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One of Wood Lake Publishing’s prized authors, Ward Kaiser, has been getting some press buzz in Boston (see article below).
Ward’s two published books, “How Maps Change Things“- a conversation about the maps we choose and world we want, and his revised edition of the previous best-seller, “Seeing Through Maps” both discuss the messages and meanings in maps. Maps are not only the real world on a smaller scale, but also help people in a visual way understand the important things about the surface of the Earth in all sorts of ways.
To order Ward Kaiser’s books, please visit: https://www.woodlakebooks.com/search/results/inventory/All-Products/Peace-Justice/How-Maps-Change-Things
Ward Kaiser also curated the maps for Brian Arthur Brown’s his new book, True North Strong and Free, distributed by Wood Lake Publishing.
News Coverage of Boston Public Schools’ Adoption of the Peters Map
On Thursday, March 16, 2017 Boston Public Schools (BPS) introduced Peters Projection Maps — intended to counter a biased view of the world found in traditional Mercator projection maps. The Peters Projection maps were incorporated into all second, seventh, and eleventh grade BPS classrooms and the Mercator Projection maps (from 1569), are still being kept in the classrooms for comparison purposes. BPS felt that the Peters maps offer a more culturally proficient view of the world than the traditional Mercator Projection maps, which distorts North America and Europe by representing a greater land area relative to their South American and African counterparts. The Peters Projection maps were distributed as part of a resource set to enrich global learning. In addition to the physical map, BPS is providing teachers with digital resources, including articles, images, and lesson plans, which can be utilized to spark student dialogue and reflection.
Please note that many media outlets sensationalized the story, with headlines like, Ditching The Classic World Map Classrooms Are Replacing Traditional World Maps Boston Schools Replace World Maps with More Realistic One Boston schools ditch ‘misleading’ world map Boston Is The First Public School District To Get Rid Of This BS World Map Boston schools replace the map they use in classes Boston‘s Public Schools Have Ditched This Distorted and Misleading World Map
But nowhere in the BPS media release, nor in any interview with school officials, did anyone say the Mercator projection maps are being removed…as the headlines above suggest.
The BPS wisely continued to make a “lesson” out of comparing world views, and helping students to understand the messages that map send.
See Chapter 1 of Seeing Through Maps: Many Ways to See The World, available as a free download at: https://manywaystoseetheworld.org/pages/free-downloads
Peters Maps available at: https://manywaystoseetheworld.org/collections/peters-projection-map
The original press release from the Boston Public Schools: http://bostonpublicschools.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=14&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=11934&PageID=1 Shortly thereafter many news outlets picked the story up, including: WBUR Radio Arriving At Boston Public Schools: More Accurate — And Inclusive — World Maps By Bob Shaffer http://www.wbur.org/edify/2017/03/16/world-maps-boston-public-schools Boston Globe Boston schools ditch conventional world maps in favor of this one By Akilah Johnson https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/16/north-america-really-bigger-than-africa-this-map-sets-things-straight/lK52K7aKYFpQ3b8ujJj6LP/story.html The Guardian (UK) Boston public schools map switch aims to amend 500 years of distortion Joanna Walters https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/19/boston-public-schools-world-map-mercator-peters-projection Public Radio International Boston’s public schools have adopted a new, more accurate world map By David Leveille https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-03-20/bostons-public-schools-have-adopted-new-more-accurate-world-map CNN What’s the real size of Africa? How Western states used maps to downplay size of continent By Sophie Morlin-Yron http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/18/africa/real-size-of-africa/index.html Romper New School Maps Show That Everything You Learned In School Was Wrong By Jenn Rose https://www.romper.com/p/new-school-maps-show-that-everything-you-learned-in-school-was-wrong-46474 NEWSWEEK ARE MAPS ACCURATE? BOSTON SCHOOL MAPS DEPICT AFRICA BIGGER THAN NORTH AMERICA By JANICE WILLIAMS http://www.newsweek.com/world-map-mercator-projection-africa-north-america-boston-570920 Al Jazeera Media Network – video interview with Bob Abramms from ODTmaps NewsGrid – news hour covering the change in the Boston Schools “Is the Peters Map Accurate?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzl6Pr2VUSY
