Publication

Place-Based Education and Geographic Information Systems: Enhancing the Spatial Awareness of Middle School Students in Maine

Description

Spatial literacy is a new frontier in K-12 education. This article describes a place-based introductory GIS/GPS middle school curriculum unit in which students used measuring tools, GPS units, and My World GIS software to collect physical and spatial data of trees to create a schoolyard tree inventory. Maine students completed "memory maps" of their schoolyards as a pre/post exercise assessment. A statistically significant increase in students' spatial awareness was documented. A technology-based curriculum can significantly increase students' spatial awareness especially in a place and context relevant to each student.

Publications

Author and publisher information is provided below. Note that many publishers charge a fee or membership for full access. Permission/access must be requested through the publisher or author directly.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Type
Article
Author
N. Perkins
E. Hazelton
J. Erickson
W. Allan
Publisher
Journal of Geography
Topic(s)
STEM Content and Standards
Teacher Professional Development and Pedagogy
Youth Motivation and Interests in STEM
Publication Year
2010
Additional Disciplines
Environmental Science - GIS/GPS