1. 2009 NECC conference in Washington DC. July 1, 2009
Teaching “spatially” with Google Earth to investigate land use issues Alec M. Bodzin, Lehigh University and Lori Cirucci, Broughal Middle School
2009 NECC conference in Washington DC. July 1, 2009

2. UBD: Enduring Understandings
Human activities influence environmental changes.
How to analyze the spatial organization of places, and environments on earth’s surface.
How to apply earth and environmental science and geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Spatial understanding is developed through the use of spatial thinking skills, using data as evidence to formulate explanations, reasoning and critical thinking.

3. UBD: Essential Questions
How do we impact our ecosystem?
How do current building trends affect the local ecosystem?
What causes urban heat islands and to what extent do they occur in the Lehigh Valley?
How do geospatial information technologies enable us to view and understand patterns in our environment?
How can I use environmental and geographic data to better understand my environment?
How can I analyze and interpret environmental and geographic data to plan for the future?

4. Curricular Design Principles
Adapt existing curricular materials to align with the demand of the local classroom context.
Use motivating contexts to engage learners.
Design activities to incorporate two main properties: scalability and portability.
Promote spatial thinking skills with easy to use geospatial technologies tools.

5. Curricular Implementation Issues - Pilot Test
Need more local examples to investigate land features and land use
Poor user-interfaces with existing materials. Not designed for instructional purposes.
Lack of true-color and false-color remotely sensed image pairs
Capitalize on Google Earth features to better support the learning experience
Enhance inquiry-based experiences

6. Year 2: Iterative Design
More focus on aerial photo interpretation (tone, size, texture, pattern, shadow, site, and association)
Google Earth KML file development
Better NASA thermal images
Heat absorption and radiation demonstration lab
Lehigh Valley Malls investigation
RS natural change: Acheh, Indonesia (tsunami); New Orleans (Katrina); Mt. St. Helens

7. Culminating inquiry investigation
Recommend a plan for locating a new Wal-Mart Supercenter in the greater metropolitan Lehigh Valley area to have minimal impact on the environment.

26. Forested Area: Natural image and False color image

27. Agricultural Area: Natural image and False color image

28. Landsat 7 (ETM+ bands 7, 4, and 2)
Lake Pontchatrain and New Orleans pre-Katrina on Apr. 26, 2000 and post-Katrina on Aug. 30, 2005
Landsat 7 (ETM+ bands 7, 4, and 2)

29. Aceh Province, Indonesia Northwestern Sumatra on Dec
Aceh Province, Indonesia Northwestern Sumatra on Dec. 13, 2004 (left) and on Dec. 29, 2004 (right) three days after the devastating tsunami. Landsat 7 (ETM+ bands 3,2,1)

30. Las Vegas 1972 & 1992
False color images: Landsat 1 and 5 false color images (MSS bands 4,2,1)
Bright red: Golf Courses
Brighter green: Construction areas
Dark reddish-brown: Established neighborhoods (mature trees)