I use geospatial lessons all of the time in my world geography classes. I am lucky in that I have access to computer for all of my students on an everyday basis, so I really try to use Google Earth as much as I can. Google Earth can be used for so many different aspects of social studies, especially world geography. I had my students study the changes of the Aral Sea in Eurasia and map how the sea has shrunk due to human activities.
Colorado also has an interactive map of crimes for different neighborhoods that I sometimes use just to let the kids look at because it is interesting. One just needs to type in their address and a map with symbols pops up and shows the locations of different crimes. You can also set the date range so you can see change over time. This can be found at:
http://www.spotcrime.com/co/aurora
Access to computers is the main factor that makes this very easy to do in the classroom. I try to find time at least once a week to have the kids play on google earth or something similar. This is a very fast growing field in the workplace as well, so exposure to this in high school is something that makes students more marketable in the workforce.
Kate
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Reposting My Ideas
I posted this as a comment under Alison's initial post, but I'm reposting it on the main blog now that I am able to. :)
Hey all!
I know there is a lot of potential for these little website activities...I looked at two that I thought had some relevance to activities we recently completed, and I'd love to see how they work next time around.
The first was using the Gmaps Pedometer. I wanted to see how detailed of a map I could pull up of Outdoor Lab, and was able to see most of the individual trails, not to mention the entire site. So I thought it would be cool to have the kids log on when we get home, take their schedule from the week, and track their hiking distance at least, and maybe their calories burned to see how active their week was. I tracked one of my hikes just as a test, and I think they would enjoy reliving some of their classes from an overhead view.
The other dealt with volcano maps from UNAVCO. We're dealing with volcanoes in our geology unit, and it would be neat for the kids to pull up maps of the volcanoes around the world and see how the layout of the world affects these structures.
Just a few brief ideas.
I know there is a lot of potential for these little website activities...I looked at two that I thought had some relevance to activities we recently completed, and I'd love to see how they work next time around.
The first was using the Gmaps Pedometer. I wanted to see how detailed of a map I could pull up of Outdoor Lab, and was able to see most of the individual trails, not to mention the entire site. So I thought it would be cool to have the kids log on when we get home, take their schedule from the week, and track their hiking distance at least, and maybe their calories burned to see how active their week was. I tracked one of my hikes just as a test, and I think they would enjoy reliving some of their classes from an overhead view.
The other dealt with volcano maps from UNAVCO. We're dealing with volcanoes in our geology unit, and it would be neat for the kids to pull up maps of the volcanoes around the world and see how the layout of the world affects these structures.
Just a few brief ideas.
National Drug Intelligence Center's Dynamic Mapping
Hi, everyone. I work in the Training Unit at the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) and there is now a "Dynamic Mapping Initiative". I would love to get more involved with this initiative. It would be interesting to show policy makers how drugs are coming into their neighborhoods.
I hope to learn more about mapping in this class and from all of you. I can also talk to the individuals who made the maps on the NDIC webpage and I would like to work with them to develop training for our analyts. We could even incorporate the mapping into our communications courses. Then, we can have the analyts use the maps in their briefings.
-Rebecca
I hope to learn more about mapping in this class and from all of you. I can also talk to the individuals who made the maps on the NDIC webpage and I would like to work with them to develop training for our analyts. We could even incorporate the mapping into our communications courses. Then, we can have the analyts use the maps in their briefings.
-Rebecca
Thoughts on Geospatial Literacy
Hi Everyone,
As a teacher of the social sciences, I am not sure there was a site that I explored that I could not identify as having direct application in my classroom. Many of the sites have a variety of correlations to my content. The tools used to develop geospatial literacy can form learning and demonstrate relevant connections to be used in this process.
Obviously for World Geography, Google Earth and its many uses can enhance the study of humans and societies around the world. Alison stated it well in one of her posts this week: "I think this shows the human condition, we are all similar, some differences, good to point out before the prejudices set in." The more I am able to connect young minds to the cause and effect relationships throughout history, the more we can as a learning community address the prejudices and intolerance of a global society.
Another way that I see some of these tools being used is in the teaching of American Government. Many times when students are asked to identify patterns of human voting behavior or react to data, they can have difficulty analyzing and retaining the information. The ability of sites like Strange Maps and the interactive maps of election results, past and present, to deliver information in more creative ways than out of a textbook are a resource for me as an educator. For my students, these sites offer the ability to engage them in the content and provide avenues for dialogue beyond the surface level.
