GeoFest Conference 2015

Sponsored by the

New York Geographic Alliance and the Chemistry/Geosciences Department of MCC

Sat. October 24, 2015 – 9:00 AM

Mapping OUR World!

SCHEDULE

8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration and Refreshments – Bldg. 8-100 9:00 – 9:30 Plenary Session 9:45 – 10:30 AM Session A * 10:40 – 11:25 AM Session B * 11:35 – 12:20 PM Session C * 12:45 – 1:30 PM Lunch (optional activity) Room 306 1:30 – 2:00 PM Raffle and Demonstrations (GIANT Map)

ROOM LOCATIONS

All the workshops will be held in Building 11. Signs are in the hallways pointing you the way. The computer lab is on the first floor(*). All other workshops are on the third floor. E = Elementary, M = Middle School, H = High School, A = All Levels

WORKSHOPS SESSION A – 9:45 – 10:30 AM

Workshop # Name of Workshop Presenter(s) Location

A1 A

ArcGIS Lessons for History and Science

Timothy McDonnell

Room 104

A2 A

TBD TBD Room 301

A3 A

Getting to Know ConnectED and

GLOBE

Michael Jabot Room 303

A4 M, H

Geography of East Asia

Stephen Vermette Room 306

A5 A

Integrating Social Studies with ELA

Gail Hall Room 309

A6 A

Mapping with Quadcopters

Susan Hoskins Room 313

The Giant Map of Asia will be available for viewing throughout the conference.

SESSION B – 10:40 - 11:25 AM

Workshop # Name of Workshop Presenter Location B1 A*

Exploring Geography from a

Birdseye View

Andrew Mendola Room 104

B2 A

ArcGIS Story Maps Timothy McDonnell Room 301

B3 M,H

GIS Scholars Moving Forward

Thomas Cuyler, Nic Hance

Room 303

B4 A

An American in Japan

Thomas Siembor Room 306

B5 A

Watershed BioBlitz Jennifer Markham Room 309

B6 A

Mapping with Quadcopters

Susan Hoskins Room 313

*This is a double session! SESSION C – 11:35 AM – 12:20 PM

Workshop # Name of Workshop Presenter Location

C1* A

Exploring Geography from a Birdseye View

(cont.)

Andrew Mendola Room 104

C2 A

Explore the Power of Maps – GAW 2015

Dr. Gale Sookdeo Room 301

C3 M,H

What is Climate Change?

Jason Szymanski Room 303

C4 A

Explore the World of Books

Mary Duffin and Donna Merlau

Room 306

C5 A

Teaching Weather Using Charles E.

Burchfield Watercolors

Stephen Vermette Room 309

C6 A

Lesson with the GIANT Map

Staff TBD

• At the end of Session C, you will receive a certificate of participation.

Workshop Descriptions

* Indicates a double session Room 306 will be used by members of NCTA Program on East Asia. However, ALL other participants are welcome to attend.

Session A – 9:30 – 10:20 AM Al - ArcGIS Activities for Geoscience and History (M, H) – Timothy McDonnell, New York Geographic Alliance, Monroe Community College – There are many mapping resources now available for free use with ArcGIS Online. In this workshop in the computer lab, participants will learn the basics of map-making, and then apply their skills to lessons that align to the standards in Earth Science and in Global Studies. Lessons and other materials will be provided. You will be included in the NYGA Organization for ArcGIS for more free resources. A2 – TBD

A3 - Getting to Know ConnectED and GLOBE (A) – Mike Jabot, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – This session will share resources and opportunities that teachers can bring to their classrooms that can help connect their students learning with the outside world. ESRI is a partner of ConnectED and through this

partnership allows every K-12 school in America access to the same Geographic Information Systems mapping technology used by government and business. A4 – Geography of East Asia– Stephen Vermette, SUNY Buffalo State. This presentation will focus on the geography of China, and a little about South Korea and Japan, and will relying mostly on the use of maps. Maps cater to visual learners, offers a concrete method of organizing and explaining abstract facts, and explain concepts easily and quickly. One unique approach demonstrated here will be the reliance on a student’s understanding of the geography of the United States to better understand the geography of China – so many similarities. You will come from this

workshop with a better understanding of East Asia, and perhaps a different way of teaching about the region’s geography.

A5 - Integrating Social Studies Concepts into the ELA Curriculum Using NYGA’s Erie Canal Geographic Module and Other Literature (A) – Gail Hall, West Seneca Schools, West Seneca, NY. This workshop will examine why social studies must be integrated in the ELA curriculum. It will also demonstrate how a social studies story or article can be set up for close reading. Participants will receive hard and digital copies of the new NYGA Module, which is centered around a historical fictions story with the theme being the Erie Canal. It includes hands-on activities that help learners comprehend content material. A6 – Mapping with Quadcopters – Susan Hoskins, Cornell University.

Session B – 10:40 – 11:25 AM

B1 - Exploring Geography from a Birdseye View (A) – Andrew Mendola, Educational Program Manager, Pictometry, Inc., Rochester, NY. Demonstrate the power of Pictometry imagery and Pictometry Online Application. This will be an instructor lead hands on workshop. Topics covered, but not limited to: Logging In, Overview of the Interface, Navigating the Imagery, GIS Layers and Query Tool, Image Analysis Tools, Annotations and Bookmarks, Saving and Sharing Workspaces, Exporting and Extracting Images, Preferences. Questions will be answered as time permits. ** This is a double session!

