Download Satellite Imagery and Change Over Time Overview Directions

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Activityengage
SatelliteImageryandChange
OverTime
HowcansatelliteimageshelpustovisualizechangesinEarth’ssurface,both
naturalandhuman-made?
Overview
Studentsviewsatelliteimagesofplacespastandpresentandanalyzethechanges
overtime.
Forthecompleteactivitywithmediaresources,visit:
http://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/satellite-imagery-and-change-over-time/
Directions
1.DiscussdifferentwaystocaptureimagesofEarthfromabove.
Haveawhole-classdiscussionabouthowit’spossibletocaptureimagesofEarth
fromabove.ProjectthesatelliteimageofNewYorkCityandtheaerialimageof
LaCrosse,Wisconsin.Ask:WhattechnologiesareusedtocaptureimagesofEarth
fromabove?Writestudents’ideasontheboard;thesemayincludeplanes,
helicopters,kitesorballoonswithcameras,andsatellites.
2.ExaminethechangesinLasVegas,Nevada,anditssurroundings.
Tellstudentsthattheywillbelookingatchangesovertimeindifferentplaceson
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Earthusingsatelliteimagery.ProjecttheGrowthintheDesertimageofLasVegas,
Nevada,in2007andminimizethecaption.Invitevolunteerstopointtodifferent
areasontheimageasyouusethepromptsbelow.Ask:
Whereisthecity?
Whatpatternsdoyouseeinthecity?(Straightlinesarestreets;thelayoutisa
grid,withsomediagonalroads.)
Whatdoesthelandlooklikeoutsideofthecity?(rugged,mountainous,likea
desert)
Whatlandformsdoyousee?(mountains,lakes)
PointoutthattheblackareatotheeastofthecityisLakeMeade,areservoir
createdbythedammingoftheColoradoRiver.
Next,showtheside-by-sideimagesofLasVegas,Nevada,in1984andin2007
andminimizethecaption.Havestudentscalculatethenumberofyearsbetween
thetwo(23).Ask:
WhathaschangedinLasVegas,Nevada,since1984?(Thecityhasgrown.)
Howmuchdoyouthinkthecityhasgrown:doubled,tripled,orquadrupled?
(Theareaofurbandevelopmentlooksmorethanfourtimeslargerin2007than
in1984.)
HowhasLakeMeadechanged?(Itwassmallerin2007thanitwasin1984.)
Whydoyouthinkthecityhasgrown?Whatwouldattractnewresidents?
(Answerswillvarybutmayincludeabundantjobs,agrowingeconomy,
affordablehousing,andanappealingclimate.)
Inviteavolunteertoreadaloudthecaptionforthepairedimages.Explainthatthe
populationofthecityofLasVegasgrewfromabout160,000in1970to600,000
in2010.ThecountiessurroundingthecityofLasVegashavealsogrownin
population,sothewholeurbanareahasspread;thisiscalledurbansprawl.This
largepopulationusesalotofwater,sothewaterlevelinLakeMeadehasbecome
lowerduringthistime,too.Lowerrainfalllevelsthanusualhavealsoledtolower
waterlevelsinthelake.
3.Analyzechangesingreenspace.
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ShowstudentsthetwoimagesoftheareaofLaRioja,Argentina,in1984and
2013(almost30yearsapart)andminimizethecaption.Findthecityandthe
mountainousarea—calledtheSierradelVelascomountainrange.Havea
discussionabouthowthelandhaschangedbetween1984and2013.Ask:
Whatisdifferentinthetwomaps?(Thecitywaslargerin2013;therewere
moregreenareasoutsideofthecityin1984.)
Inwhichdirectionwasthegrowthovertime,totheeastorwest?Whymight
thatbeso?(Growthistotheeast,becausebuildinginthemountainsismore
difficultthanonflatland.)
Whatdoyouthinkthegreenspacesare?Whydoyouthinkthey’resogreen?
(Theseareareasofagriculture;irrigationbringswatertotheseareas.)
Inviteavolunteertoreadaloudthecaptionforthepairedimages.Havestudents
comparetheinformationinthecaptiontotheclass’answers.
4.Discussthevalueofthesesatelliteviewsofplaces,pastandpresent.
Talkabouthowthisimagerycanbeuseful.Ask:Whocanusethisimagery?
