Day 4 GAW 2023: Take Joseph Kerski’s Earth Quiz
This is an excellent challenge to test your geography skills and identify natural features from aerial imagery.
Category Archives: Activity
Day 2 – GAW 2023: Contribute to OPENSTREETMAP and MapRoulette
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a publicly created and maintained map of the world – the Wikipedia for maps. Anyone with access to an internet browser can view the map and can sign up for a free OpenStreetMap account to edit and update the map. Edits to the map are reviewed and validated by other members of the community. If you are new to OpenStreetMap, visit their welcome page to a short introduction: https://osmgeoweek.org/guides/intro.
Here are several ways to get engaged with OpenStreetMap:
~ Review your local OSM basemap for accuracy and consider adding community features that are missing or need updating.
~ Spend time working on a Humanitarian OpenStreetMap project. For a current list of priority project visit: https://tasks.hotosm.org/explore
~ Only have a little bit of time? Consider MapRoulette, the game of mini mapping challenges, it breaks OSM work into snack-sized “challenges.” Earn points by fixing validation issues, turning nodes into areas, adding missing tags, and through countless other little tasks that contribute to a healthier map.
Happy Geography Awareness Week 2023 – The Power of Place
It’s that time of year again! We are celebrating Geography Awareness Week! November 13-17, 2023
The History of Geography Awareness Week:
Thirty-six years ago, the National Geographic Society advocated to create Geography Awareness Week. Geography Awareness Week is a way to celebrate and raise awareness of geography, both as a discipline and as a part of daily life. The National Geographic Society felt the limited exposure to geography in American education was a dangerous deficiency. Without proper exposure to geography, students are unable to make effective decisions, understand geo-spatial and geo-political issues, or even recognize their impacts as global citizens.
— see more at the National Geographic Website
To learn more about exciting careers in geography and the National Geographic MapMaker tool by visiting the National Geographic webpage: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/education-resources/programs/geography-awareness-week/
Mapping Masterminds Challenge as part of GIS Day 2023
GIS Day is around the corner…please join us for festivities in the Parks Library in Ames, Iowa on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. For GIS Day details: https://www.gis.iastate.edu/gis-day-2023. Also if you have a StoryMap or GIS app or GIS poster or regular paper map – please enter the mapping competition. The competition is open to all, i.e. anyone else reading this, we want to see your mapping skills. 
There will be prizes! https://tinyurl.com/mappingmasterminds
Iowa Map Contest – Tell Your Stories, Spread the Word
Here’s a great opportunity for Iowa students in grades 4-12. The Iowa Map Contest is an ArcGIS Online Story Map competition for students to tell Iowa stories. Each school can submit up to five entries. Entries are due Monday, May 8, 2023. For more information about the Iowa Map Contest, visit the contest website: https://sites.google.com/site/iowamapcontest/.
Timelapse Tuesday – 37 years of Urban Growth in Ames, Iowa
This week we are exploring urban growth in Ames, Iowa. The red areas are showing areas of vegetation that are primarily agricultural in the larger areas, the neon green areas are short grass and trees, the gray color is urban areas, and blue areas are water.
As you watch the time lapse video notice several things:
- The expansion of Ada Hayden (the large lake in the center right of the image.)
- How the agricultural land in the center of the images fills in rapidly with development between 2008 to 2021
- The increase in permanent water retention ponds in as the city develops.
- Many of the red agricultural parcels along Ioway Creek (the left river) become smaller and more developed through the time series.
Compare an image of north Ames, Iowa from 1987 to 2021 – what other urban growth changes can you spot?
Ready for the holidays? Do you know holiday trivia?
Test your holiday geography trivia with Esri’s Holiday Grab Bag Treasure Hunt. Questions range from holiday movie trivia to the origins of festive holiday plants and questions about the great elf himself. Challenge your family and friends and perhaps learn some new facts along the way! Enjoy this festive geographic treasure hunt!
Mappy holidays!
Photos from ISU GIS Day 2022
Celebrating 30 years of GIS at ISU today on GIS Day! We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of Landsat and were able to hand out playing cards, refreshments, posters, and other educational materials. This was a great opportunity for our staff in the GIS facility to share the work that they are doing, and teach others about GIS.
Celebrate with us today! 30 years of GIS at ISU!!!
Today is GIS Day! We are celebrating in the North atrium of the College of Design. Today is an especially exciting celebration as we are also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ISU GIS Facility on campus and 50 years of the US Landsat, earth observing satellite mission. Please join us in the College of Design from 11:30am to 2:00 pm. We will have several activities, puzzles, refreshments, educational giveaways, and door prizes.
For additional information and directions, visit: https://www.design.iastate.edu/event-listings/2022/11/gis-day-open-house-event/.
How are you celebrating the Landsat’s Golden Jubilee?
To celebrate the Landsat Golden Jubilee, consider taking a virtual visit to Camp Landsat! This summer Camp Landsat is celebrating this exciting anniversary with 5 weeks of programming, celebrating the 5 decades of Landsat’s continuous mission. This week the theme is People and Places.
Enjoy and explore many activities from Camp Landsat including:
- A time-lapse video featuring urban growth in Shanghai, China
- Oh, the Places We Go! Story Map
- Take the 2022 GLOBE Land Cover Challenge
- Create a stunning Landsat Collage
- Write a postcard from Camp Landsat featuring view from Naples, Italy
Stay Cool and Keep Observing!