Posted by Loren Mullane on behalf of the DataBC Team.
Welcome students, teachers, librarians, and parents. This year the Province of B.C. is excited to celebrate GIS Day on November 14th. GIS Day is a world-wide event that demonstrates the power of geographic information systems (GIS), and an opportunity for organizations with GIS expertise to show the public how GIS can be used to better understand our world.
As we discussed in our recent blog, learning about GIS helps develop geo-literacy, an understanding of the places we live and how they relate to the rest of the world. In fact, GIS Day is part of Geography Awareness Week, an initiative sponsored by the National Geographic Society to spread geographic literacy. There will be hundreds of GIS Day events held in dozens of countries around the world. Ensuring young people in B.C. have the opportunity to participate and to become data and geo-literate is something we should all strive for.
This year DataBC, GeoBC, the Ministry of Education and Esri Canada collaborated to create GIS educational materials that use the Province of B.C.’s geospatial data and tools. Developed for elementary, high-school students, and post-secondary students these educational materials will be a great opportunity for B.C. students, teachers, parents, librarians and citizens to explore their province and learn about the value of GIS.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
GIS Day Treasure Hunt – Senior Grades
This lesson plan is a virtual treasure hunt for senior students. They will learn how to find aerial photographs using the BC Air Photo Viewer, load the photos into Google Earth, and use the hints provided to match the photos to locations.
GIS Day Treasure Hunt – Junior Grades
This treasure hunt is for junior students. In this lesson they will explore the geography of British Columbia through the use of Google Earth and the Province of British Columbia’s Air Photo Viewer. Students will discover interesting B.C. landmarks, including the lake that used to appear on the $10 Canadian bill and Nature’s Stonehenge.
Explore the Geography of British Columbia with iMapBC
In this lesson plan, you can explore the geography of British Columbia using iMapBC. Tailored for senior students, the lesson teaches how to locate an address, find a BC Park and Tree Farm License, while discussing the importance of geo-literacy.
The following lesson plans developed in partnership with Esri Canada are no longer accessible. We will look to provide these lesson plans again next year for GIS Day 2013:
Investigate Earthquakes in BC
Where we live may determine our vulnerability to earthquakes. In this lesson, students will examine earthquake occurrence and develop an understanding of earthquake activity in British Columbia. They will learn how to load to use ArcGIS Online and load data from the DataBC Data Catalogue.
Assessing The Spread Of Mountain Pine Beetle In BC
In this lesson, students will learn about the impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle on British Columbia’s forests, and develop an understanding how the beetle has affected local communities. They will use ArcGIS Online and the DataBC Data Catalogue and geographic services.
Map My School Using iOS
This lesson gets students outdoors to create a web map with their mobile devices and then share it with classmates. Using the ArcGIS application on their Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad devices, students will update GIS data in the field, discover, open and explore maps, find places and addresses, and learn how to upload BC School Location data from DataBC.
Slideshow GIS DAY Treasure Hunt – Elementary Grades
This treasure hunt is a slide show well suited to elementary school students, and teachers less comfortable with technology. Teachers can lead students through a slide show to view pre-loaded photos of significant B.C. landmarks, and then discuss how we interact with our environment.
We also found this great lesson plan for elementary school students, courtesy of National Geographic, called the Geography of A Pencil. In this lesson plan, students learn about how countries from around the world contribute to the making of a pencil.
We hope you find these educational materials useful, and welcome your feedback. Please leave us your comments below.
We also have a poster and world map for download. Print the event poster to promote GIS Day in your school or library. Print the world map, post it on the wall, and ask people to place a pin where they were born and another at a dramatic place they have visited.
To download these resources click the link, right click and select Save As.
If you are in B.C. and are interested in holding or sponsoring an event for GIS Day using these educational materials in your classroom, library, or elsewhere, please contact us at data@gov.bc.ca. We’re excited about the day and look forward to hearing about events planned around the province.
You can also join the conversation by posting comments below, and follow the lead up and the day’s events on Twitter by searching for these hashtags: #bcgis #gisday