Studentsmayhaveavarietyofideas;guidethemtorecognizethatpeoplewho
managechangesincities—bothgovernmentandbusiness—canbemoreawareof
thewidespreadchangestoanareawithviewslikethese.Peoplecanusethis
imagerytoplanforfutureagriculture,building,andlandprotection.Theycanalso
monitorweatherandclimate,andnaturalhazardssuchasfire,volcaniceruptions,
flooding,andmore.
Modification
Iftimeallows,showsatelliteimagesofEarth'sPhysicalFeatures.Havestudents
guesswhatandwherethesefeaturesare,andthenreadthecaptionsandfindthe
locationsonaglobeormap.
Modification
InStep1,youcanalsoshowsatelliteimageryofyourstudents'townusingthe
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MapMakerInteractive.
Tip
Whenprojectingthepairedsatelliteimagesforstudents,usethezoomfunction
anddrag-and-droptomakesurestudentscanseethefullimages.
Tip
YoucanuseMapMakerInteractivetoshowstudentsthelocationoftheseplaces
ontheworldmap.Talkabouthowthissatelliteimageryisdifferentfromthe
imagestheyhavebeenviewing.Certainshadesofgreenareenhancedonthestill
images,whilethesearemore“truecolor.”
InformalAssessment
Havestudentsviewadditionalpastandpresentsatelliteimagepairsfromthe
LandsatGallery,suchasManila,inthePhilippines,orSanAntonio,Texas.Have
themworkindependentlyorinpairstoanalyzethetwoimagesandcreateaTwoColumnchartwithexamplesofchangesinthecitythatcanbeobservedwith
satelliteimagery.Havethemtitlethechartwiththelocationnameandeachcolumn
withthedate.
ExtendingtheLearning
Havestudentsusesatelliteimageryoraerialphotographytoanalyzechangein
theirhometownorstate.Contactyourlocalorstatehistoricalsocietyto
requestdigitalimagesthatstudentscanusetocompareandcontrastwithwhat
theyseeontheNationalGeographicMapMakerInteractive’ssatellitebaselayer.
Havestudentscreateapostershowingchangesintheirstate’sortown’s
developmentoverthepastthreeorfourdecades.Formorerecentchanges,
studentscanalsouseGoogleEarth’shistoricalimagery(selecttheclockiconat
top)toviewchangestothelocallandscapeinroughlythelastdecade.
Inviteacityplannertospeaktoyourclassinpersonorviavideoconference,
andrequestinadvancethattheytalkabouttheuseofsatelliteimageryaspart
oftheplanningprocess.Askthemtoshowexamplesofusingsatelliteimagery
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andothermappingtechnologiesintheirwork.
Foranengineeringactivity,havestudentsresearchandbuildatooltodoaerial
photographywithkiteorballoonmapping.Clickherefortipsonhowtobuild
one.
Havestudentsresearchotherareaswhereanalyzingsatelliteimageryovertime
hasbeenveryimportant,suchasindisasterrelief,humanrightsmonitoring,
andcombatinginvasivespecies.
Objectives
Subjects&Disciplines
Geography
Cartography
LearningObjectives
Studentswill:
analyzefeaturesshownonsatelliteimages
analyzechangesovertimeusingsatelliteimagery
TeachingApproach
Learning-for-use
TeachingMethods
Discussions
Visualinstruction
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SkillsSummary
Thisactivitytargetsthefollowingskills:
21stCenturyStudentOutcomes
LearningandInnovationSkills
CommunicationandCollaboration
CriticalThinkingSkills
Understanding
GeographicSkills
AnalyzingGeographicInformation
NationalStandards,Principles,andPractices
NationalCouncilforSocialStudies
CurriculumStandards
•Theme2:
Time,Continuity,andChange
•Theme3:
People,Places,andEnvironments
NationalGeographyStandards
•Standard1:
Howtousemapsandothergeographicrepresentations,geospatialtechnologies,
andspatialthinkingtounderstandandcommunicateinformation
•Standard14:
Howhumanactionsmodifythephysicalenvironment
•Standard3:
Howtoanalyzethespatialorganizationofpeople,places,andenvironmentson
Earth'ssurface
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•Standard4:
Thephysicalandhumancharacteristicsofplaces
TheCollege,Career&CivicLife(C3)
FrameworkforSocialStudiesStateStandards
•GeographicRepresentations:SpatialViewsoftheWorld:D2.Geo.2.3-5:
Usemaps,satelliteimages,photographs,andotherrepresentationstoexplain
relationshipsbetweenthelocationsofplacesandregionsandtheirenvironmental
characteristics.
