Resources

As we develop resources for teachers to use in class, we will make them available here. Check back regularly for lessons, exercises and instructional videos for your students as well as tips and software guides to help you and your staff use your spatial technologies effectively.

Activities

Videos

Click here for a link to all of the videos we have collected from the web to help you get started with Google Maps, Google Earth and some of ESRI’s tools.

Games

Here are some sites that offer interactives and games that have a spatial feel. They aren’t necessarily mapping sites but they still enhance those spatial literacy skills with a bit of fun thrown in.

The International Strategy for Disaster Reducation have developed these scenario-based disaster games that will help your students understand how to properly manage and mitigate for disaster events from around the world. Grass fires in the central Australia, an earthquake in Italy and a Hurricane in the Carribean are just some of the scenarios available and they are quite fun to play (especially when the disaster happens!).
The Ordnance Survey GISZone is a great resource that I can’t recommend enough to teachers. Lots of information on the basics of spatial technologies as well as excellent testimonials from different users, the site is topped off with some excellent games that require your students to make a range of decisions using a simple GIS tool. Where to locate a wind farm, how to distribute policing resources and how to mitigate against flooding are just some of the scenarios available to play. The site also gives your students great feedback on their decisions. Really well done.
For a high-quality decision-making game look no further than the ABC’s Catchment Detox. You manage all aspects of a catchment including the environment, a simple economy, education, agriculture and more.