Content Area: Social Studies

 

Index: 6.6A Grade 8 CPI 10

 

Standard: 6.6 - Geography

 

Strand: A -  World in Spatial Terms

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 10 - The student will describe location technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        Once students are taught how to use a database such as GIS (Geographic Information System) to store and retrieve data, they can research and compare information about different geographical problems. Introduce the concept of databases by having students develop a list of questions they might want to know about other individuals in their classroom. The list might include questions about students’ birthdays, birthplaces, number of siblings, where their grandparents live, where they went on vacation, their neighborhood town or township, and/or their favorite TV shows. After the questions are selected, students learn the fundamental database concept of file structure as they begin to enter the data. (Use Excel, Paradox, dBase, Appleworks, Microsoft Works, or any other stand-alone product.) Each student inputs his or her information. When finished, students learn to sort and manipulate the information to generate various kinds of reports.