Arcadia Public Library

In the 21st century, the Earth’s surface is being reshaped and reorganized on a scale unprecedented at any other time in the planet’s history. It is a change directly caused by humans. In program eight Alec Murphy investigates why geographical concepts and insights are critical to the effort to confront the challenges of our ever-changing planet as its population grows to a staggering 10 billion people in the 21st century.

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: MAKING SENSE OF PLANET EARTH presents human geography’s unique perspective. Human geography focuses on the distribution of places and human traits across the globe and their connection to one another. Presented by acclaimed geographer Alec Murphy this incredible series shot in HD reviews significant discoveries, individuals, and theories that make human geography a cutting edge science in the 21st Century.

How should we measure academic success? By standardized tests and school grades? By transition and mobility within an education system? See how true success in education is a delicate balance between school factors and non-school factors, which can look quite different depending on the context..

Is low student performance the fault of teachers? Consider this question as you study characteristics of students, teachers, curriculum, and culture in the “model” educational systems to see what makes them different (or not) from the U.S. and other middle- or low-performing countries. Look at the elusiveness of quality teachers in the Gulf region..

Think about how educators and students in systems around the world decide what to teach and learn, and consider how this decision is largely a product of context. Start with an examination of national curricula around the world, where you’ll find commonalities in content matter and cognitive skills, as well as key differences..

The True Meaning of Pictures is a feature length documentary which addresses the issue of representation in documentary photography by examining the work of American photographer Shelby Lee Adams.. More specifically, the film seeks to (i) spend time with the subjects of Adam's work, in order to get to know them better and (ii) address the controversy and response Adams' photographs generate, which involves the politics of representation. Both strands...

Think about what constitutes good teaching, and look at the ways teachers teach in the U.S., Finland, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Begin your comparison by looking at some of the school factors that influence teaching, including how teachers are trained and the degree to which they routinely collaborate..

Economic growth, wealth creation, outsourcing, economic inequality, resource distribution, and the uneven penetration of the global economy are phenomena that have a strong geographic base. In program 6 Alec Murphy looks at how human geography can make sense of the economic world in the global economy of the 21st Century.

In 1800 only 3% of the world's population lived in cities. Now in the 21st century more than half of humanity lives in urban areas. Program seven examines where cities are located, how are they organized, and what are they like and how by answering these questions we can begin to understand how to live on a planet of global cities.

An award-winning film exploring coming of age in the face of faith, doubt, fierce competition, and first love. High-school senior, Mikayla Irle, memorizes books of the Bible on her quest to win the National Bible Quiz Championship and the heart of her crush and Bible Quiz team captain JP O’Connor.. In order to succeed, they must compete against thousands of other teens across the US, including their biggest rival, Cedar Park. She hopes that if she...