Category: GIS in Education

GIS: Your Spatial “Swiss Army Knife”

Barbaree

October 12, 2012

activities, arcgis online, arclessons, books, Conference, curriculum, ESRI, free GIS resources, GIS in Education, gisetc, institutes, lessons, map portal, problem based learning, professional development, STEM, t3g

Educators need a multi-functional tool that can help teach, repair and assist exploration…a “swiss army knife” kind of educational gadget that can allow students to explore, yet gives teachers the necessary substance in required curriculum and high-stakes testing environments. And, hey… it’s just fun (always an appealing characteristic to wrangly middle schoolers)! I often read… Read more
Story Maps #2: What’s Your Dinner’s Story?

Barbaree

September 26, 2012

20 minute gis, agriculture, arcgis online, feed the world, food, GIS in Education, gisetc, gisetc.com, story maps, story telling, survival, writing

I love the idea that we are story telling with maps. Most people enjoy a great story. Good stories have a central theme or motif (fancy English teacher word). With a guiding motif, we can add items to our story that express emotion, inform and provoke discussion. In a conversation recently, we were plotting and… Read more
Q & A: Can you use GIS to teach economics?

Barbaree

May 7, 2012

arcgis online, banks, economics, economy, finance, gdp, GIS for Social Studies, GIS in Education, GIS starter, labor, marketing, money, online mapping

I was presented this question from a talented colleague who was being challenged by an economics teacher. Simple answer: yes! My colleague and I are big fans of GIS and believe that it’s a valuable tool in almost any discipline. I took a few minutes, maybe 5 or 10 minutes to be exact, and created… Read more
Oh the Places You’ll Go: Poems about Places and more

Barbaree

March 30, 2012

april, authors, choropleth maps, English Language Arts, GIS for English Language Arts, GIS in Education, national poetry month, poetry atlas, shel silverstein

National Poetry Month is just two days away! So often my students had challenges connecting with iambic verse, haiku rules and lofty language. It doesn’t have to be that way. Poetry is art and communication all rolled into one. Get away from the textbook and go to some new places with poetry! Some cool things to… Read more
Mapping Black History Month

Barbaree

February 8, 2012

black history month, English Language Arts, gis for history, GIS in Education, lesson plans, math, science, social studies, the watsons go to birmingham, their eyes were watching god

It’s February and many educators will be exploring Black History in celebration of Black History Month, http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/. Perhaps you’d like an alternative to videos and worksheets…have you thought of using maps and stories to get students beyond the text? I created a lesson plan for mapping students through The Watsons Go to Birmingham. It contains experiences… Read more
GIS: An Essential Tool for Any Classroom

Barbaree

February 3, 2012

21st century skills, educational technology, free, gis for the classroom, GIS in Education, handout, innovative learning technology, links, media specialists, webinar

This week I had the honor of presenting in the 1 Tool at a Time Series sponsored by the ISTE SIGms and SIGilt. In the short 30 minute session I shared what GIS looks like for the classroom and demonstrated how you can access maps and curriculum quickly. You no longer need lots of time… Read more
Overwhelming Options for the Classroom

Barbaree

January 10, 2012

educational technology, GIS in Education, GIS in schools, tools, web 2.0

Because I live near New Orleans, many of my house guests want a taste of the French Quarter when they visit. We stop by the usual spots often and try to accommodate special requests. On my most recent trek to the quarter with my Missouri visitors, I discovered a little bookstore shown in the photo.… Read more
The Great Pumpkin Harvest

Barbaree

October 24, 2011

ArcGIS Explorer online, elementary, English, GIS in Education, halloween, high school, math, middle school, pumpkins, science, social studies

It just wouldn’t be fall without pumpkins and great stories. One of my favorite stories is the one made famous by Charles Schultz. Linus van Pelt tries to convince his friends that The Great Pumpkin “rises out of the pumpkin patch that is the most sincere.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiSIQzwIPzQ Another website with good information about the story is http://peanuts.wikia.com/wiki/It’s_the_Great_Pumpkin,_Charlie_Brown.… Read more
Q & A: Do you have any maps of world governments?

Barbaree

September 21, 2011

ancient greece, data, democracy, GIS in Education, government, interactive map, social studies

I often get questions about where to find maps on various topics. This week a colleague, who teaches elementary students-third grade, asked about incorporating maps of world government types with their study of democracy and the three branches of US government while comparing it to Ancient Greece. Here’s what I found: A nice lesson plan… Read more
Teachable, Mappable Moments: Weather

Barbaree

September 2, 2011

ArcGIS Explorer online, arcgis.com, forecast, GIS, GIS in Education, precipitation, STEM, storms, weather, wind

Although weather can pose some challenging moments, I’m struck with the idea that we have not only a mappable moment but a teachable one as well. In our recent past, the US dealt with Irene and a substantial earthquake in Virginia. The weather keeps coming! I live in southeast Louisiana where we’re watching now TS… Read more