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Mapping Your World

Bishop Museum Science Education, April 2020

The following activity is adapted from the National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network’s “Exploring Earth: Land

Cover (2019) - Map Your Backyard” activity and worksheet. Check out the full original activity and additional resources at

the NISE web page here: https://www.nisenet.org/catalog/exploring-earth-land-cover-2019. Documents for the full

original activity and resources are also available in Spanish.

Overview

In this activity, you will take the role of a satellite mapping land cover in your surrounding world. Even if you can’t fly

high above your backyard, neighborhood, or park to see the world from the lofty perspective of a bird of a satellite, you

can still make observations and collect data about the environment you can reach!

This activity asks that you go outdoors to a safe space where you are allowed to spend 30 minutes walking around and

observing the land cover.

Background

When rain droplets fall, they land on many types of materials that we have here on Earth. These droplets patter on

rooftops, decorate automobile windshields and windows, and slide off waxy leaves. They join other water droplets in

lakes, streams, and oceans. On some materials or land cover types, droplets pool into puddles. In other areas, the water

is absorbed, “disappearing” and wetting the material.

Consider the following images:

Dirt road with no vegetation Dirt road with some vegetation Paved road with no vegetation

Imagine what would happen if an intense rainstorm happened in each of the pictured areas. What would happen to the water? Would puddles form? Would the water be absorbed by the land cover pictured? How would people living in the areas be affected by the rain and the water?

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For an introduction to water’s effect on land, and the generation of landslides, watch the first three (3) minutes of this video by the NISE network: “Exploring Earth: Land Cover Content Training Video from the Explore Science: Earth & Space 2019 Toolkit”: https://vimeo.com/304240277

Mapping Activity

Let’s take a closer look at the world around us to see what type of land cover exists in our environments near our

homes, schools, and public spaces!

In this activity, you’ll make a map of an area of your choosing and identify the land cover in this area. In the following

activity guide, we will cover the following:

Preparing your Materials

Setting up your outdoor Map Grid

Collecting and analyzing your Map Data

Activity Extensions

Join in on the journey!

Preparing your Materials

You will need:

- Copy of activity sheet with 5x5 grid (page 3) or any blank sheet of paper

- Pen, pencil, or crayon(s)

- 36 small objects to use as place markers (see instructions below)

Choosing the objects for place markers:

Choose an object that is small, easy to handle, and easy to see! The 36

pieces do not have to be exactly the same. This outdoor activity will

ask that you put the place markers on the ground, where it may be in

dirt, grass, water, or other materials. Choose something that can be

outside in the elements and could be cleaned easily if needed.

Sample place markers: Bottlecaps, crayons, cans, clothespins, wooden

sticks, paperclips.

If you do not have objects to use as place markers, don’t worry! You

can do the mapping activity without the place markers, too.

If you have more than 36 bottles of nail polish, these work great as markers, too!

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Activity Sheet – Mapping Your World

Name: _____________________________________Date: ___________________________

Map Area Location: __________________________________________________________

Map Grid:

Data Analysis

Land Cover Box Count (number) Percentage (%)

Grass

Flowers or plants

Trees, shrubs, or bushes

Rock or sand

Water

Concrete or pavement

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Setting up your outdoor Map Grid

Parents/Caregivers: Before starting this outdoor activity, examine the area of terrain selected for any hazards or sudden

changes in elevation.

Bring all of your materials with you outside to set up the activity. A yard or park is a great place to start!

You will need to find a clear area of approximately 5x5 feet, larger or smaller depending on the steps taken by the

person doing the mapping activity. Choose an area with varied land cover – a mix of the following types:

Grass Flowers or

plants Trees, shrubs, or

bushes Rock or sand Water

Concrete or pavement

You are going to mark off an area using your place markers on the land to make a 5x5 grid. This 5x5 grid will match the

map grid you have printed on your activity sheet or drawn onto a blank piece of paper. Each box in your grid is going to

be the size of one footstep by one footstep. Use a normal footstep – not too big or not too small – as you want to cover

a sizeable amount of area. (You can also repeat this activity as many times as you’d like to map different areas or build a

larger map.)

If you are not using place markers, you can follow these directions to guide you in selecting an area to study.

To set up your outdoor map area:

1 Choose a starting point for building your grid. This will be one of the corners of your 5x5 box grid.

Arrows indicate where the rest of the map grid will be placed

In this area you can see three types of land cover: grass, concrete, and plants.

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2 Take 5 steps in one direction from that point. Place a marker after each step. This should make one line of 6 markers in all, marking one edge of your map.

Notice that there are 6 markers in all, with approximately the same distance between each marker.

3 Return to your starting point. Facing your line. From that point, turn 90 degrees to your left or right, a direction to outline another edge of your map. Take 5 steps in that direction from your starting point, placing a marker after each step.

Note direction of placement in relation to first line

4 Fill in the rest of your place markers and complete your map grid by following the same process. This should match the rest of the intersections on your grid. If some of the area doesn’t allow you to step there or place a marker, you can estimate the where the marker would be located. Parents/caregivers: Please be conscious of any potential hazards in the area and ensure that youth are not entering roads or restricted areas.

Try to keep spacing as even as possible.

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Collecting and analyzing your Map Data

Now that you’ve laid out your grid, you can collect your data!

Observe each box in your map grid. What type of land cover does it contain? Does it have mostly grass? Does it have

more trees or rocks? Is there a sidewalk or pathway made of concrete or pavement? Record the contents of each box in

your grid in each of the corresponding boxes on your activity sheet. You are making your own map of your world! You

can either write down and describe the type of land cover or draw what you see in each box, to give you a visual map.

Use your best observation skills to make your map as detailed and accurate as possible!

In this box, the land cover found is pavement or concrete.

