Exploring Built and Natural Landscapes, Land Cover, and Environmental Justice Using Web-Based Tools

Abstract

Local landscapes examined via web-based tools provide a natural arena on which students can analyze how humans modify and interact with their environment. These lessons guide students through an exploration of the natural and built environments both near and far, so students begin to understand how each of these environments compare and the role they play in our everyday lives. With this knowledge, students progress from natural and built environments to the concept of land cover classification, a system of dividing land cover into categories that describe its use and impact. Students then move toward examining the natural and built environment and each land cover classification in terms of environmental justice themes with the specific example of soil pollution. In each of these lessons, students examine a variety of categories and scales that their surrounding environment can be divided into to determine how we interact with the world and the results of those interactions.

Keywords:

• Patterns
• stability and change
• use of technology
• earth surface features
• human impacts on earth systems

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ben Greenfield, Andreia Figueiredo, Georgia Bracey, Sharon Locke, Alexander Kalna, Paul Amune, and Lillian Ward for their contributions to this work.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

FUNDING

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-1850343.

ONLINE CONNECTIONS

How to use Google Earth Pro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klK27l3unng

Interesting areas to see in Google Earth: https://twistedsifter.com/2014/02/50-amazing-finds-on-google-earth/.

Google Earth Street view areas of interest: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-beautiful-google-street-views-on-earth-2015-10#the-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-in-abu-dhabi-united-arab-emirates-is-easily-the-most-breathtaking-mosque-in-the-world-the-ornate-building-is-huge-and-can-hold-40000-worshippers-1.

The Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium is a great website to compare land cover characteristics in different regions, as well as to explore how land cover has changed over the last decade: https://www.mrlc.gov/viewer/.

The EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carol Colaninno

Carol E. Colaninno (ORCID: 0000-0002-5792-4242) is the Associate Director for Research and Scholarship at Emory University’s Center for Faculty Development and Excellence. In this role, she develops and facilitates comprehensive programs of support and resources for all Emory faculty in the areas of grant-seeking, research idea development, and proposal development. Colaninno’s research focuses on reimagining structures throughout the P-20 spectrum to support inclusive STEM educational practices. Some of her more recent research centers on developing professional development for K-12 teachers to more fully integrate all three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards into their classroom practice.

Adriana Martinez

Adriana Martinez ([email protected]) (ORCID: 0000-0003-1950-6848) is an Associate Professor in the departments of Geography and GIS and Environmental Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She studies human impacts on rivers. Her current work examines the effects of border militarization on the Rio Grande in Texas. She also studies the impact of improved mentoring techniques and science identity development in undergraduate and graduate geoscience students.

Charlie Blake

Charlie Blake (ORCID: 0000-0003-4649-3472) is an Assistant Research Professor at the STEM Center for Research, Education, and Outreach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. They have worked in behavioral ecology, environmental education, and citizen science as well as conducting research on effective and inclusive STEM education. Their current research focuses on curricular interventions to remove sociocultural bias from biology content.

Candice Johnson

Candice Johnson is the Program Manager for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence 3 IMPACT STEM Transfer Network. In this role she manages and facilitates communication and progress towards project goals. Johnson has experience managing grant funded programs and designing curriculum to support the success of those historically marginalized in STEM fields through providing opportunities to gain education and research experiences. Johnson’s current work focuses on supporting those traditionally minoritized in STEM fields to transition from 2-year to 4-year college institutions and successfully earn a bachelor’s degree in an area of STEM.