GIS Day in a K-12 Classroom

Kylie

GIS Day is only a couple of days away. If you are still looking for ideas for your K-12 classroom, here are some to consider.

1. Do an activity using maps to explore a topic your class is studying.Redistricting and gerrymandering 
   You can find ready-to-use lessons for Earth Science, Geography, Human Geography, and more subjects in the Classroom activities gallery. (No accounts required.)
   1. One relevant activity to explore is Redistricting & gerrymandering.
2. Dive into World Cultures and Geography with brand new National Geographic MapMaker activities. Explore westward expansion, the silk road, geomythology, and more with an interactive StoryMap and guided inquiry activities in MapMaker.
3. Flattening EarthPlay with GIS with younger elementary students using resources in the GIS with Kids collection.
   Print map coloring pages, explore how to flatten a globe into a map, guess some locations around the world, or explore another of the included StoryMaps. (No accounts required.)
4. Challenge high school students to explore GIS on their own using A student's self-guided exploration of GIS. 
   This guide includes a quick intro then takes students into making maps, doing analysis, and becoming familiar common GIS tools for projects. (Sections 2-4 require accounts, although many activities in section 2 can be done without them if you don't save your work.)
5. Analysis activity galleryChallenge students with some GIS experience to learn about different types of analysis. See Analysis: An intro for K-12 classrooms for an intro, tutorials, and a first experience using specialized GIS tools. It even has a gallery of activities that use various analysis tools to solve real world problems - students can pick a problem of interest and be walked through how to solve it using GIS. (The tutorials and activities in the gallery require accounts. The introduction and first experience using specialized GIS tools can be completed without them.)   
6. Exploring coding through a GIS lens and pick your ideal destination in Vacation Locations. (No accounts required.)
7. Investigate the world in 2D and 3D with National Geographic MapMaker, an app with maps curated for K-12 classrooms. (No accounts required.)
8. Experience GIS for Urban PlanningExperience GIS for urban planning, wildfire management, or conservation. Read an article or watch a video, try using the GIS yourself, and then optionally create the GIS you explored. (No accounts required to try the GIS. Accounts required for the optional step.)
9. Participate in a GeoProject and get a taste of adding data to a map and seeing that added by others. (No accounts required.)
10. Watch videos of students presenting their GIS work on the main stage at the Esri User Conference. (No accounts required.)
    1. In July 2025, students from the Colegio Agustiniano school in Panama demonstrated their remote sensing work.
    2. In July 2024, Washington-Liberty High School students answered complex questions in ArcGIS Pro.
    3. In July 2023, elementary students introduced the power of National Geographic MapMaker.

Note: Some of these suggestions require accounts in ArcGIS Online. Generally, activities that don't require accounts provide the best introduction to GIS. Activities that require accounts are best used with students who have some familiarity with GIS already.

What will your class do to celebrate GIS day?