Students in Life Science complete hands-on lessons that focus on VA SOL
Lessons incorporate the 5 E’s› Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and
Evaluate Students are expected to analyze data
they collect during investigations and apply their understanding to new problems, settings, and situations
Incorporate spatial thinking Prepare our students for future careers Incorporate Science Technology
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Provide strong inquiry-based learning
opportunities that develop synthesis-level thinking
Modify and field test GIS-based watershed-related lesson› Start in the GT Center classes› Gather data from students during process
Modify other existing lessons that relate to biomes, watershed, nutrient pollution, wetlands, development, etc. to include the use of GPS and/or GIS
Expand students’ understanding of spatial thinking; promote visualization
Provide a learning experience in which students synthesize information
Develop students’ fluency in the use of GIS using ArcView
Offer teachers a model for using GIS and hand held GPS units with students
Build a support model for schools to facilitate their implementation of GIS
Work with existing curriculum › Use familiar curriculum format› Package data sets as projects in ArcView
Plan and execute professional development by qualified trainers
Develop teacher leaders Work with technology staff at each school Provide installation instructions and
access to data sets
Compare and contrast land area of each state that contributes runoff to the Bay
Examine elevation and topographic features in the Bay watershed
Locate and name four regional watersheds in Virginia
Analyze a three-dimensional watershed model of Fairfax County
Conduct schoolyard walk to collect GPS waypoints and note features
Upload waypoints to aerial map of school grounds and annotate map in ArcView
Locate the school’s “watershed address”
Create a presentation that synthesizes student learning
Comparing ratio of land area of states in the Bay watershed
“Through this new and innovative software we learned how to look at a map spatially and to notice the importance of the smallest details such as the rivers and states that contribute to the Bay. We also learned how to use GPS to locate and record way points and bring them up on a geographically accurate map…”
Ensure that everyone has the same version of ArcView
Secure help with data set acquisition Include students in the development of
curriculum Package data sets as projects for
students and teachers to facilitate their use during a lesson
Revise lesson as needed to increase level of inquiry
Include “screen shots” and icons in directions to help students navigate and become fluent with the program
Use the curriculum format students and teachers are most familiar with
Encourage students to check off each step as they work through the directions
Make sure to empower teachers to take an active role throughout the process
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