Day 10

Environmental Issues: Land Use Change Unit

Students will identify man-made and natural features in the Lehigh Valley. They will provide evidence (tone, size, shape, texture, pattern, shadow, site, and/or association) to support their identifications.

1. Tell students they will be using aerial images in Google Earth to identify land features in the Lehigh Valley area.

2. Ask students: How can you identify objects in aerial photographs? Review elements can be used to identify objects in aerial photographs: tone, size, shape, texture, pattern, shadow, site, and association. Have students refer to the handout: Basic Elements of Aerial Photo Interpretation for review if needed.

3. Display the Lehigh Valley Features.kml file in Google Earth to the front of the classroom. Tell students that this file contains the locations of 21 features in the Lehigh Valley area. For each location, they will have to determine if it is manmade or natural feature. They will try to determine what the feature might be by providing evidence to support their claim.

4. Play the tour of the Lehigh Valley Area Features for the students. (Click the Play icon under Places).

5. Instruct students to open the Lehigh Valley Features.kml file in Google Earth. Show students how to move from one location to the next by extending the Lehigh Valley Features drop-down list and clicking on a specific location.

6. Handout Identifying Land Features in the Lehigh Valley Area to students. Read the directions. Have students open the Lehigh Valley Features.kml file in Google Earth. Have students view Location A. Discuss the completed example on the handout. Emphasize that students need to provide a justification for their identification. They should look at the tone, size, shape, texture, pattern, shadow, site, and association elements in the aerial photograph. Encourage students to refer to their handout, “Basic elements of aerial photographs” for reference materials.

7. Have students view Location I. Discuss the completed example on the handout.

8. Have students continue to work on the handout. Most students will be able to complete at least half of the locations in a class period.

Helpful implementation idea:
An effective instructional strategy to use with classes containing a high proportion of lower-level learners, students with disabilities, and/or English language learners is to complete each location one item at a time. Display the location image to the front of the classroom. Ask students in a whole classroom setting to describe specific features they observe in the image. Have a student point these out with a meter stick and discuss each one. Prompt students with questions as needed to observe specific features.

Materials Needed:
Handout: Identifying Land Features in the Lehigh Valley Area [ID_Features_LVarea.pdf]
Google Earth file: Lehigh Valley Features.kml
Handout: Basic Elements of Aerial Photo Interpretation (Recommended) [Air_Photo_Interpretation.pdf]

Assessment information:
Identifying Land Features in the Lehigh Valley Area [ID_Features_LVarea_assess.pdf]

Instructional Sequence | Environmental Issues: Land Use Change