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TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
This was reprinted in The Star last weekend, but originally appeared in The Washington Post. It involves a TV weatherman in Alabama who complains that in times of extreme emergency - i.e. tornados, floods, etc - he fears too many viewers are so unfamiliar with their own location that they don't know when a severe weather warning applies to them because they can't properly read his on-screen map pointing out the danger areas.
And just to make sure he got his point across, he lectured his viewers on air in a video you can see at the link below.
"We have learned a large percentage of people in our state and in many states cannot find themselves on a map," [James Spann worries.]
“If I were to give you a blank map with no labels, no highways, just county lines and state lines, could you draw a dot within 50 miles of your house?” he asked. “We’ve seen some studies which show about 85 percent of the population cannot.”
‘Many people can’t find themselves on a map,’ laments Alabama meteorologist
- Chrisphen
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Re: TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
I suspect that 85% is a conservative estimate.
- Kilgore
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Re: TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
grilled.cheese wrote:
I deal with maps and cartography as a profession. I try to teach my kids how to read a map and understand what is being presented
James Holzhauer who has been setting daily records on Jeopardy! frequently misses geography questions incl. a glaring one yesterday; he could use a tutor with Grilled.Cheese's skills
- Saul
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Re: TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
Basic map skills. The weatherman's spot on. While we're at it, let's add in basic math skills. Basic science skills. Basic literacy. I'm sure studies have been done ... out of 100 people, how many can write a one page essay with an introduction, organized points, and conclusion. Which leads me to add basic thinking skills.
- Dial Twister
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Re: TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
Basic map skills. The weatherman's spot on. While we're at it, let's add in basic math skills. Basic science skills. Basic literacy. I'm sure studies have been done ... out of 100 people, how many can write a one page essay with an introduction, organized points, and conclusion. Which leads me to add basic thinking skills.
That's all you elites care about...basic this, basic that, basic thinking skills. Blah! The 2016 election proves we didn't need that. Alternative facts, baby. 
Never mind.
- Saul
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Re: TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
OK, basic drinking skills. Buck-a-beer. You happy now?
- Kilgore
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Re: TV Meteorologist Lectures His Viewers: "Learn How To Read A Map"
A random poll done of university students in the late 60s determined that while almost all were opposed to the war in Vietnam, only a small % could identify Vietnam on a blind (unmarked) map of south-east Asia. Fifty years later, available evidence exists that much of the North American population wd have difficulty identifying Egypt, Israel & Syria (for example) on an unmarked map of the Middle East.