2019 Wyoming Innovations in Learning

In this hands-on session, attendees will use interactive maps from the Wyoming Student Atlas to explore their own neighborhoods, towns, and surrounding areas to make connections to Wyoming’s natural and human features. Activities have been developed based on social studies and/or science standards for grades 4-8, as well as some for high school; all activities make connections from local places to regional and even global scales. Some example topics are: How have natural resources affected population patterns in Wyoming? Can we predict natural hazards in Wyoming? Why are some areas so windy in Wyoming? What do Wyoming and Mars have in common? How did westward expansion affect indigenous tribes? Samples of instructor-guided activities and self-guided activities will be demonstrated. No special software or experience is required, only laptops, an internet connection and a projector.

Upon completion of this session attendees will be able to:
1) identify features in their neighborhoods, communities and surrounding area on an interactive map
2) make connections to Wyoming’s natural and human features
3) explore patterns in Wyoming in relation to other areas in the U.S. and the world
4) be familiar with resources for these activities on the Wyoming Student Atlas web page