The following article originally appeared in (The Wanderer 09/10/08). It is being re-printed here with permission.

EarthView Project Rotates Into Rochester Memorial School

In an age when the average grade school student is at least as tech savvy as their parents, it is refreshing to know that there still things in the world that can cause some wonder in the eyes of young people. On Friday, September 5, the students of Rochester Memorial School were treated to an eye-opening, awe-inspiring sight as they entered the school's gymnasium throughout the day as members of the Bridgewater State College geography department were on hand with the EarthView -- a 20-foot tall hand-painted inflatable globe stationed in the center of the huge room.

There were plenty of "ooohs" and "aaahs" and even a few "wows" as each class took their turn exploring the world. Equal parts a work of art and a fascinating learning tool, the EarthView is a traveling classroom and teaching tool designed to help inspire young people to study geography and become more familiar with the world in which they live.

The globe is 22 feet in diameter and 19 feet tall, and is made from translucent sail fabric which creates an effect similar to stained glass as students enter the globe's opening located near New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean, allowing visitors to see a three-dimensional view of the world from inside of the earth's core. The project was designed on a scale of one inch equaling 30 miles, giving the students a sense of how much of the Earth's surface is covered by water, the relationship between the continental plates and the relationship between the various bodies of water and land masses.

Traveling to Rochester Memorial School with the EarthView were Bridgewater State College professor Vernon Domingo and Department Chairman Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan, along with veteran middle school geography instructor Rosalie Sokol, who is also known as the Map Lady. Ms. Sokol, who is a member of the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance and works part-time at National Geographic, guides the students through a 20-minute trip around the world and brings students inside the globe to explore the earth's surface and the relationship between geography and how it shapes the many cultures of the globe.

"We are trying to promote geographic education and help students understand their connection to the rest of the world," said Dr. Hayes-Bonham. He continued by stating, "When I was entering college, I did not know that geography could be taken as a major. With our ever-growing interconnection through a global economy, it is more important than ever for students to be well-versed in geography."

Dr. Hayes Bonham also pointed out that geography is not a required subject in most high school's curriculum and that the United States lags behind many industrialized nations when it comes to geographic knowledge and the teaching of the subject.

The students at Rochester Memorial School are lucky in that regard, as they have a member of the staff, Sue Keane, who teaches sixth grade at the school and also works part-time for the National Geographic Society. Ms. Keane was instrumental in bringing the EarthView to RMS and said that she hopes other schools in the area will take advantage of this resource for their students. Ms. Keane is also the president of the Massachusetts Council of Social Studies.

"I like to use my connections to help bring projects like this to the school so that students can have the hands-on experience that they are getting today," Ms. Keane said. "Most of the school will get to see this. All of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders will participate in a lesson inside of the globe and because there just is not enough time in the day, the primary grades will come in and do a walk around the globe. My sixth graders are helping out as greeters today. They are using the traditional Japanese greeting konichiwa as part of a cultural lesson and they are asking the children take their shoes off, pointing the toes out as they would in Japan."

The EarthView will be making its way around southeastern Massachusetts over the next year, visiting schools that have room enough to accommodate it, on most Fridays. Information about the EarthView can be found at www.bridgew.edu/EarthView. As Dr. Hayes-Bonham explained, "As connections grow more important, knowledge is shrinking and it is important for kids to see that political lines did not come with the planet."

By Robert Chiarito

Earth View Visits Rochester Memorial School

(Note: This article has been modified to reflect the current name of EarthView.)

Last Modified: May 11, 2009