Geospatial education initiatives bring location-specific learning to K-12 classrooms in Georgia. Faculty and student outreach teams conduct field experiences for young students, lead land surveying or geospatial technology demos at middle and high schools, and coordinate GIS opportunities with collaborating industry partners and local schools.
ESRI, the leading software provider of geospatial technology, offers free software to K-12 schools and lesson plans and geospatial activities through Free Online Mapping Instructional Resources. This is the same software used by students enrolled at IESA@UNG with many IESA classes which will prepare future IESA majors for the technology skills needed to be successful in college.
GLOBE
GLOBE resource site for teachers allows you access to download materials; such as, lesson plans, downloadable PDFs, and protocols to conduct field studies, lab work combined with theoretical info on topics related to Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Pedosphere (Soil), Earth as a System, and GPS.
National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE)
NCGE provides a variety of resources to assist teachers in preparing geography lessons in K-12 classrooms. Some examples include: webinars, AP human geography bell-ringer alerts, twenty-first century map skills, remote sensing materials, and climate change.
IESA faculty occasionally conduct professional development workshops at schools for teachers in the sciences and social studies. Workshops will focus on basic geospatial skills, applying map analysis to content area or specific course objective, and the use of technology across academic disciplines. Please note that if travel from UNG to your school is over 50 miles, compensation may be requested or IESA and your school can collaborate to write a grant to cover the professional development costs. Teachers may also choose to complete a certificate program in Earth Science, Environmental Science, or Environmental Studies by taking courses on campus or online.
If you’d like to schedule a professional development workshop for teachers, please contact Dr. Allison Bailey by phone at 678-717-2276 or email allison.bailey@ung.edu.
Schedule a School Visit
Email Dr. Jeff Turk to schedule a visit to your school.