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Education modules using EnviroAtlas (#2)
Citation:
Hartley, J. Education modules using EnviroAtlas (#2). Nat'l Science Teachers Assoc, New Orleans, LA, November 30 - December 02, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
To communicate EnviroAtlas as a teaching tool to the Nat'l Science Teacher's Association audience
Description:
Session Title #1: Exploration and Discovery through Maps: Teaching Science with Technology. Online maps have the power to spark student interest and bring students closer to their local natural environments. EnviroAtlas is an interactive, web-based tool that was designed by the EPA and its partners to provide access to maps that show the status of the local environment and social elements of an area. EnviroAtlas is readily available, only requires an internet browser to use, and can be used by anyone with some introduction, which this session will provide. This session introduces a lesson-plan package that encourages students to explore their local watershed through a hands-on lab, an outdoor exploration component, and an EnviroAtlas web-mapping session (which can be done with or without internet). The EnviroAtlas tool equips students with the skills necessary to navigate data in a technological and visual format. Students can use EnviroAtlas to explore maps and consider real-world connections to their local environment. This session will walk teachers through the lesson package and allow time for open-ended exploration of the EnviroAtlas tool. The lesson plan covers NGSS 4-ESS3-2, 4-ESS2-2, 5-ESS2-1 and 5-ESS3-1. This abstract has been reviewed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Agency.Session Title #2: Mapping: a global language to explore community, science, and the environmentMaps have the visual power to break down language barriers and empower students with insight into their local communities and environments. This EnviroAtlas mapping lesson is available in both English and Spanish languages and will be conducted by a bilingual speaker. EnviroAtlas is an interactive, web-based tool that was designed by the EPA and its partners to provide access to maps that show the status of the local environment and social elements of an area. EnviroAtlas is readily available, only requires an internet browser to use, and can be used by anyone with some introduction, which this session will provide. This session will deliver a lesson-plan package that encourages students to explore their local watershed through a hands-on lab and an EnviroAtlas mapping session (which can be done with or without internet). This session will walk teachers through the lesson package, available in both the Spanish and English language, and allow time for open-ended exploration of the EnviroAtlas tool. The lesson plan covers NGSS 4-ESS3-2, 4-ESS2-2, 5-ESS2-1 and 5-ESS3-1. This abstract has been reviewed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Agency.Session Title #3: Greenway Case Study puts students in the decision-making role: Using technology and maps to inform development decisionsHigh school students need to be ready to make decisions in a real-world context. They also need exposure to tools that will equip them for future careers. This session will exhibit a learning module that promotes student discovery using available maps and data, engages them to be collaborative decision-makers, and introduces students to the growing field of geospatial mapping. The module involves role-play to integrate ecology, public health, and city-planning. Through this hypothetical case study, which can be completed with or without internet, students must consider whether to support the development of a proposed pilot section of greenway. Using maps, tools, and resources from EnviroAtlas (a mapping tool developed by the EPA), students are asked to justify their support or lack of support for the proposed route of the greenway. This case study showcases how the publicly available EnviroAtlas tool can support decision-making. OUT OF SPACE; please see attached .doc.