The boundaries for developing geospatial literacy are endless. Finding ways to incorporate them into instruction across all disciplines is a necessity for reaching today's learner.
Thanks,
Shannon
As a teacher of the social sciences, I am not sure there was a site that I explored that I could not identify as having direct application in my classroom. Many of the sites have a variety of correlations to my content. The tools used to develop geospatial literacy can form learning and demonstrate relevant connections to be used in this process.
Obviously for World Geography, Google Earth and its many uses can enhance the study of humans and societies around the world. Alison stated it well in one of her posts this week: "I think this shows the human condition, we are all similar, some differences, good to point out before the prejudices set in." The more I am able to connect young minds to the cause and effect relationships throughout history, the more we can as a learning community address the prejudices and intolerance of a global society.
Another way that I see some of these tools being used is in the teaching of American Government. Many times when students are asked to identify patterns of human voting behavior or react to data, they can have difficulty analyzing and retaining the information. The ability of sites like Strange Maps and the interactive maps of election results, past and present, to deliver information in more creative ways than out of a textbook are a resource for me as an educator. For my students, these sites offer the ability to engage them in the content and provide avenues for dialogue beyond the surface level.
The boundaries for developing geospatial literacy are endless. Finding ways to incorporate them into instruction across all disciplines is a necessity for reaching today's learner.
Thanks,
Shannon
Friday, December 5, 2008
Blogging Still New to Me
Class,
This is one item we've had to do that I really still don't understand. I hope that I'm doing this right.
I looked at the map websites and I had a hard time using most of them, but then I'm challenged when it comes to working maps on the computer. I did like the Jules Vernen Jr. map. We study the continents in second grade and I liked how I could show them a blown up picture of each continent.
Vickie Watson
This is one item we've had to do that I really still don't understand. I hope that I'm doing this right.
I looked at the map websites and I had a hard time using most of them, but then I'm challenged when it comes to working maps on the computer. I did like the Jules Vernen Jr. map. We study the continents in second grade and I liked how I could show them a blown up picture of each continent.
Vickie Watson
My hope is that this would fit into an integrated curriculum under both Social Studies and Science. One of my passions during my undergraduate work was in comparative analysis of ancient Chinese and Olmec culture. I did a lot of work with art, materials, and common symbols. My idea for a lesson is to have students use both google earth and google sky to examine the temple complexes at Angkor Wat and Giza. Angkor Wat is layed out to represent the Draco Constellation and the Pyramid complex at Giza is layed out to reflect Orions belt. I would want students to work in small groups to understand why the following items are important:
1) Why would people of ancient cultures want to build an earthly representation of the heavens?
2) Where these places religious centers or did were they used for observation purposes? Were they used for both?
3) What can be learn about the movement of heavenly bodies between the era in which these complexes were built and now (i.e. planetary wobble, the change of orbits of other planets, etc)?
1) Why would people of ancient cultures want to build an earthly representation of the heavens?
2) Where these places religious centers or did were they used for observation purposes? Were they used for both?
3) What can be learn about the movement of heavenly bodies between the era in which these complexes were built and now (i.e. planetary wobble, the change of orbits of other planets, etc)?
Letters from Felix
We read the book Letters from Felix, a book about a rabbit that travels to several spots around the world and sends letters back to Sophie, the little girl who lost him at the airport. There are pages with envelopes that really open and letters that you pull out to read. There is also information about the cities Felix visits as Sophie learns about where he is. When I read it, I juggled a globe on my lap to show the students where we are and where Felix was. Google Earth and street view would be great to show the students where these places are and what Felix was seeing and easier for them to visualize it. There are some photographs, but photos from street view would seem more real for my students. Unfortunately, street views are not available for large areas of the world, but I'm sure that will continue to grow.
I was aware of Google Earth and its potential, but had not looked into it seriously. Now I have and will surely use it in the future. I just consider myself so lucky that I have an projector to show these sites to my students.
-Elizabeth
I was aware of Google Earth and its potential, but had not looked into it seriously. Now I have and will surely use it in the future. I just consider myself so lucky that I have an projector to show these sites to my students.
-Elizabeth
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