Latest Contributions by TomBaker

Imagine your students designing their dream playground — not on paper, not in their heads, but on a real interactive map of their actual school grounds. That's exactly what Build a Park makes possible. Student link: https://esriurl.com/buildapark Teacher link: https://trbaker.github.io/buildAPark (with lesson plans) Build a Park is a free, browser-based web app designed especially  for upper elementary students. It combines the intuitive fun of drag-and-drop design with the power of ArcGIS Online mapping technology. Students search for their school or a nearby park, zoom in, and then drag playground equipment icons directly onto the map — slides, swings, monkey bars, seesaws, gaga ball pits, koi ponds, and more. Each piece of equipment gets a short, editable label so students can personalize their designs. When they're done, they can take a screenshot of their finished park or save their design directly to ArcGIS Online as a professional web map.   Why This Matters in the Classroom Geography and spatial thinking are foundational skills, yet they can be hard to make tangible for younger learners. Build a Park bridges that gap by connecting something students already love — playgrounds — with real geographic tools used by professionals every day. When students place a swing set on the map, they're not just playing. They're making geodesign decisions about space, proximity, and layout. They're thinking about whether the sandbox should be near the benches so caregivers can supervise, or whether the basketball court needs enough buffer from the climbing wall. These are genuine design thinking and spatial reasoning challenges dressed up in a format that feels like play. Classroom Activity Ideas Grades 3–5: Design Your Dream Playground Have students search for your school, zoom into the schoolyard, and design a new playground for the empty field out back. Ask them to write a short paragraph explaining their choices — why did they place equipment where they did? Who are they designing for? Grades 4–6: Compare and Contrast Assign students different parks in your city or town. Have each student design an "improved" version of their assigned park. Then compare designs as a class — what did different students prioritize? How does the neighborhood around a park influence what equipment belongs there? Cross-Curricular: Math Integration Challenge students to place exactly 10 pieces of equipment and estimate how much space their park takes up using the map scale. How many square meters might a slide need? How close is too close for two swings? Saving and Sharing Work One of Build a Park's most powerful features for teachers is the Save to ArcGIS Online function. When students save their park, it creates a hosted feature layer and a web map in their ArcGIS Online account — the same format used by GIS professionals worldwide. Their saved maps are automatically accessible in ArcGIS Map Viewer and National Geographic MapMaker, making it easy to share, present to the class, or submit as an assignment. Students can also take a screenshot of their finished design, add a custom title, and download it as a PNG — perfect for a classroom gallery wall or a digital portfolio.     Getting Started Build a Park runs entirely in a web browser — no installation, no plugins. To save a map, students need an ArcGIS Online account, but the screenshot feature works without signing in at all. It's spatial thinking, design thinking, and digital citizenship — all wrapped up in a playground. Note: This is not an Esri created or supported web app but an experimental, AI-generated webpage that helps students build. It uses several ArcGIS Online services and allows saving into ArcGIS Online. ... View more

This post will be regularly updated before and after ISTE 2026. Join thousands of innovative educators and explore the future of teaching and learning through hands-on experiences, inspiring keynote speakers, and practical classroom strategies. Whether you are interested in artificial intelligence, digital mapping, virtual reality, STEM, student creativity, or instructional technology, ISTE Live offers opportunities to discover tools and ideas that can immediately support student engagement and achievement. ISTE Live 2026 is also a chance to connect with a global community of educators who are passionate about innovation and meaningful learning. Collaborate with teachers, technology leaders, curriculum specialists, and industry experts while exploring new resources, attending interactive sessions, and gaining fresh ideas to bring back to your school or district. Orlando provides the perfect setting for a high-energy event focused on preparing students and educators for the future. Join Esri int he exhibit hall in booth #1659 ... View more

