Half-Earth in the United States: A Mapping Design Challenge
Overview
90 minutes, minimum
Subjects
You will need:
Printed Paper maps
Digital map files
Online half-earth map
- Design Challenge
- Class Period, Homework, Multi-day
- Abundance, Biodiversity Hotspot, Climate Change, Deforestation, Featured Ambassadors, Habitat, Half-Earth Project Map, Human Impacts, Irrigated Agriculture, Land-based Species, Local Communities, National Parks, Nature Reserve, Priority Places, Species Discovery, Species Range
- College, High School, Middle School
Half-Earth in the United States: A Mapping Design Challenge
Learning Objectives
This challenge will engage students through authentic group work and discussions to generate ideas and interest in biodiversity, data analysis, and mapping tools. It will raise student awareness of conservation issues and approaches to place-based conservation through a small set of research-based resources, including the Half-Earth Map. The lesson plan provides a structured framework for teachers to use directly or modify and extend to meet their classroom goals.
Key Terms + Conditions
- Place-based conservation
- Habitat loss
- Species distribution
- Species recovery
- Human impacts
- Mapping tools
- Data Analysis
Lesson Resources
- Lesson plan
- Map files
- Lesson support slides (ppt and pdf)
- Lesson support video
- Virtual lesson story map
- Virtual lesson support slides
- Blog: Mapping Design Challenge
Top tips for Instructors
Provide maps one-at-a-time throughout the lesson, rather than all at once, to sustain the challenge of the exercise, build knowledge sequentially, and stimulate students’ curiosity.
Relate the exercise to your local community to help students relate to different ways land is used or opportunities for protection.
Discuss the different sectors (public, private, etc) and how their priorities align or conflict, in order to emphasize the real-world complexities of decisions around land conservation.
Learn from other educators, with this video offering tips on this lesson from teachers (and Half-Earth Project Ambassadors) at Reedsburg High School in Wisconsin.
