GeoInquiries for Environmental Science (Level 2 activities)

🔍 Introduction to Level-2 GeoInquiries

The GeoInquiries for Environmental Science (Level 2) collection by Esri offers a series of concise, standards-based activities designed to integrate geospatial technology into high school environmental science curricula. Each activity utilizes ArcGIS Online (log-in required), facilitating interactive learning experiences.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Coverage: Addresses major topics such as speciation, pollution, population ecology, and energy.
• Time-Efficient: Each activity is designed to be completed in approximately 15 – 30 minutes, making them suitable for classroom integration.
• Login Required: Level 2 activities need an  ArcGIS Online Organization for schools (free from Esri) .

Highlighted Activities:

1. The Beagle’s Path: Explore the ideas and evidence that helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution.
2. Population Dynamics: Compare country-age structures to assess long-term population growth trends.
3. Slowing Malaria: Investigate the causes of malaria and strategies for disease control.
4. Megacities: Examine urban sprawl, its contributing factors, and associated impacts.
5. Down to the Last Drop: Analyze the effects of human activities on water resources.
6. Tropical Deforestation: Explore deforestation trends and patterns in tropical regions.
7. Dead Zones: Investigate water pollution and its impact on ocean life in aquatic dead zones.
8. El Niño: Examine patterns and characteristics of El Niño and its effects on global climate.
9. Marine Debris: Investigate marine debris, the role of ocean gyres, and human impacts on trash accumulation.
10. Primary Productivity: Explore abiotic factors associated with primary productivity.
11. Spinning Up Wind Power: Assess potential and developed wind capacity by state and explore challenges faced in wind power development.
12. Altered Biomes: Investigate characteristics of major biomes and examine the impact of land-use changes resulting from human activities.
13. Resource Consumption and Wealth: Highlight patterns of poverty and wealth to address overconsumption and resource extraction.
14. The Human Journey: Trace the path of human migration from Africa to the far reaches of the globe.
15. Investigating Biodiversity: Examine species richness to gain insight into evolutionary selection factors that encourage greater diversity.

These activities are designed to enhance students’ understanding of intermidiate and advanced environmental science concepts through interactive and practical applications of geospatial technology.

🌐 Let’s try one of the Level 2 scenarios!

Megacities (Environmental Science GeoInquiry): Follow this link: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=832fed0e2d074dc5911323e5a5115569

For this scenarion we have the follwing resources:

• Map
• Teacher guide
• Student worksheet

Get started – Two important things you should always remember for the GeoInquiries Level 2

• Request ArcGIS for Schools here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/k-12-education/schools-software/request
• Open the map (Map View – ArcGIS Online, everything is hosted there, all maps, processing tools etc.!).
• Use the teacher guide to explore the map with your class or have students work through it on their own with the worksheet (download the teacher quide which follows a step-by-step approach on how to conduct the activity based on the 5-E model!).

Map Viewer (ArcGIS Online)

Log in page

https://www.arcgis.com/index.html

Landing page – Map Viewer

The side bar (on the left) of the Map Viewer interface provides users with essential tools to interact with and customize the map effectively. Key features include:

• Add Layer: You may add any layer of your preference either from your computer or from online services (all layers should have a geographic coordinates system, i.e. WGS ’84). See sub-module 2 of this course for spatial data repositories and characteristics.
• 
• Layers Tab: You may select any layer to visualize or multiple layer either from the pre-defined ones or the ones you have uploaded (see the landing page image above).
• Basemap Toggle: Allows users to switch between different basemaps to change the map’s appearance. By default, users can select from a list of basemaps in their organization’s default basemap group.
• 
• Legend: When you select a layer from the ‘Layer List’ or you add a new layer, you should always activate the Legend Tab so that your students may read the map, identify differences and spatial patterns.
• 
• Charts and data editing: You may also add charts (bar plots, pie charts etc.) as well as you can edit your data display, test processing options and filter your data.
• 
• Save and/or Share your map: You can always save and download your map, add a new one or publish your own map online.
• 

Teacher Guide (Check the Course Materials)

The Teacher Guide for the Climate Change GeoInquiry provides educators with a structured approach to explaining the differences between urban and city or megacity characteristics using interactive online visualization and processing geospatial tools like Map Viewer. It includes an overview of the activity, detailing how students will analyze climate data using Map Viewer. The guide provides learning objectives aligned with national science standards, ensuring relevance to Environmental curricula.

It also outlines a step-by-step procedure, guiding teachers on how to introduce climate change concepts, navigate the Map Viewer interface, and facilitate student discussions. Key questions are included to encourage inquiry-based learning, along with suggested extensions for deeper exploration. The guide also provides technical support tips and assessment templates (quizzes etc.) to help educators troubleshoot common issues and effectively integrate the activity into their lesson plans.