Top Pedagogical Mistakes Teachers Make When Using Digital Maps in the Classroom (And How to Avoid Them) One of the biggest mistakes teachers make when teaching with digital maps is giving answers too quickly instead of allowing students time to investigate on their own. When teachers explain every pattern immediately, students miss the chance to practice observation and critical thinking. Students often learn more when they are asked to make predictions and support their ideas with evidence from the map. Inquiry becomes stronger when discovery comes before explanation.    video Another common mistake is rushing through the map experience. Students need time to zoom in, pan across regions, turn layers on and off, and closely examine symbols or labels. If the lesson moves too fast, many students only see the surface of the map and miss important relationships. Slowing down helps students notice details they might otherwise overlook. Teachers also sometimes skip the questioning process. A digital map by itself does not automatically create learning unless students are guided with thoughtful prompts. Questions such as “What do you notice?”, “Why might this happen here?”, and “What pattern do you see?” encourage deeper thinking. Strong questions turn map viewing into active investigation. Another mistake is limiting student discussion during the activity. When students talk with partners or small groups, they hear new ideas and practice explaining their reasoning. Discussion can reveal different interpretations of the same data and help students refine their thinking. Silent individual work has value, but conversation often deepens understanding. Some teachers wait to use digital maps until they feel they know everything about the technology. This often delays meaningful classroom use because no teacher ever needs to master every tool before starting. Students can still learn a great deal from simple map activities using only a few basic features. Growth usually happens by trying small lessons first and learning alongside students. Finally, some teachers treat digital maps as only a technology tool instead of a thinking tool. The real value of digital maps is not just clicking buttons or navigating software menus. Maps help students analyze data, solve problems, recognize spatial patterns, and use evidence to make conclusions. When used this way, digital maps become powerful learning tools rather than simple screen activities. ... View more

This blog will be regularly updated through the remainder of 2026 to reflect available A250 instructional materials. The US Declaration of Independence was officially signed on August 2, 1776, by most of the Continental Congress delegates, nearly a month after it was adopted on July 4, 1776. While 56 delegates eventually signed the document, most signatures were added on August 2 in Philadelphia, with others signing later. (source: National Archives) The classroom activities and readings below will help teach the events in and around the signing of the Declaration and the American Revolution. Thirteen colonies Activity: The geography of the 13 Colonies (MapMaker) Activity: The 13 Colonies and slave trade (MapMaker) Activity: The 13 Colonies – 1700s (GeoInquiry) Pre American Revolution Activity: The war before independence (GeoInquiry) Reading: Revolutionary Boston  Reading: Origins of The Declaration of Independence Reading: The signers of the Declaration of Independence … and Enslavement The American Revolutionary War Reading: Key events in the American Revolutionary War Map: Mapping the American Revolution Map: Why Yorktown Articles of Confederation and Constitutional Convention Reading: The New Jersey and Virginia Plans     ... View more

The end of the school year is a special time. Testing is over. Summer breaks and vacations are being planned.  It’s getting warmer and summer sports are in full swing. And, most importantly, getting kids to focus on learning is really difficult.  Listed below are five fun activities for kids to do with digital maps – planning for summer fun or reflecting on the learning over the previous nine months.   First, try a “Map Your Summer Vacation” activity. Ask students to plan a dream summer trip using a digital map. They can choose a destination, map their travel route, and add a few places they would visit along the way. Students can include photos or short descriptions of each stop. It’s a fun way to practice geography and spatial thinking while students start thinking about summer. Second, create a hidden treasure map challenge. Students design a treasure hunt using a digital map of the school or local community. They place markers that represent clues and write riddles that guide classmates from one location to another. Then groups try to solve each other’s treasure maps. This is a great activity for problem solving and map skills. Third, play a quick game called “Guess the Place From Space.” Show students a satellite image from a digital map and ask them to guess where it is in the world. It might be the Grand Canyon, the pyramids of Egypt, Mount Fuji, or a famous stadium. Students use clues from the landscape to figure out the location. This works great as a five-minute warm-up or review activity. Fourth, have students map the most interesting places on Earth. Ask them to explore the world map and mark amazing locations such as the tallest mountains, deepest ocean trenches, major volcanoes, or unusual landforms. As a class, you build a shared map of fascinating places around the planet. Finally, try an activity called “Map the Year.” Students create a digital map showing places connected to topics they studied during the year. They might mark Civil War locations, ancient civilizations, major rivers, or tectonic plate boundaries. At each location they add a short note explaining something they learned. These kinds of activities are perfect for the last month of school because they are creative, interactive, and easy to run even when students are ready for summer break.   ... View more

