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Teaching with Maps:

Instructional Strategies and User Research on Integrating GIS Maps in the Classroom to Enhance Climate Literacy and Equity.

By Elizabeth Luna and Tamanna Shahid

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Disclaimer:

�This presentation may be adapted or modified for educational use; however, all adapted versions must continue to credit the original creators, funders, and affiliated institutions. Proper attribution is essential to recognize the collaborative effort behind this work.

Please note that if any content is altered, the modified material may not be presented or claimed as the sole intellectual property of Columbia University. Columbia and its partners are not responsible for changes made to the original content and do not endorse or assume liability for modified versions.

By Elizabeth Luna and Tamanna Shahid

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Introduction: Elizabeth Luna

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School: North Babylon High School

Location: Suffolk County, Long Island, New York

Go Bulldogs!

Courses Taught / Grade Level: Integrated (ENL) Earth and Space Science, Grades 9-12

Astronomy and Grades 11 & 12

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NASA Climate Change Research Initiative Education Ambassador (2021 to present)

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2023-2024: RET @ Columbia University Climate School

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Clubs / Extracurricular

  • Stem Club Grades 3-5
  • Computer Club
  • Environmental Civics Action Club
  • E-Sports

Contact info: elizabethaluna76@gmail.com

Linked-in

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Introductions: Tamanna Shahid

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School: Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Location: New York, NY�

Courses Taught / Grade Level:

  • 9th Grade Regents Living Environment (Biology)
  • AP Biology, 11th and 12th
  • AP Psychology

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2023-2024: RET @ Columbia University Climate School

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Clubs

  • Pre Med Association
  • GLOW (Girls Lead Our World)

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Fellowships

  • Math for America (MfA)

�Contact: tshahid@schools.nyc.gov

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Maps for all learners, used to solve real world problems!

Helps the learner to access information for further analysis and synthesis to create a stronger understanding of their world.

Gives learners a visualization that distills many variables! (Greenspaces)

Fostering the growth for well informed community stakeholders!

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Background - What are GIS tools?

  • GIS stands for Geographic Information System and refers to any system that analyses and visualizes location-based information.

From the ESRI website

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Lessons Developed

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Using GIS tools to address UN SDGs and assess risks in local communities

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Using maps to investigate Risk Reduction, Sustainability, and Urban Planning.

Shared Lesson

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Analyzing Heat Waves and Environmental Justice utilizing the EPA EJScreen

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By T. Shahid & E. Luna

Earth Science Lense

Earth Science/Living Environment

Living Environment Lense

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Goals of the project

Goals

  • Leverage GIS Map technology as an instructional tool to address climate change, equity and disaster risk reduction education.

Deliverable 2

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Deliverable 3

  • Gather information on how learners engage with the following maps 1) Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT), 2) National Risk Index (NRI), 3) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) 4) The Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EPA EJS) 5) Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI)
  • Connect tools with current environmental/climate justice goals and encourage problem solving amongst students, while also acknowledging tradeoffs.

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Problems to solve

How do we ensure that use of the apps is feasible for students, especially those who are English language learners or struggle with map literacy?

How will students learn to connect the GIS technology to their own communities and the climate issues that persist there?

How do we make sure that learners are able to connect the maps to climate change and climate justice, and accurately show the great threat that climate change poses?

How do we encourage learners to come up with ways of taking action and finding feasible solutions, especially within their own communities?

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Collaborative Lesson

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Analyzing Heat Waves and Environmental Justice utilizing the EPA EJScreen

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�Audience

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Objective

  • 1-2 class periods, can be shorter or longer depending on activity choices
  • For upper middle school or 9th grade classes �
  • Enable learners to use the EPA’s EJScreen tool to assess the disproportionate impact of heat waves and understand climate justice.