When your map is completed, you can analyze your results.

Answer the following questions or fill out the table on your activity sheet:

- How many boxes were filled by grass? How many boxes were filled by flowers or plants? Repeat with all land

cover types.

- What percentage of the area do each of these types of land cover represent? You have 25 total boxes. For grass

land cover, this can be calculated as: # 𝑏𝑜𝑥𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠

25 𝑏𝑜𝑥𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑥 100% = _____%

Reflecting on your data: Does the land cover observed absorb water? What would happen if it rained heavily in the area

selected? Could this area be changed to help reduce flooding or landslides, or increase water absorption?

Activity Extensions

Explore related lessons and resources linked on the following pages!

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Topic Landsat Mission Overview

Source Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Links Landsat overview site: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/overview/index.html Landsat 8 spacecraft with model-building activity sheet: https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacecraft/

Extensions Learn more about NASA and USGS’s Landsat satellites, technology they carry, and their mission purposes, including those for Landsat 9, set to launch in 2020. These land-observing satellites produce incredible images and data for scientists concerned with land use, the environment, and more.

Activity Exploration – Pick three (3) different Landsat images of Earth from the mission gallery. Each image featured in the gallery has an Image Feature article with further information to help you identify what is see in the photo, and why it looks the way it does. First, answer the question: What types of land cover are featured in each of your selected images? Then, divide the image into a grid like in the “Mapping Your Backyard” activity. Use the grid to estimate the number of squares (or percentage) of land in the photo covered by each land cover type. Finally, research more about the area featured in the selected pictures. Example – Monument Valley https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/monument-valley-an-icon-of-american-west

In this photo, there is rock (siltstone) and sand. Estimates:

- 2/25 of the photo looks like it has elevated rocky structures. - 18/25 of the photo looks like it has flat rocky structures - 5/25 of the photo looks like it is lighter in color, maybe sand

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Topic Land Cover in the Contiguous (Conterminous) United States

Source United State Geographical Survey

Links 2019 Release Information on land cover change in the 48 Conterminous United States https://www.usgs.gov/news/new-land-cover-maps-depict-15-years-change-across-america 2016 Land cover graphic image for 48 Conterminous United States: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/land-cover-conterminous-us-shown-16-thematic-classes

Extensions There are 16 land cover classes identified by the National Land Cover Database (NCLD). Data from imagery taken by NASA/USGS Landsat satellites were used to create this database. These land covers types are broader than in the mapping activity due to the scale used for the observations of the map. This data, collected and compared over a period of time, can give indications of changes in agriculture, climate, resource management, urbanization, and more. What could this data mean for the United States in planning for its future?

Activity Take a look at the map below and identify areas that are developed from medium to high intensity. Look at a map of the United States and compare the locations of the developed areas to the locations of cities, particularly capitals. How do they match up? Hawaii and Alaska are not included in this map. What types of land cover do you think are found in these two states? Look for other sources for information on these two states.

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Topic Water Retention in Soil

Source Christopher Lane on Youtube: “3rd Grade Experiment: Water Retention in Soil”

Links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpi2-NTgbc8

Extensions Soil can be very different around the world. Different parts of the soil give the soil various characteristics. This composition affects how the soil looks and also how the soil “reacts” with forces like wind, rain, and growth of vegetation. Different soil retains, or holds, different amounts water, affecting the ability of plants to grow. Use resources local to your area to learn about your soil and soil composition. Can your soil support growth of plants, and if so, what kinds of plants? Do these plants like dry or wet environments?

Activity Watch the YouTube video linked above. In this experiment, 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Lane tests five different soil components – pea gravel, humus, sand, silt, and clay – to see how much water the component can hold over a period of two (2) minutes. Design challenge: Mrs. Lane completes this experiment using coffee filters and cut 1-Liter soda bottles. She also uses graduated cylinders to measure water released, which may not be something everyone has in their homes. Can you design and carry out a similar experiment using household materials available to you? What adjustments to the experiment or setup would you make? Activity: Try out Mrs. Lane’s experiment to compare water retention in soil from different areas. What happens if you test soil from a garden against packaged soil from the store? Gardening stores sell various soils and components, marketed for growing different types of plants like cactus or orchids. Do those soils differ in their ability to hold water? Activity: You can also try out Mrs. Lane’s experiment with different materials found in your environment. Test coffee grounds, tea leaves, or large and small pebbles. The possibilities are endless!

Topic Mapping and Monitoring Coral Reefs with Transects and Quadrats

Source University of Hawaiʻi: Center for Microbial Oceanography Research and Education (C-MORE)

Links C-MORE Ocean FEST Resources: http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu/links.htm

Extensions A similar mapping activity can be done underwater, when mapping features like coral reefs. In addition to the physical structure of a reef, scientists can study the faunal makeup of the reef, looking at the fish, corals, and other creatures in the reef area. A simple tool called a quadrat can be assembled and used to take photos of reef sections and analysis of life present at the time of collection. This is just one way of collecting that might inform researchers on the health of our coral reefs.

Activity Learn about quadrats, and their role in mapping and monitoring coral reefs. Activity #3 from C-MORE’s ocean fest page is a coral reef monitoring activity! Activity Guide for Teachers http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu/downloads/6_Coral_Reef_Quadrats.pdf Image: Artist representation of a reef found in the Main Hawaiian Islands http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu/downloads/reef_mat_main_islands_impacted.jpg Image: Artist representation of a reef found in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu/downloads/reef_mat_nwhi_healthy.jpg You can adapt this activity to be done at home by building your own simple quadrat with string and chopsticks, wood dowels, or a picture frame! You can also practice on any printed underwater photo of a reef. What kinds of sea creatures do you see? Are there different types of coral?