Introducing Middle School Students to the Spatial Sciences through a Community Atlas Project |
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| Authors: | Michael Ferber Timothy A Warner Eric Pyle Tina Knight |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geology and Geography , West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506-6300, U.S.A.;2. Department of Educational Theory and Practice , West Virginia University , Morgantown, WV, 26506-6122, U.S.A.;3. Braxton County Middle School , 100 Carter Braxton Dr, Sutton, WV, 26601, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | Abstract A community atlas is an effective method of promoting student‐centered, learning oriented instruction. It provides an integrated framework for teaching thematic interdisciplinary material and promotes collaborative work by students, whose efforts can be shared amongst themselves and with the community. This paper describes community atlas projects from three West Virginia middle schools, in which 320 students and five teachers participated. Younger and less structured students responded with more enthusiasm to the open‐ended nature of the assignment. Self‐disciplined students produced effective web pages combining images, maps, and non‐spatial information such as demographic tables and local perceptions. Although this project was a collaboration between a university and local middle schools, sufficient resources are available for teachers to implement community atlases without specialized assistance. |
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