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ACTIVITY: (Google Slides)

  • Learners explore prior knowledge on heat waves �
  • Students use the CER protocol (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) on the claim that a zip code in East Harlem needs more funding for tackling heat wave effects
    • Gather evidence with EJScreen, an EPA Climate Justice tool and make a conclusion�
  • Students learn about environmental justice and the Urban Heat Island Effect
    • Use EJScreen to apply it to a local community and come up with solutions

Materials needed

  • Presentation slides
  • Laptop for using EJScreen on browser
  • Worksheet

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CER and Heat Waves Worksheet

Screenshot of EJScreen tool

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Extensions

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Additional activities designed to meet needs of students, grades 7-12, enrolled in Earth Science, Living Environment or AP Bio.

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Lesson 2

Assessing risk in students’ local areas using the risk equation and NRI (National Risk Index tool)

Lesson 1

Identifying risk and building Community Resilience towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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Story Maps version of lesson 1 using the UN GAR Report and Interactive Maps

Tamanna - Living Environment/AP Bio

ArcGIS Story Maps version of Lesson 1

Includes:

  • Interactive maps
  • UN Action Cases and GAR Report simplified
  • Links to all GIS tools we explored
  • Educator Guide for worksheets and tips for teachers
  • Slides here
  • Worksheet on analyzing UN Action Cases
  • Worksheet on using the five GIS tools to assess risk in local communities
  • Directions for using all five GIS tools

Objective: Teaching students about identifying risks and building resilient communities, using GIS tools and action cases from the UN’s 2023 Global Assessment Report.�

Appropriate for higher level high school students.

  • Slides here
  • Discuss climate change, risk
  • KWHLAQ worksheet on risk, climate change, natural disasters
  • Differentiated Worksheet on using the NRI tool with levels
  • Discussion on how to take action for at risk areas

Objective: Teach students to use the NRI tool and understand what makes a community more at risk than others, and develop solutions.

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For lower HS or upper middle schoolers.

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Climate Change Basics

Introduction to Climate Change

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Lesson 1

Climate Change and the World

Lesson 2

Climate Change in Our Society

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Lesson 3A

Climate Risks & Hazards and our Local Community

Earth Science 7-12: SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

Engineering Community Planning and Sustainability

(Final Project)

Lesson 3B

*Educator Note: This curriculum spans a school year

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Goals of Each Lesson

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Introduction to Climate Change

  • Introduction to Vocabulary
  • Icebreaker discussion of Climate Change

Climate Change and the World

  • Investigating Natural Disasters, Risk, and building resilience and sustainability using game simulations and student created Google Story Maps.

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Climate Change in Our Society

  • Analyzing heat waves and Environmental Justice using EPA EJScreen

Climate Risks & Hazards and our Local Community

  • Interpreting, Analyzing, and comparing Community Risk using the FEMA National Risk Index.
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Engineering Community Planning and Sustainability

  • Urban Planning of Green Spaces Using ParkServe Tool
  • Writing and Analyzing Park impacts on local communities.

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NGSS/NYSSLS Standards Covered.

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Living Environment/ Biology

Earth & Space Sciences

Engineering Design

Natural Selection and Evolution

  • HS-LS4-3: Adaptation of Populations
  • HS-LS4-4: Natural Selection Leads to Adaptation
  • HS-LS4-5: Environmental Change - Speciation and Extinction

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

  • HS-LS2-1: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystems
  • HS-LS2-2: Biodiversity and Populations in Ecosystems
  • HS-LS2-6: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
  • HS-LS2-7: Human Impact Reduction Solution
  • HS-LS2-8: Social Interactions and Group Behavior

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Human Sustainability

  • HS-ESS3-1: Global Impacts on Human Activity
  • HS-ESS3-2: Cost-Benefit Ratio Design Solutions
  • HS-ESS3-3: Biodiversity, Natural Resources, and Human Sustainability
  • HS-ESS3-4: Reducing Human Impact Design Solutions
  • HS-ESS3-6: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

Weather and Climate

  • HS-ESS2-4: Energy Variation and Climate Change
  • HS-ESS3-5: Climate Change and Future Impacts

Earth's Systems

  • HS-ESS2-6: Carbon Cycling in Earth's Systems

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Science & Engineering Practices

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  • HS-ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

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  • HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

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  • HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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  • HS-ETS1-4 : Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.