or Braque
Could compare art to other
world events, such as the
fighting that inspired
Guernica

30. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
30
GWHAT content library will be built up from
structured and unstructured programs
GWHAT will provide high-level
baseline content
• Global “background” info
• Civilization and country evolution
animations
Existing content will then be
added and linked
• Tiger team of GWHAT volunteers
Further GWHAT custom
content will be provided by:
• Open source contributions, wikis
• Teachers creating local materials
• Grant-funded content creation
Funded content
Teachers’ materials
Existing Web Content
GWHAT animations
GWHAT backgrounds

31. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
31
The GWHAT concept can work
Collaborative content successes
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Human Genome Project
• Wikipedia
Open source software successes
• Linux operating system
• Apache web server
• Mozilla browser
Standards successes
• HTML fuels WWW growth
• .doc, .xls fuels Office growth
It would work best by moving quickly, with a well-
coordinated, well-funded approach.

32. DRAFT GWHAT PROPOSAL
32
GWHAT operations
• 501(c) 3 organization – nonprofit corporation
• Centered around education, technology, community activism, and
information sharing
• Centralized management, distributed volunteer participation
• Drives agreement on appropriate maps display and interoperability
standards
• Coordinates open source, free software and content development
• Funded by philanthropy, foundations, and government grants