Join me for Earth Day 2021 on Facebook Live
Join me for a Facebook Live event for Earth Day 2021! https://fb.me/e/8GWk36B9D
Thursday 22 April 2021 - 5pm Eastern / 2pm Pacific Time - Earth Day Digital Mapping and Analysis
UPDATE: The event went well and I appreciated seeing all the attendees. Did you miss it? No worries - here is the story map I showed that contains all the content:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c1b5e0114052405c8748baf420e4406c
Here is the video I captured of the entire event.
Who's it for? Students of all ages, instructors in schools, tribal, technical, and community colleges, university instructors, youth leaders, and anyone interested in learning more about our world.
Our blue-and-green oasis of life in the solar system has been the subject of poetry, music, novels, scientific investigation, and—maps. For centuries, maps have stirred imaginations, inspired explorations of the unknown, and helped us understand our planet. Far from the static documents of the past etched on clay tablets, wood, film, and paper, today’s maps are interactive and digital. Today's maps can be combined with charts, satellite images, databases, photographs, videos, and other data to help us make sense of our world. They help us navigate to the library or to grandma’s house on an everyday basis, help us understand our communities and our world, and how to build a more sustainable and resilient future. These maps have become ubiquitous—on our smartphones, computers, in our vehicles, in trains and airplanes, and just about everywhere we turn, particularly upon the advent of the COVID pandemic.
These digital maps and the everyday activities that depend on them are possible because of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other technologies: Remote sensing, computer science, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS, or more broadly, Geographic Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)) to name a few. However, people make these technologies effective, applying them to solve problems. People using these maps and tools cultivate a spatial way of thinking, looking at the world from a geographic perspective, examining patterns, relationships, and trends, making wiser decisions about the future. These decisions include planning urban greenways, mitigating invasive weeds, locating the optimal site for wind energy, studying groundwater withdrawal impact on aquifers, and many more, from local to global scales.
For 60 fast-paced minutes, we will:
Explore fascinating maps and satellite imagery in 2D and 3D to learn about biomes, ecoregions, oceans, urban growth, energy, river systems and watersheds, weather and climate, landforms, and other fascinating aspects of our planet! This 60 minute journey will include some fun geo-quizzes using ArcGIS Online and other GIS tools, plus a geo-crossword puzzle, and a few geo-songs as well!
You will come away amazed at the power and ease-of-use of these tools, and be empowered to use them in your own teaching and learning!