•GeographicRepresentations:SpatialViewsoftheWorld:D2.Geo.2.6-8:
Usemaps,satelliteimages,photographs,andotherrepresentationstoexplain
relationshipsbetweenthelocationsofplacesandregions,andchangesintheir
environmentalcharacteristics.
•Human-EnvironmentInteraction:Place,Regions,andCulture:D2.Geo.5.3-5:
Explainhowtheculturalandenvironmentalcharacteristicsofplaceschangesover
time.
Preparation
WhatYou’llNeed
MaterialsYouProvide
Paper
Pencils,pens
RequiredTechnology
InternetAccess:Required
TechSetup:1computerperclassroom,1computerperpair,Projector
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PhysicalSpace
Classroom
Grouping
Large-groupinstruction
ResourcesProvided:Websites
USGS:LandsatMissions—ViewWorldCities
ResourcesProvided:Handouts&Worksheets
Two-ColumnChart
ResourcesProvided:Images
NewYorkCity
LaCrosse,Wisconsin
GrowthintheDesert:LasVegas—2007
GrowthintheDesert:LasVegas—1984and2007
LaRioja,Argentina—1984and2013
Background&Vocabulary
BackgroundInformation
SatelliteimageryhasdramaticallychangedhowwelookatEarth’ssurfacefrom
above.TheU.S.governmentfirstlauncheditsLandSatsatellitesintheearly1970s
tocapturedataaboutthegloballandscape.Priorto1970,aerialphotographyfrom
airplaneswasthecommonmethodforacquiringimagesofEarth’ssurface.Areas
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thatcouldbephotographedfromaplane,though,wereonamuchsmallerscale
thanimagesthatcouldbecreatedfromsatellitesmovingoutinspace.
TheLandsatsatelliteshavecapturedimagesofEarthsince1972.Thesegivea
long-termrecordofbothnaturalandhuman-inducedchangesonEarth’ssurface.
Comparingandcontrastingimagesfromdifferentyearsshowsbothslow,subtle
changesandalsorapidanddevastatingones.
PriorKnowledge
[]
RecommendedPriorActivities
None
Vocabulary
Term
aerial
imagery
Partof
noun
agriculturenoun
climate
Definition
Speech
noun
irrigation noun
landform noun
mapskills noun
mountain
noun
range
photographs,maps,andothervisualinformationbasedon
visualdatatakenfromhighintheatmosphere,usuallyina
plane.
theartandscienceofcultivatingthelandforgrowingcrops
(farming)orraisinglivestock(ranching).
allweatherconditionsforagivenlocationoveraperiodof
time.
wateringland,usuallyforagriculture,byartificialmeans.
specificnaturalfeatureontheEarth'ssurface.
skillsforreadingandinterpretingmaps,fromlearningbasic
mapconventionstoanalyzingandcomprehendingmapsto
addresshigher-ordergoals.
seriesorchainofmountainsthatareclosetogether.
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Term
natural
Partof
Speech
noun
hazard
population noun
satellite
satellite
imagery
urban
urban
sprawl
noun
noun
Definition
eventinthephysicalenvironmentthatisdestructivetohuman
activity.
totalnumberofpeopleororganismsinaparticulararea.
objectthatorbitsaroundsomethingelse.Satellitescanbe
natural,likemoons,ormadebypeople.
photographsofaplanettakenbyorfromasatellite.
adjectivehavingtodowithcitylife.
noun
unplannedlow-densitydevelopmentsurroundinganurban
areathatoftenstartsasruralland.Alsocalledsuburban
sprawl.
ForFurtherExploration
Images
NationalGeographicEducation:Collection—SatelliteImagery
Websites
NASAEarthObservatory:HowtoInterpretaSatelliteImage
USGS:TrackingChangeOverTime
GrowthofLasVegas,Nevada
©1996–2017NationalGeographicSociety.Allrightsreserved.
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