Earth Lights

This Week in Core Click here to use the online form The Impact of Poverty

Earth Lights

What are we doing? In this activity, you will observe, identify, and draw conclusions about the economy of places around the world.

Why? Your powers of observation can give you information, but it is up to you to make sense of that information.

How do I proceed? You will need to combine two sets of information and answer questions:

the Earth Lights photo, a composite photograph of the Earth at night. It was made by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). <http://www.vhinkle.com/pix/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg> or

<http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights2_dmsp_big.jpg>

a map of the world so you can identify places.

If you open three tabs, you can switch conveniently between this question page, the Earth Lights map, and the world map.

Questions

1. Find North America.
What two major urban areas are lit up in California?

2. Scroll south (down) to South America.
What physical region is the large dark area?

3. Scroll east (right) to Africa.
What does the Nile River look like in the photo? Why have people settled there?

4. What could be the reason for the broad unlit areas in Africa?

5. Scroll north (up) to Europe.
Compared to Africa, how would you describe Europe lit up? Compare them economically.

6. Scroll east (right) to Asia.
What country is the most brightly lit?
What does this tell you about that country's population density?

7. Find India. From the pattern of lights, what conclusion can you make about India's population distribution?
(If you're not sure, look at North America again.)

8. What difference do you notice between North Korea and South Korea? Think of a reason.

9. What parts of China have the most and the least lights?

10. Name two of China's largest illuminated cities.

1. Find North America. What two major urban areas are lit up in California?
2. Scroll south (down) to South America. What physical region is the large dark area?
3. Scroll east (right) to Africa. What does the Nile River look like in the photo? Why have people settled there?
4. What could be the reason for the broad unlit areas in Africa?
5. Scroll north (up) to Europe. Compared to Africa, how would you describe Europe lit up? Compare them economically.
6. Scroll east (right) to Asia. What country is the most brightly lit? What does this tell you about that country's population density?
7. Find India. From the pattern of lights, what conclusion can you make about India's population distribution? (If you're not sure, look at North America again.)
8. What difference do you notice between North Korea and South Korea? Think of a reason.
9. What parts of China have the most and the least lights?
10. Name two of China's largest illuminated cities.

This Week in Core	Click here to use the online form The Impact of Poverty
Earth Lights
What are we doing?	In this activity, you will observe, identify, and draw conclusions about the economy of places around the world.
Why?	Your powers of observation can give you information, but it is up to you to make sense of that information.
How do I proceed?	You will need to combine two sets of information and answer questions: the Earth Lights photo, a composite photograph of the Earth at night. It was made by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). <http://www.vhinkle.com/pix/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg> or <http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights2_dmsp_big.jpg> a map of the world so you can identify places.
How do I proceed?	If you open three tabs, you can switch conveniently between this question page, the Earth Lights map, and the world map.
Questions