Join the Esri Schools team as we lead two new webinar series at the National Council for Geographic Education. National Geographic Mapmaker The first series walks educators through no-login and logged in uses of the National Geographic Mapmaker by Esri.   Link to Part 1 of the Mapmaker series.   Link to Part 2 of the Mapmaker series. ArcGIS StoryMaps The second webinar series focuses on the instructional uses of ArcGIS StoryMaps across K12 education.  The second part of the StoryMap webinar series focuses on creating your own storymaps and sharing them with students.    Link to part 1 of the StoryMap series. Link to part 2 of the StoryMap series. ... View more

  http://esriurl.com/tvc   The teacher video challenge is an opportunity for K12 teachers to showcase their use of ArcGIS Online in classroom instruction for the chance to be recognized.   How it works Create a 1-minute video highlighting how you use ArcGIS Online (including MapMaker, StoryMaps, Survey123, etc) in your K12 classroom with students (United States only at this time).   Post your 1-minute video publicly to a video sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo.  Complete the self-nomination form.     Entries are evaluated on a rolling basis. Your entry will be reviewed the quarter it is submitted and several times after (unless/until you are selected).  If selected, you will work with the Esri K-12 staff to create a 5-minute video, taking a deeper dive into how you use ArcGIS Online in your teaching.   Several example winning 5-minute videos can be seen at https://esriurl.com/tvc. Once the 5-minute video (and paperwork) are completed, Esri will send you a stipend.   For 2026, we expect to draw winners quarterly and will give special attention to those that include MapMaker in their use of ArcGIS Online in their classroom. If you have previously won, you may submit a new self-nomination with video but preference will be given to new submitters.   Submit your entry today!   Overview: https://esriurl.com/tvc Self-nomination form: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a8eb37dc9fb44655bf9b56a9276a1b42  Previous submitters/winners map: https://edresources.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=18d7d7027249403a938aed0f15b7da6f  ... View more

While there are countless unsung classroom heroes that use GIS, we’ve picked five to highlight, from our user success stories in the past few years.  These stories highlight the transformative role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology in modernizing K–12 education across the United States. Through partnerships with organizations like the Missouri Botanical Garden and universities like Lehigh, educators are replacing traditional textbooks with interactive mapping tools to study local ecology, history, and social issues. Students utilize specialized software and hardware, such as drones and infrared sensors, to tackle real-world challenges like tracking wildfire risks to unhoused populations or analyzing watershed patterns. The initiatives emphasize professional development for teachers and provide students with industry-standard credentials, bridging the gap between classroom learning and future careers. Ultimately, these programs foster spatial literacy, enabling young learners to visualize complex data and better understand the world around them. The five stories Empowering Ecological Education with Digital Mapping Tools The Litzsinger Road Ecology Center serves as a vital hub for place-based ecological education, bridging the gap between natural environments and digital analysis for students and teachers. Under the leadership of Dr. Bob Coulter, the center utilizes GIS to help young learners visualize complex environmental data, such as watershed patterns and climate change projections. This case study highlights how integrating real-world field experience with modeling tools empowers children to investigate their local ecosystems while contributing to meaningful scientific dialogue. Ultimately, the program aims to make the world more intriguing for students by using technology as a lens to deepen their understanding of the natural world and prepare them for future challenges. GIS in the Classroom Provides an Innovative Method to Teach Social Studies Educator Chris Bunin has transformed traditional social studies by integrating geospatial technology into the classroom, moving beyond textbooks to provide students with hands-on technical experience. By utilizing ArcGIS software and a fleet of drones, Bunin allows his students to conduct field research and data mapping that connects historical concepts to the modern world. This innovative curriculum does more than teach history; it prepares students for the workforce by helping them earn professional industry credentials and FAA pilot licenses. Ultimately, the program demonstrates the diverse career applications of geographic information systems, proving that spatial literacy is a valuable asset in fields ranging from environmental protection to healthcare. Geologist Turned Educator Gets GIS for Every West Virginia K–12 Student Drawing from her professional background as a geologist, Dr. Erika Klose has successfully integrated GIS into the West Virginia public school system to provide students with a deeper spatial understanding of data. By transitioning from complex desktop software to accessible, web-based applications like ArcGIS Online, the state has empowered educators across various grade levels to connect academic lessons with real-world geographic contexts. These digital tools allow students to move beyond passive learning, engaging instead in active scientific investigation through projects such as tracking wildlife migrations or competing in digital storytelling contests. Ultimately, this initiative aims to make data literacy a natural part of a student's intellectual toolkit, bridging the gap between K-12 education and the advanced requirements of college and career pathways. High School Students Use Mapping Tech to Protect the Unhoused from Wildfires This article explores how students from Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School utilized GIS and infrared sensors to address the dual crises of homelessness and wildfires in California. By building and deploying a CubeSat prototype attached to a weather balloon, the students identified heat signatures of unhoused encampments hidden within dense, fire-prone vegetation. The resulting interactive web maps were shared with the Los Angeles Fire Department to facilitate more efficient emergency evacuations and rescue operations. Ultimately, the text highlights the power of hands-on technical education in empowering youth to develop innovative, data-driven solutions for community safety and humanitarian aid. Lehigh University's Teacher Education Program Illustrates Why GIS Is a Powerful Classroom Tool Lehigh University is revolutionizing K–12 instruction by training educators to integrate GIS  into diverse academic subjects. By fostering spatial literacy, the program empowers students to move beyond textbooks and use inquiry-based learning to analyze complex real-world issues like climate change, public health, and urban history. Through strategic collaborations and grant-funded research, the university provides teachers with the technical skills and tools necessary to bridge the gap between abstract data and local, community-based problem solving. Ultimately, this initiative aims to make geospatial reasoning a fundamental part of the modern curriculum, preparing the next generation for advanced careers in STEM and environmental fields. ... View more

