GIS coverages can be used to promote inquiry-based learning
with classroom students. Below is a list of investigative questions
that use LEO GIS coverages to promote inquiry-based learning of environmental
education concepts through a watershed theme.
The activities include the following eight environmental
science content areas described in the National Science Education
Standards: Overpopulation, population density and consequences;
Population change, growth (reasons and types); Limits on growth &
carrying capacity; Pollution – causes, risks & consequences;
Resources are limited; Humans impact the environment; Humans use natural
resources; and Environmental decisions should be based on science and
technology.
Four main topic areas are used in these investiagtions
to help learners understand the complex networks of interactions and
dependencies within watersheds: underlying science, human
resources, people centers, and human impacts.
Underlying science focuses on the interdisciplinary
study of the complex and interconnected issues of natural watershed
processes, plant and animal populations, natural resources, and pollution.
Human resources addresses materials consumed or reused
by humans to meet their needs, including air, water, minerals, fuels,
building materials, and open space. People centers
deals with societal needs for human activities, including housing, transportation,
agriculture, industry, education, and recreation; while human
impacts attends to how human activities affect both biotic
and abiotic conditions of the environment.
NEW Web GIS
All investiagtion layers are now available in one GIS at:
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/lehighwatershed/
Investigation 1: Why does the Lehigh
River flow along the specific course that it does? Has its course or
pattern of flow changed over time? (Underlying Science)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation1
Investigation 2: Where have people concentrated
their settlements and conducted their activities during human history
in the Lehigh River watershed? (Human Resources)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation2
Investigation 3: Which part of the Lehigh
River watershed is the best place to build your new home? (Human Resources)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation3
Investigation 4: What are some natural
processes in the Lehigh River watershed and how do human actions modify
them? (Underlying Science & People Centers)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation4
Investigation 5: What is sprawl and how
has it affected the Lehigh River watershed? (People Centers)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation5-1
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation5-2
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation5-3
Investigation 6: In what ways are different
parts of society in the Lehigh River watershed economically interdependent
today? What role do science and technology play in this interdependence?
How would this interdependence have been different 150 years ago? (People
Centers)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation6
Investigation 7: What environmental issues
should planners consider when designing and locating a site for a new
information technology company that will create jobs for 7000 new workers
in the Lehigh River watershed? Build a case for the site you think will
do the least damage to the watershed. (Human Impacts)
http://gisweb.cc.lehigh.edu/Investigation7