MPR News New map in school changes the world Bob Collins http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2017/03/new-map-in-school-changes-the-world/#comments National Geographic A WHOLE NEW WORLD IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS by carylsue https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/22/a-whole-new-world-in-boston-public-schools/ Education Week With New Maps, Boston Aims for Shift Away from Eurocentrism by Jackie Zubrzycki http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2017/03/New_Map_New_World.html
The Atlantic Boston Puts a Better Map in the Classroom: The old Mercator world map, riddled with inaccuracies, has been replaced with a less Eurocentric version. By Aria Bendix https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/boston-puts-a-better-map-in-the-classroom/520650/ abc2news.com Boston Public Schools Are Ditching The Classic World Map By Ryan Biek, Katherine Biek http://www.abc2news.com/newsy/boston-public-schools-are-ditching-the-classic-world-map Intelligent Management Nothing Is Where You Think it Is – Maps and Mental Models By Angela Montgomery Ph.D. http://www.intelligentmanagement.ws/nothing-is-where-you-think-maps-mental-models/ Curmudgucation Blog Boston Public Schools just caused a stir by adopting a new map of the world. by Peter Greene http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-map-of-world.html STREAM AFRICA New look for Africa on ‘corrected’ Boston school maps Edited by Sam O. Abuya http://streamafrica.com/news/new-look-africa-corrected-boston-school-maps/ Education Week With New Maps, Boston Aims for Shift Away from Eurocentrism By Jackie Zubrzycki http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2017/03/New_Map_New_World.html Global Citizen Your World Map Is Wrong. Like, Really, Really Wrong By James Hitchings-Hales https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/world-map-wrong-mercator-peters-projection-boston/ wcsh6 TV BrainDrops: Time for a New Classroom Map? http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/now/braindrops-time-for-a-new-classroom-map/424700579 Texas A&M News Boston public schools change their maps to please SJWs https://texags.com/forums/16/topics/2843357 Esquire (UK) Schools In Boston To Start Using Accurate World Map In “Decolonizing” Effort – Because the one you’ve known all your life is a big fat fake By Sam Parker http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/news/a13828/school-in-boston-to-use-accurate-world-map/
The Daily Good Students Are Getting A Radically Different View Of The World With Updated Maps by Stacey Leasca https://www.good.is/articles/new-world-map-boston ELITE DAILY The World Map You Were Taught In School Is Completely Wrong, So Life’s A Lie by Amanda Fama http://elitedaily.com/news/world-map-taught-wrong/1833425/ Inhabitat Boston public schools phase in new map to decolonize curriculum by Lacy Cooke http://inhabitat.com/boston-public-schools-phase-in-new-map-to-decolonize-curriculum/ Travel & Leisure: Why Some U.S. Classrooms Are Replacing Traditional World Maps by Talia Avakian http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/educational-travel/gall-peters-projection-maps Event Chronicle Boston Schools Replace World Maps with More Realistic One Article (Boston schools replace World maps with more realistic one) originally published on Daily Mail and syndicated by The Event Chronicle. By Joe Sheppard http://www.theeventchronicle.com/news/north-america/boston-schools-replace-world-maps-realistic-one/# The Week (UK) Boston schools ditch ‘misleading’ world map http://www.theweek.co.uk/82734/boston-schools-ditch-misleading-world-map Newser School District Is First in US to Adopt This World Map They’re trying to ‘decolonize the curriculum’ By Rob Quinn http://www.newser.com/story/240007/school-district-is-first-in-us-to-adopt-this-world-map.html
Medium Corporation Why you should be upset Boston Public Schools has adopted a new map By Alex Tolkin https://medium.com/@alextolkin/why-you-should-be-upset-boston-public-schools-has-adopted-a-new-map-c694e6f8cd7#.r011ia668 All That Is Interesting Boston Schools “Decolonize” Curriculum, Switch To More Accurate World Map By Michael Gardiner http://all-that-is-interesting.com/boston-public-schools-maps Fatherly Boston Is The First Public School District To Get Rid Of This BS World Map By Bex_Frankeberger https://www.fatherly.com/education-child-care/your-maps-are-wrong/ Equilibrio Informativo (Venezuela) Schools In Boston To Start Using Accurate World Map In “Decolonizing” Effort By Ildefonso Vasquez http://equilibrioinformativo.com/2017/03/schools-in-boston-to-start-using-accurate-world-map-in/
geoforum.pl (Poland) Merkator idzie w odstawkę By JK https://geoforum.pl/?page=news&id=23343&link=merkator-idzie-w-odstawke
Florida International University News A different world map makes classroom debut by Chrystian Tejedor http://news.fiu.edu/2017/03/a-different-world-map-makes-classroom-debut/110071
Lavan Guardia (Barcelona, Spain) Todos los mapas mienten
By ALBERT MOLINS RENTER http://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20170326/421180884165/todos-mapas-mienten.html
