Lesson Idea Four - Bing OS Maps

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1 PLANNING 4 Lesson Idea Four - Bing OS Maps Core Once you have an idea of where you would like to go and what you would like to do it is a good idea to have a look at that place on a map. You might do this by yourself or with your class as part of an ongoing learning activity. The great thing about the Internet is that it is now possible to access digital Ordnance Survey (OS) maps for free. OS Maps are great and probably the best maps in the world. The problem is they are expensive and although you can't beat a paper map when you are 'out and about' Bing OS lets you do your planning digitally. In this lesson idea you will use Bing OS to investigate an area before a visit and to support the teaching of geography and other social subjects. 'Bing' is the name of a suite of tools from Microsoft. The most popular tool is 'Bing Search' but it does lots of other great stuff too (see Teach-IT 2 - Our World - Idea Twelve). With very young children, Bing Maps can be used to show that information about an area can be found on the Internet as well as by using paper versions of maps. You may wish to have a 1:25,000 map of your local area available and use it before an off-site visit to show where the setting is and the location of the visit. Aim To find out how to access digital OS Maps for free. Objective To become familiar with the Bing OS Map layer and consider how this might be useful in your classroom. To compare digital to paper OS maps.

2 what you will need Idea Four - Continued PC/MAC Step 1 - Open your Internet browser and visit: Click on 'Maps' at the top of the screen. Explore Images Videos Shopping News Maps Search History MSN Hotmail Step 2 - Take time to explore the controls. You will find the main controls for using Bing Maps at the top right of the map. The North arrow and compass rose allow you to navigate around the map. You can also click on the map with your mouse. The '-' and '+' symbols allow you to 'Zoom in' and 'Zoom out' of the map (you can also double click on the map to zoom in.) Step 3 - