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to Rockyweb Education
USGS
Education
|
Tours, Educational
Inservices, and Classroom Workshops
Author:
Joseph Kerski
Geographer
USGS
Box 25046 - MS 507
Denver
CO 80225-0046 USA
jjkerski@usgs.gov
Tel
303 202 4315
This
working list of classroom exercises, teacher inservice topics, and tours
has been developed by the staff of the US Geological Survey's Rocky
Mountain Mapping Center in Denver, Colorado.
The mission of the US Geological Survey is "Science for a
Changing World.” As part
of that mission, the mapping employees provide tours of their working
facility, and have developed classroom exercises suitable and teacher
inservice topics for all grade levels and backgrounds.
These exercises are conducted in the student's school.
The inservices could be conducted at the USGS mapping facility in
Denver, Colorado, or at the teachers’ school.
This document describes these classroom exercises, teacher
inservice (workshop) topics, and tours.
To
set up a tour, educational
inservice,
or in-class workshop, or for more information:
Contact: Staff
Cartographer
US
Geological Survey
Box
25046 - MS 508
Denver
CO 80225-0046
USA
(303)
202-4113
FAX
(303) 202-4020
I.
Tours
. For more information and photographs of areas you would see on a
tour, go to:
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/public/outreach/tours.html
The
USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center, located in building 810 on the
Denver Federal Center, is a facility where 350 professionals use
geographic information systems and image processing packages to create
computerized and paper maps and other representations of the earth's
terrain, serve as the distribution center for over 60 million maps and
publications, and serve customers by distributing map data, aerial
photographs, satellite imagery, and a wide variety of other data used in
making decisions about the earth.
These decisions range from choosing a hiking trail, planning for
and mitigating natural disasters, locating a business, to ensuring a
safe water supply for our nation.
Tours
are given for Grade 6 and higher, should be scheduled several months in
advance, and may include some or all of the following areas:
Digital
Collection
Production
site where digital mapping and terrain data is collected, verified, and
made available to the public on a variety of computer equipment.
This includes land use/land cover data, national hydrography data,
digital elevation models, and digital orthophotoquadrangles.
Digital
Revision
Production
site where digital mapping data is revised in a monoscopic or
stereoscopic mode from digital aerial photographs, and paper maps are
produced from the digital files.
Earth
Science Information Center
Customer
service area where USGS staffpersons answer questions and assist data
users with aerial photographs, maps, satellite imagery, computer
programs, and other products.
Map
Distribution and Storage Facility
Over
50 million maps, books, open files, and other publications are stored
under a single roof in a 17-acre building, representing the largest map
storage and distribution facility in the world.
Research
Facility
where computerized spatial data and geographic information systems are
used for research projects such as energy exploration, seismic studies,
development of new mapping techniques, and land use change analysis.
Other
facilities within the building for which tours are available:
National
Ice Core Laboratory
The
National Ice Core Laboratory is the only storage and curatorial facility
of its kind in North America. It provides scientists with the
capability to conduct examinations and measurements of ice cores and it
preserves the integrity of these samples in a long-term repository for
present and future scientific investigations.
Polar glacier ice from Antarctica and Greenland is an excellent
recorder of climate history, and is the only continuous, direct recorder
of paleoatmospheric composition known.
Work conducted on these cores has provided detailed annual
records of climate and weather variations for the past 250,000 years.
Public concern about global climate change resulting from natural
and human causes can be addressed by analyses of ice cores.
Tours include an explanation of the facility where 30,000 feet of
ice cores are stored.
Rock
Core Research Center
Over
1.4 million linear feet of rock core are stored and held in this world's
largest rock library. Preservation
of rock cores and drill samples represents an enormously valuable
resource for the entire earth sciences community.
Up to 2,000 scientists per year from around the world access the
collection per year. The
facility's holdings are valued at a replacement cost of $10 billion.
Tours of the Core Research Center include a section of the
library, the educational rock room, the thin sample room where 15,000
sections are stored, and the rock cutting machines.
Tours
of the Center are subject to the availability of the staff, and are
generally restricted to middle school and older students.
Tour groups must go through a secure checkpoint upon entering the
Denver Federal Center. Tour
groups must be accompanied by a USGS employee.
Some sections of the mapping center are not available for tours.
Tours require between 1 and 3 hours, depending on the areas of
the mapping center that the tour group wishes to view.
II.
Teacher Inservices
USGS
education outreach staff have been working with the educational
community for many years. USGS resources are used by educators in
the following subjects: environmental studies, geology, biology,
hydrology, geography, history, and mathematics. The following list
represents a sample of the types of inservices that the staff has
conducted over the past several years:
The
Use of USGS Resources in Social and Physical Science Education
The
USGS education program provides a means of connecting science and social
studies teachers with the nation's largest scientific agency. This
program includes real-time scientific data on the Internet, sets of
teacher lessons on a variety of science topics, and a wide variety of
topographic and thematic maps, posters, and other publications.
Through this hands-on inservice, teachers will understand the extent of
the available resources and how to connect with the education program.
They will work through standards-based educational lessons and will
receive a number of samples of USGS educational materials. The
primary subjects covered will be geography, mathematics, earth science,
and life science, but can be tailored to the needs of the participating
school districts.
The
Implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing,
and Global Positioning Systems in Social and Physical Science Education
Coincident
with renewed interest in geographic education are a number of social and
educational trends that encourage the application of GIS technology and
methods to primary and secondary teaching. Constructivism,
interdisciplinary studies, authentic practice and assessment,
school-to-work programs, performance standards, project-based learning,
and an emphasis on inquiry-based methods are encouraging educators to
adopt GIS into geography, history, and science instruction. This
inservice introduces the capabilities of the technology, and how the
technology can be used in education, including results from USGS and
other GIS work with middle and high schools.
III.
In-Class Exercises and Presentations
All
USGS presentations are modular in nature and can be expanded,
contracted, simplified, or made more complex depending on the time
available for the presentation, requirements of the teacher, and the
education level of the students. The presentations cover the
following subjects:
Career
Planning in the Geosciences
Cartography
Geographic
Information Systems (GIS)
Geography
Geology
Global
Positioning Systems (GPS)
Internet
Tools and Technology
Mineralogy
Paleontology
Photogrammetry
Population
Remote
Sensing of the Environment
All
presentations have a dual emphasis:
1
- hands-on activities.
2
- the relevance of geoscience to solving real-world problems.
The
number of modules included can be varied to make the total length of
workshop anywhere between 45 minutes and 3 hours. The presenter
will leave the teacher with:
1)
USGS sample educational pamphlets, circulars, posters, and maps; for
example, on earthquakes, volcanoes, mapping techniques, collecting
rocks, Denver's geologic setting, gold, minerals, historical maps and
photographs, satellite imagery, geographic information systems, water
quality, water resources, energy gases, natural aggregate, deserts, and
“Elevations and Distances in the United States.”
2) Classroom
exercise packets that the teacher can make use of for future
instruction.
|
Name
|
Description
|
Materials
|
Grade
Levels
|
Time
Required
|
|
Aerial
Photo Interpretation
|
Discussion
of the use of aerial photography in mapmaking; the opportune
flight height, film type, time of year, time of day, and the
logistics of flying aerial photography; students will identify
Mile High Stadium, Elitch's, and other landmarks, and make
estimates of time of day and year that photographs were taken.
|
photo
of aerial camera; set of Denver area aerial photographs
|
2
through college level
|
10
to 20 minutes
|
|
Aerial
Photo Stereo
Interpretation
|
Discussion
on the importance of stereo imagery to mapping; how stereo
imagery is flown; students will look through stereoscopes at
various landscapes and discuss what they see.
|
stereo
photographs and stereo images; stereoscopes
|
5
through college level
|
15
to 20 minutes
|
|
Careers
In Geosciences
|
Discussion
of:
1.
what geosciences are:
geography, cartography, oceanography, paleontology,
seismology, geology, volcanology,
2.
examples of what geoscientists do each day on the job;
3.
how to prepare in junior high and high school for a
career in the geosciences; what subjects to take:
computer science, other sciences, geography, math,
English.
4.
how to prepare in college for a geoscience career;
possible majors: geography,
cartography, physics, geology, computer science.
5.
how to find jobs in the geosciences; show job
announcements; discuss strategies and resources.
|
pamphlets
and other career information from scientific societies,
educational institutions, and government agencies; examples of
geoscience journals, job announcements; skills needed.
|
2
to 7: emphasis on
what geoscientists do;
8
to 12: emphasis on
preparation for college;
college:
emphasis
on how to find employment in geosciences
|
10
to 30 minutes
|
|
Cartographic
Data Collection and Applications
|
35mm
slide show demonstration of manual and digital cartography; how
cartographic data and maps are collected, revised, and
distributed.
|
need
a screen at the school
|
4
through college level
|
15
minutes
|
|
Caving
|
Exploring
Caves Teachers Packet activities, plus an examination of maps
covering karst terrain and a description of adventures from USGS
cavers.
|
|
3
through college level
|
55
minutes
|
|
Creating
a topographic map from set of elevations
|
Opportunity
for students to create their own topographic map by drawing
contour lines given a set of elevations; discussion of methods
of creating contour lines.
|
8.5x11"
paper with elevations
|
5
through college level
|
15
minutes
|
|
Electing
The President
(Elementary
School)
|
Big
Places and Small Places: Analyzing
the 1992 Presidential election map; staging mock election.
|
|
3
through 5
|
60
minutes
|
|
Electing
The President
(Middle
School)
|
What
Makes a Winner?: Analyzing
the 1992 Presidential election map and discussion of polls and
electoral process; geographic influences on elections.
|
|
6
through 8
|
60
minutes
|
|
Electing
The President (High School)
|
Who
Elected The President: Analyzing
historical electoral and popular vote maps from 1796 to 1992.
|
|
9
through 11
|
60
minutes
|
|
Exploring
Maps
|
8
Lessons on 4 Themes:
Location:
1)
Tools of The Ancients:
Making instruments and measuring latitude and longitude.
2)
A Place In Time: documenting
changing characteristics using maps.
Navigation:
3)
Make a Mercator Projection:
Transforming the globe to a flat sheet.
4)
In The Wake of Lewis and Clark:
following a trail.
Information:
5)
On The Trail of Knowledge:
Plotting data on maps to see spatial relationships.
6)
Maps with a Spin: Making
thematic maps that convey a message.
Exploration:
7)
Mapping the Third Dimension:
Making and using a stereoscope.
8)
The Landscape of a Novel:
Mapping imaginary spaces.
|
|
4
through 8
|
1)
130 minutes
2)
2 50-minute class periods
3)
2 50-minute lessons
4)
10 minute segments over 1 month
5)
1 50-minute class
6)
3 50-minute lessons
7)
2 50-minute lessons
8)
reading time plus 1 50-minute class
|
|
Fly-through
of Earth's Surface
|
Laptop
computer demonstration with projector containing an animated
fly-through of any area of interest (area of interest has to be
pre-loaded from a digital elevation model and generated from
VistaPro software). Currently,
Golden CO and Eagle River AK exist.
|
Need
a screen at the school
|
All
|
3
minutes
|
|
Geographic
Information Systems
(GIS)
|
Laptop
computer demonstration with projector using ArcView (digital
line graphs, digital orthophotographs, digital elevation models,
digital raster graphics); discussion of what geographic
information systems are and their applications in government,
sciences, and business. Applications
include analysis of zoning, floodplains, and crime.
Discussion of how GIS changed the USGS in terms of the
types of data it provided (analog vs digital), types of
customers (recreational vs technical), how data is provided
(hardware, software, media, work-cell vs assembly line),
political support for programs (contracting, outreach), and
employee changes in the workplace (TQM, task forces,
hierarchical).
|
need
a screen at the school
|
3
through college level
|
10
to 55 minutes
|
|
Global
Change
|
3
Lessons:
1)
Dendrochronology (tracking time via tree rings).
2)
Where Land, Air, and Water Meet (Change and Cycles).
3)
An Island Home (discussion of the earth as our home)
|
|
4
through 6
|
1)
55 minutes
2)
45 minutes
3)
2 or 3 50-minute lessons
|
|
Global
Positioning Systems and Coordinate Systems
|
Discussion
of latitude-longitude, public land, and UTM coordinate systems.
Demonstration of GPS technology. Students estimate
lat-long and elevation of their school, then use GPS outside of
the school building to record position and elevation via
satellite. Comparison
and discussion of differences between GPS reading and those the
students estimated from the maps.
|
|
5
through college level
|
50-60
minutes
|
|
Internet
|
On-line,
live link to the Internet with laptop computer and projector;
discussion of what the internet is; uses of the internet with
emphasis on geosciences resources; internet tools (World Wide
Web, telnet, file transfer protocol, e-mail).
Examples include real-time earthquake data and real-time
stream flow data.
|
Need
an Internet connection and
a screen at the school
|
5
through college level
|
20
to 60 minutes
|
|
Landforms
of the United States
|
Slide
show illustrating landforms, together with topographic maps.
Exercise involves asking students how the landforms
evolved, and how they will look in the future.
What are the human influences on landforms?
How do landforms reflect their physical environment?
How do landforms impact human systems?
|
slides
and maps
|
all
|
1
class period
|
|
Map
Adventures
|
7
Lessons on 7 Themes:
Poster
showing different views of the same place (a park) with a story
about a girl named Nikki who embarks on a hot air balloon ride.
Lessons include:
Lesson
1:
View from the Ground--helps students think about how they
view the world and the perspective with which they are most
familiar.
Lesson
2:
View from a Higher Point--Provides an opportunity for
students to think about how objects change in appearance
depending on the perspective from which they are viewed.
Lesson
3:
View from Overhead--Introduces the concept of maps and
helps students understand the overhead view presented by most
maps.
Lesson
4:
Symbols and Legends--Helps students become familiar with
the concept of symbols and how to use a legend.
Lesson
5:
Learning Directions on a Map--Helps students think about
direction and relative location.
Lesson
6:
Map Grids--Helps develop skills that students need to
understand absolute location--where things are on the earth's
surface.
Lesson
7:
Map Scale--Introduces students to the concept of
measuring distances on a map and measuring the size of objects.
|
Aerial
poster and lessons; teacher's guide included
|
K
through 3
|
6
to 7 50-minute class periods
|
|
Map
Comparison
|
A
discussion and comparison of different types of maps:
hydrologic, topographic, planimetric, geologic,
thematic..., including a discussion of differences in scales,
mapmaking techniques, content, dates, and projections.
|
set
of USGS maps and maps produced by other organizations
|
4
through college level
|
10
to 30 minutes
|
|
Map
Mysteries
|
A
sample of topographic maps from a variety of areas in the USA,
each with a set of mysteries about the physical or human-built
environment. Examples:
What is the feature in Callaway, Nebraska (meteor crater)?
Why is New Orleans below sea level?
Why is there an ancient river running through Ohio?
Why is the settlement pattern so regular in Grinnell,
Iowa? Why are the
streams displaced in California's Carrizo Plain (along San
Andreas Fault)? How
and when did an earthquake form Earthquake Lake, Montana?
What is the climate like in Antelope Peak, Arizona and
why are the slopes so uniform?
|
set
of USGS topographic maps
|
2
through college level
|
20-50
minutes, or could be expanded to several class periods
|
|
Mars
Fractal Landscape
|
Laptop
computer demonstration with projector containing a digital
elevation model of Mars collected by the USGS; capability to
interactively move through landscape based on fractal geometry.
|
need
a screen at the school
|
All
|
3
minutes
|
|
Overview
of Digital Spatial Data Collection and Applications
|
Laptop
computer demonstration with projector containing a Microsoft
PowerPoint slideshow of digital line graphs, digital elevation
models, digital orthophotoquads, and digital raster graphics;
with applications of these products in science and business;
discussion of core and framework data and the evolution of
mapping sciences.
|
need
a screen at the school
|
All
|
15
minutes to 45 minutes
|
|
Population
Studies
|
The
USGS and the Bureau of Census created a digital street map for
the entire USA that can be merged with demographic data suitable
for analyzing neighborhood changes in ethnicity, age, household
type, and other characteristics.
|
|
7
through college
|
55
minutes
|
|
Rocks
and Minerals
|
Rocks
and Minerals
Geology
of Colorado
Plate
Tectonics
History
of the Earth
|
Rocks
Minerals
Maps
Charts
|
All
|
30
– 50 min
|
|
Rock,
Fossil, and Mineral Mysteries
|
A
set of 50 samples of rocks, fossils, and minerals, each packet
of which poses a mystery question to the students.
Example: Shark's
teeth that were found 3 meters above water line at Chesapeake
Bay. Mystery:
How did they get there?
--> implications for global sea level change, water
temperature change, influence of humans on natural environment
through urbanization, etc.
|
samples
of rocks, fossils, and minerals
|
4
through 9
|
20
minutes to 1 hour
|
|
Rocks
On Your Face
|
A
set of minerals together with the cosmetics and other facial
products that include these minerals.
Themes: Applicability
of earth resources to the daily lives of human beings.
Analysis of where these minerals are found.
|
mineral
samples with cosmetics and other facial products
|
2
through college
|
30
to 50 minutes
|
|
Scribing
|
Discussion
of map separates, films, and the evolution of mapmaking
equipment and techniques; opportunity for students to trace
transportation, hydrography, and other features on scribecoat.
|
scribecoat
scribing
needles
|
3
through college level
|
15
to 20 minutes
|
|
Surveying
and Global Positioning Systems
|
A
discussion of the need to know one's exact location on the earth
for navigation, surveying, and mapmaking; what benchmarks are;
the importance of surveying to mapping; how global positioning
systems satellites and receivers work; applications (crime,
vehicle navigation, natural resources).
|
benchmarks
|
2
through college level
|
5
to 15 minutes
|
|
Topographic
Map Interpretation
|
Interpretation
of topographic map(s) that encompass the school where the
presentation is given; emphasizing differences in colors,
symbols, patterns; ask students to locate their school and home
on map; discussion of map accuracy; and benchmarks.
|
topographic
maps of area where school is located; map symbol sheets
|
2
through college level
|
10
to 20 minutes
|
|
Volcanoes
|
Understanding
the earth as a system; interaction of geosphere and biosphere.
Packet
includes 6 lessons, with poster:
1)
Windows into the Earth.
2)
Creators and Destroyers.
3)
Up In the Air.
4)
Fire, Rock, and Water.
5)
Death and Recovery.
6)
Volcanoes and People.
|
Topographic
maps of volcanic areas plus teacher packet
|
4
through 8
|
1
class period; 6 lessons in entirety could take 6 class periods
|
| Water
Resources
|
Hydrologic
Cycle
Groundwater-Surface
Water Relationships
Demonstrate
field equipment for studying
Hydrology
Distribution
of water on earth’s surface
|
Maps,
field equipment
|
All
|
30-50
min
|
| Web
Mapping
|
Demonstration
of the power and utility of mapping on the web, including
biodiversity, population, crops, and invasive species from the
National Atlas web site, real time wildfires from GeoMac, real
time earthquake bulletin, maps and aerial photographs from
Terraserver, satellite images from Landsat, and other sites.
|
PCs
or Macs with Internet connection
|
All
|
50
min
|
|
What
Do Maps Show?
|
Packet
includes shaded relief map, road map, topographic map, and
legends.
4
Lessons:
1)
Introduction to Maps.
2)
Some Things You Need To Know To
Read a Map: scale,
direction,
location.
3)
What You Can Learn From a Map.
4)
How To Read A Topographic Map.
|
Topographic
maps plus teacher packet
|
5 through 8
|
1)
2 30-minute lessons
2)
2 30-minute lessons
3)
2 30-minute lessons
4)
3 30-minute lessons
|
|