IFLScience (UK) Why Boston Schools Are Not Using This Map Anymore http://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/why-boston-schools-are-not-using-this-map-anymore/ Der Spiegel (Germany) US-Schüler lernen mit neuer Weltkarte http://www.spiegel.de/lebenundlernen/schule/usa-schueler-in-boston-lernen-mit-neuer-weltkarte-a-1139537.html Mother Nature Network Boston schools embrace more accurate map – The map most of us are familiar with distorts the size (and importance) of many countries. By MARY JO DILONARDO http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/boston-public-schools-embrace-Peters-Projection-map MassLive.com Boston Public Schools students get new look at the world with ‘culturally proficient’ map By Kristin LaFratta http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2017/03/boston_public_schools_adopt_ne.html
Atlanta Black Star Boston Schools Use Modernized Map That Accurately Depicts Size of Africa By Tanasia Kenney http://atlantablackstar.com/2017/03/23/boston-schools-use-modernized-maps-accurately-depict-size-africa/ The Indian Express (New Delhi) From Mercator’s to Gall-Peters projections, how the world maps vary and change: There is no such thing as a fully accurate map, since no curved surface can be projected on a flat surface without distortion. by Nandini Rathi http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/web-edits/from-mercators-to-gall-peters-how-the-world-map-cartography-is-changing-for-the-good-4580641/ Map Room Blog The Peters Projection Comes to Boston’s Public Schools By Jonathan Crowe http://www.maproomblog.com/2017/03/the-peters-projection-comes-to-bostons-public-schools/
Global Information Network New look for Africa on ‘corrected’ Boston school maps http://www.frostillustrated.com/2017/new-look-for-africa-on-corrected-boston-school-maps/ DAILY MAIL (UK) A whole new world: Boston schools replace the map they use in classes with an entirely new projection which better represents the real size of countries By Joe Sheppard http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4332332/Boston-schools-replace-World-maps-new-projection.html News.com.AU World map with accurate sizes: Gall-Peters projection throws schools into a spin http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/design/world-map-with-accurate-sizes-gallpeters-projection-throws-schools-into-a-spin/news-story/6e037fe410d8facbb7706e6d1ff9e682 Science Alert It’s Official: Boston’s Public Schools Have Ditched This Distorted and Misleading World Map….Everyone else, take note. By BEC Crew http://www.sciencealert.com/it-s-official-boston-public-schools-have-ditched-this-distorted-and-misleading-world-map
Maine Public Radio & NPR Boston Students Get A Glimpse Of A Whole New World, With Different Maps By COLIN DWYER http://mainepublic.org/post/boston-students-get-glimpse-whole-new-world-different-maps#stream/0 and http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/21/520938221/boston-students-get-a-glimpse-of-a-whole-new-world-with-different-maps
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE (PAKISTAN) Public schools in Boston introduce a more accurate world map
By News Desk https://tribune.com.pk/story/1363607/public-schools-boston-introduce-accurate-world-map/ (includes a video with nearly 5 million views) Independent (UK) US schools to get new world map after 500 years of ‘colonial’ distortion By Ian Johnston http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/world-map-mercator-peters-gall-projection-boston-globe-us-schools-european-colonial-distortion-bias-a7639101.html Utah Public Education Boston public schools become the first in the nation to ditch Mercator Projection maps BY MARK PETERSON http://utahpubliceducation.org/tag/gall-peters/ The Expositor Where in the world is a good map? By Tim Philp http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2017/03/23/where-in-the-world-is-a-good-map How Maps Change Things Blog Boston Resets the Standard by Ward Kaiser http://www.howmapschangethings.com/news/2017/3/22/map-news-new-maps
livelearnevolve.com WE HAVE BEEN MISLED BY A FLAWED WORLD MAP FOR 500 YEARS By SAM AUSTIN http://livelearnevolve.com/peters-projection-world-map/
********************** Free map video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aALCuA9H2KI
Peters Maps available at: https://manywaystoseetheworld.org/collections/peters-projection-map
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Watch Noam Chomsky & Tavis Smiley discuss how maps SHAPE our view of the world
Topics include: “American exceptionalism”, white supremacy, and how a “natural way of thinking” ends up creating an inhumane world. Watch the video here or read the transcript. …
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Ward L. Kaiser, Author
Can we heal an ailing world, and if so, how? Ward Kaiser has developed his own working answers through years of experience: working with refugees, mentoring juvenile delinquents, speaking to people in power, pastoring churches, heading a publishing company, leading seminars on social issues, writing eight books and a syndicated column. In How Maps Change Things he provides a stimulating analysis of how maps function to change our world and us.
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