B2 – Story Maps from New York Geographic Alliance (A) – Timothy McDonnell, New York Geographic Alliance, Monroe Community College – One of the powerful web applications from ESRI’s ArcGIS are the Story Maps. They are not difficult to make, and we will demonstrate how it works. One will be constructed during the session, and then a completed

Story Map will be shown that complements The Maya Story II, which is part of NYGA’s Erie Canal Geographic Module.

B3 - GIS Scholars Moving Forward (H) – Thomas Cuyler and Nic Hance, School Without Walls, Rochester, NY. The GIS Scholars Project continues to grow and evolve. Started years ago, it has trained teens to use GIS to study and help solve problems in their communities. The Scholars have conducted building condition surveys, mapped youth survey results, acquired K-12

licensing and ArcGIS Online, presented at EdUC in 2012, and to local groups. They have a new home at MCC and continue to seek opportunities for high school students. B4 - An American in Japan (H, M) – Thomas D. Siembor, Nation Board Certified Teacher, James A. Beneway Sr. High School, Ontario, NY – How do you visit Japan (or any nation for that matter!) and not be guijin (foreigner – not really a polite term, either). Japan has so many layers of culture to be understood, how does an American high school teacher from Wayne County navigate? I’ll have some handouts, a CD with resources, some good stories, and hopefully, good answers to your questions about Japan.

B5 - Watershed BioBlitz (A) – Jennifer Markham, Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY. Exploring pictures and data that others have shared from past “bioblitzes” around the world can be an engaging way to explore the watershed concept and watershed conservation issues. We will also discuss using the BioBlitz method to explore our own

watersheds. If participants prefer, weather-permitting, we could do a mini-BioBlitz on MCC grounds. B6 - Mapping with Quadcopters – Susan Hoskins, Cornell University.

Session C – 11:35 AM – 12:20 MM

C1 - Exploring Geography from a Birdseye View (A) – Andrew Mendola, Educational Program Manager, Pictometry, Inc., Rochester, NY. This is a continuation of B1. See the description from previous page. *This is a double session!

C2 - Explore! The Powers of Maps: Engage, Explore, and Examine – Dr. Gale Sookdeo, the New Preparatory Middle School, Queens, NY (H) Geography Awareness Week is November 15-21, and this year’s theme is Explore! The Power of Maps. Participants will examine different types of maps and explore resources and ideas from the National Geographic Society for engaging students in spatial thinking. Materials from the Library of Congress will also be used in questioning like a geographer and in analyzing and examining maps. Discussions will focus on how these activities address and relate to The Danielson Framework for Teaching, and The New York State L-12 Social Studies Framework. C3 – Green Russians, Mudslides, and Other Global Effects of El Niño (M,H) – Jason Szymanski, Monroe Community College. Currently, an inter-decadal climate pattern is underway: El Niño – Southern Oscillation. El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Scientists use a variety of tools, such as satellites and buoys, to monitor changes in the Pacific Ocean. This information is available to the public and ready for use in the classroom. In this workshop, participants will (1) identify the effects of El Niño on people and the environment, (2) explain the El Niño and La Niña phenomena, and (3) map the patterns of El Niño on a world map using real-time data. Materials and instruction will be provided for implementation of this activity directly into a science classroom.

C4 - Explore the World of Books (A) – Donna Merlau and Mary Duffin, New York Geographic Alliance. Books are windows into worlds. Come explore books that help us to

learn about peoples, cultures, and places. Books that can be used at the elementary, intermediate and high school levels will be discussed. The skills and content of geography, history, economics, and civics can be taught when students read and engage with literature and trade books. Come explore titles that can be used to do this. Books about the Erie Canal that can be used with the NYGA modules will also be discussed. Participants will receive a list of books discussed at the end of the session. C5 – The Paintings of Charles Burchfield – Stephen Vermette, Buffalo State College.

Charles E. Burchfield wrote, “To me, the artist, interested chiefly in weather—all weather is beautiful and full of powerful emotion.…” It is this beauty and emotion that powers the watercolors of Charles E. Burchfield. In December 1936, Life Magazine declared him “one of America’s 10 greatest painters”, and to think he painted here in Western New York! Join me in interpreting the whimsical nature of his watercolors and his techniques that draw on more than the visible pallet (e.g. heat and sounds), to bring out concepts of weather imbedded within his watercolors. Here is a wonderful opportunity to blend art and science in your classroom. C6 – Learning About Asia with the GIANT Map from National Geographic – Staff. During the month of October, the New York Geographic Alliance has been borrowing the GIANT of Asia from National Geographic. It measures 26 ft. by 33 ft., and it lends itself to some interactive lessons. We will demonstrate a couple of them for both an elementary and secondary level.

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Optional Lunch Session (additional fee) – Room 306- 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Demonstrations (including the GIANT Map) - 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM. Please register in advance! Seating is limited. A cold lunch buffet will be served to be followed by a raffle of prizes (*). To win a prize you must answer a question from the National Geographic Bee! There will also be demonstrations of the GIANT Map of Asia, Quadcopters, Water-Testing Kits and more!

*Take the Geo-Bee Challenge to win prizes in our raffle after lunch!

The New York Geographic Alliance AND the Chemistry/Geosciences Department of

Monroe Community College Welcomes you to GeoFest 2015!

Before leaving our campus today, please…

• Clean up after yourself, so the classrooms will be ready for instruction on Monday.

• Fill out the evaluation form! It helps us in planning for future events.

• Pick up your certificate in Room 306 at the end of Session C or after lunch.

• Join NYGA! There’s a membership form in your folder. Or join online at http://www.nygeographicalliance.org