Lesson Title: Topography of the Earth Presented by: Hazel Whittaker, CyberQUEST teacher. Standards:

Shaping Earth's Surface 2. Topography is re-shaped by the weathering of rock and soil and by the transportation and deposition of sediment. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know water running downhill is the dominant process in shaping the landscape, including California's landscape. b. Students know rivers and streams are dynamic systems that erode, transport sediment, change course, and flood their banks in natural and recurring patterns.

Materials:

GPS Activity Booklet, pencil Hand Held GPS Units Cameras Teacher computer with projector Student computers (optimal 1 per 2 students.) Internet access to Google Earth Familiar classroom presentation format (Google Presentation, PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.)

CUE Conference - Palm Springs, CA - March 2013 - [email protected] http://www.csusm.edu/cyberquest

Lesson Guide: ENGAGE (30 minutes) Activity Notes: Prior to these activities the students have read and discussed about how rivers and streams are dynamic systems that erode, transport sediment, change course, and flood their banks in natural and recurring patterns. They have seen photo and video evidence of the effect of water movement on topography.

Teacher Does

Student Does

(5 Minutes) Teacher introduces student to how maps and GPS units can help them find locations on Earth.

Students observe and respond to teacher questions.

(25 minutes) Teacher uses computer projector to show students how to locate their school on Google Earth by inputting the school address, how to “zoom” in so that the details of the school grounds become visible and demonstrates how to “pin” a specific feature on the playground (swing set, handball court, water fountain, etc.)

Students observe the method of finding the school site on Google Earth, zooming and pinning a specific feature. In groups of two per computer, students practice finding the school, zooming in and pinning 2 features on the playground.

EXPLORE (two days) Activity Notes: The Explore section of this lesson involves a fieldtrip to a water shed area. In Palm Springs the White Water Preserve is an excellent location.. In other areas, teachers can look for “official water shed areas” or can locate local places that show the effects of water erosion- river or streambeds or canyons caused by water movement.

CUE Conference - Palm Springs, CA - March 2013 - [email protected] http://www.csusm.edu/cyberquest

DAY 2-55 minutes

Student Does

Teacher Does (10 minutes) In the Classroom: Teacher introduces students to the use of hand held GPS devices by demonstrating how to identify longitude and latitude readings. Teacher reminds students how to use the classroom cameras to take still photos (5 minutes) Teacher leads brainstorm and records on board a list of playground features long enough for there to be 2 per pair of students. (20 minutes) On the Playground: Teacher asks students to identify different features on the school playground (swing set, handball court, water fountain, etc.) Then asks students to record the name of a playground feature and its latitude and longitude reading. (20 minutes) Back in classroom: Teacher revisits Google Earth reminding students how to “Pin” a location by its longitude and latitude.

Students: Observe and practice using the GPS devices to identify the latitude and Longitude readings and refresh their memory on how to take still photos with the class cameras.

Participate in creating a list of playground features. Each pair selects two from the list as their targets for the next step in the lesson. Student Scavenger Hunt: In groups of two students: - select 2 playground features by going to the specific spot- the handball backboard. - use GPS unit to identify the Longitude and latitude and record their reading in GPS Activity Booklet. -take photo of the playground feature.

Pairs of students: -Pin the playground features they selected using

CUE Conference - Palm Springs, CA - March 2013 - [email protected] http://www.csusm.edu/cyberquest

Teacher reminds students how to load photos from the class cameras into the Picture files on desktop.

the longitude and latitude to locate on Google Earth. -load playground photos in to the desktop pictures file.

Teacher shows students how to link a photo to a “Pin.”

-Link the photo of the playground feature to the “pinned” location.

DAY 3-4 to 6 hours. Teacher Does

Student Does

School day Fieldtrip to a Watershed Area (Time will vary) Teacher arranges for Guest Speaker from Students observe and interact with the the watershed area to introduce the presenter as they explore the watershed area. students to the watershed area and effects of the river on the topography.

(Time will vary.) Teacher assigns students to areas of the watershed and asks them to -identify 2 to 3 water created topographical features. -mark the feature on the watershed map. -record the Longitude and latitude of the feature. -Take a photo of the feature. Teacher monitors the students as they

In pairs students explore their assigned area and : -locate 2 to 3 water created topographical features. -mark the feature on the watershed map. -record the longitude and latitude of the feature in their GPS Activity Booklet. -Photograph the feature.

CUE Conference - Palm Springs, CA - March 2013 - [email protected] http://www.csusm.edu/cyberquest

explore. If time permits: at the field trip location or back in the classroom, teacher will debrief the students about their observations of the effect of water movement on the environment.

Students discuss and share their observations with classmates and the teacher.

EXPLAIN ( 2 or more days) Activity Notes: Students will make an electronic presentation. Prior to this lesson students should have experience with formatting text on slides and attaching illustrations (photos, graphics, screen shots, etc.)

DAY 4 Teacher Does

Student Does

55 minutes. (5 minutes) Teacher reviews the field trip with the students.

Students participate in the review.

(20 minutes) Teacher reminds students: - how to use GPS coordinates to locate items on Google Earth and how to “Pin” the location and how to ”zoom.”. -how to take screen shots. -how to load photos taken on the field trip

Student pairs: - locate their 2-3 watershed features from field trip on Google Earth and Pin their locations, --“zoom” in on their feature to be able to take a screen shot. -load their photos from the field trip into the Pictures file.

CUE Conference - Palm Springs, CA - March 2013 - [email protected] http://www.csusm.edu/cyberquest

into the Pictures file on desktop. (30 minutes) Teacher reminds students how to use presentation tool to make a slide show using their photos, screen shots, maps, etc., from the field trip

DAY 5 Teacher Does (Time will vary- you could show all the presentations in one class period or see a few a day for a week.) Teacher provides time for the students to display their Watershed Topographic Features presentations to classmates.

Student pairs make a slide show presentation to show their field trip discoveries. The slide show includes: -A title page with student names and an illustration compatible with the name of the presentation. -pages that show each topographic watershed feature they explored. Each feature needs a title, an explanation, two or more illustrations that correctly illustrate the topographic feature (photos, screen shots, maps, etc.) Student Does

Student pairs display and explain their presentation to classmates.

CUE Conference - Palm Springs, CA - March 2013 - [email protected] http://www.csusm.edu/cyberquest