Studies examining geography instruction have found that integrating reading and geographic learning can improve reading comprehension, particularly for English Language Learners, because geographic tasks often require students to interpret written descriptions of places, environments, and relationships, build background knowledge, and make connections between text and spatial representations - skills that reinforce literacy development. For example, research on GeoLiteracy programs in elementary and middle school classrooms indicates that geography-based learning can help maintain or improve students’ reading comprehension outcomes, showing that geography education and literacy support each other in meaningful ways. In preparing instructional resources, there are from time to time, aspects of those materials that ultimately go unused.  In the linked storymap below, we have recombined some of those supplemental resources that support reading in world geography, human geography, and Earth science.  The storymap includes about 90 thematic word games, 45 vocabulary lists, and more. Explore the storymap!   Learn more about reading and geography.  https://asu.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/linking-geography-to-reading-and-english-language-learners-achiev https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8063904 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0885200621000764 ... View more

Deep in a densely wooded state forest in Virginia lies the ghost of a once-thriving community named Lucyville. For decades, Lucyville’s story remained buried, known only from fragmented memories and scattered records. But thanks to the curiosity and dedication of a group of middle school students, Lucyville’s legacy is being rediscovered and celebrated. Read the story >>   ... View more

One of the most powerful features in Esri’s 3D viewers, like Scene and MapMaker is the Daylight tool – at least in my opinion. The Daylight tool creates a light source (sun) on the map and results in accurate lighting levels for the selected date and time. You can use the play button to cycle through the lighting levels by time or date. For example, here’s the Grand Canyon at about 7 am on March 15, 1952.    You can move beyond ambient lighting and generate accurate shadows of topography and 3D objects, like buildings.   Here to, you can set shadows to generate for a specific time and date.  You can also use the play buttons to loop the shadow render by date or time. See the shadow of the Space Needle in Seattle at about noon during the 1995 Winter Solstice.   For a little extra credit, if you want to capture movement of shadows across an entire and present it in a short enough span of time to keep student attention, you can do a few screen recordings on your computer and stitch together in a video editor – and you’ll get something like this. YouTube video link To learn more about the Daylight tool, see: MapMaker skill builder #9: Simulate daylight and weather Documentation: Simulated daylight and weather Scene Viewer: Daylight tips Teachers, looking for the Next Generation science standards connections? Kindergarten standard: K-PS3-1 Kids notice that sunlight warms things. This is where they first start paying attention to the Sun in the sky. Grade 1 standard: 1-ESS1-1 Students observe that the Sun, Moon, and stars move across the sky. This includes noticing that the Sun is in different places during the day. Grade 3 standard: 3-ESS2-1 Kids learn that Earth’s rotation causes day and night. This helps explain why shadows move as the Sun appears to move. Middle School standard: MS-ESS1-1 Students use models to explain: Earth’s tilt, Earth going around the Sun, and seasons, * changing Sun angle, day length, etc. High School (grades 9-12) Standard: HS-ESS1-1 Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the Sun and the role of nuclear fusion. Establishes the Sun as the energy source for Earth Supports understanding solar radiation, which affects: Sun angle, Shadow length, Seasonal heating Standard: HS-ESS1-4 Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system. Earth’s orbit around the Sun Earth’s tilt (23.5°) Standard: HS-ESS2-4 Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate. Standard: HS-ESS2-2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems. Indirect support: Ice/snow cover, Albedo (reflection), seasonal feedbacks ... View more

