Back to school and looking for a fun online game that will help students learn how to use digital maps? Have a look at the Atlas Blue Economy Challenge! With this activity, students will learn how to use geographical coordinates to find any specific location on a map and gain knowledge about economic activities related to the ocean, seas and coasts.
How does it work? The game has been developed in the European Maritime Day in My Country 2024 map layer. The Atlas technical team has hidden five images related to sectors of the Blue Economy in the map layer. To help us find these images, they have revealed the geographical coordinates of the locations where they are hidden. When you click on the given location, you will see the image appear with a sound. The full instructions to the game are available on the Atlas Teachers Corner dedicated webpage. You can play the game individually or in groups. In the classroom, you can create five groups of students that each have to find one of the images. Once all groups have found their image, the groups can come together to complete the Atlas Blue Economy Challenge Worksheet and answer the questions included in the game’s instructions.
Before you start the game, have a look at the video tutorial on the Atlas’ measure tool to see how you can find a location using the geographical coordinates. Note that, in some cases, you will need to zoom in the map to find the image. You can do this by clicking on the + sign in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Teachers can also consult the Blue Economy Challenge - Teachers Guide for further information on how to organise the game at school.
Before you start exploring the map to find the images, you might have a question: what is European Maritime Day in my Country? This game is also a great opportunity to learn about events organised in the framework of European Maritime Day in my Country. Established in 2008, European Maritime Day (EMD) is the annual European Union meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth. Organised in a different country every year, this event brings together policy makers, scientists, industry and society through a conference and an exhibition area. In parallel to the EMD conference and exhibition, which will took place in Svendborg (Denmark) in May 2024, a series of local related events are organised across Europe, reaching out to young people and citizens under the ‘EMD in my Country’ label. The objective is for people to realise that activities at sea (coastal tourism, fishing, sailing, shipping, offshore renewable energy, aquaculture etc.) are key for the citizens and economies. The EMD In My Country map layer shows physical, virtual and hybrid events organised in this framework. Explore the Map of the Week and click on the symbols to learn more about these events. You will be able to see the title of each event, the date on which it is taking place, who it is organised by and you will get all the details by clicking on the link to the related webpage. Events are being organised between April and the end of October 2024. Check out the calendar of events to see which events will be organised in September and October!
Enjoy the game and the events!
The data in this map is provided by the European Commission.