Start planning now to join the Esri schools team this April 16-18 in Anaheim, CA at the annual meeting of the  National Science Teachers Association.  While you can find us in the exhibit hall in booth 1420, we also have a few workshops planned. Time and location to follow. Workshops: 1. Add GIS mapping tools to enhance learning (room 304b; April 17th at 10:40am) Geographic maps (GIS) are powerful tools for visualizing and analyzing scientific data from the schoolyard to the planet. Learn how to use no-cost, no login tools from Esri to explore and understand data using our new tools, including the National Geographic MapMaker. Learn to use 3D data and sketching to improve the map. 2. Enhance field studies with location, analysis, and story-telling (room 304b, April 18th at 9:00am) Ready to set up a new outdoor data collection project for your students? This workshop will show you how to use three GIS tools in the ArcGIS school bundle to collect, map, analyze, and report on data collected. The workshop will feature StoryMaps and Survey123 to help support your project-based learning (PBL) and field studies instruction.   We will continue to update this blog post with more activities and details as we near the meeting.  See you in Anaheim! ... View more

Using AI in K–12 education has pros and cons. On the positive side, AI can personalize learning, giving students help at their own pace. It can support teachers by saving time on grading and lesson planning. AI tools can also make learning more engaging and accessible for students with special needs. However, there are concerns. Too much reliance on AI may reduce critical thinking and creativity. Data privacy and student safety are also major issues.  Esri offers two basic types of AI tools: GeoAI and AI Assistants. GeoAI combines geographic information systems (GIS) technology with machine learning to analyze spatial data. It helps find patterns, make predictions, and support decisions about places, such as detecting land-use change, mapping risk, or analyzing traffic and climate data. AI Assistants focus on helping users work more efficiently. They use natural language to answer questions, explain data, generate maps, write code, or guide users through GIS tasks. Together, GeoAI powers advanced spatial analysis, while AI Assistants make GIS easier to use and understand. Common GeoAI tools fall into a few well-established categories: Image classification and object detection: AI identifies features such as buildings, roads, trees, or land cover from satellite, aerial, or drone imagery.  See a short video demo.    Predictive modeling: Machine learning predicts outcomes like flood risk, wildfire spread, crime hotspots, traffic patterns, or population growth based on spatial data. Spatial clustering and pattern detection: AI finds hidden patterns, hot spots, or anomalies in geographic data, helping explain where and why things happen. Change detection: AI compares imagery over time to detect land-use change, deforestation, urban growth, or disaster damage. Natural language GIS assistants: AI tools let users ask questions, build maps, write GIS code, or analyze data using everyday language. Automation and feature extraction: AI speeds up repetitive GIS tasks like digitizing features, cleaning data, and updating maps. As of January 2026, Esri provides several AI assistants across its ecosystem, primarily in Beta or Preview stages. These assistants utilize generative AI to streamline GIS workflows, code generation, and documentation search. ArcGIS Pro Assistant ArcGIS Arcade Assistant ArcGIS Business Analyst Assistant ArcGIS Survey123 Assistant ArcGIS StoryMaps Assistants ArcGIS Hub Assistant ArcGIS for Teams Assistant ArcGIS Instant Apps  Assistant Documentation Assistant Item Details Assistant To learn more about specific uses of educational applications of AI in GIS, take a look at some of these blog posts from Esri higher education and K12 team members. Use images & AI to fill out a survey   What teachers should know about AI in ArcGIS StoryMaps No Need to Teach Your Students Anymore – Spatial AI Assistants are Here! How to get started with GeoAI in ArcGIS - A practical guide ... View more

  Growing up in the 70's and 80's, each holiday season, I awaited the arrival of the NBC special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It is a 1964 stop-motion show about Rudolph and his adventures, including a stop at the Island of the Misfit Toys. This holiday season, we are sharing our GIS adventure puzzle, Finding the Island of Misfit Toys - a storymap with an instant app of the Arctic. The puzzle begins to let students use clues to narrow in on the likely location of the famous imaginary island. Explore this geographic puzzle and others at https://esriurl.com/puzzles     Learn about the Esri Schools program. ... View more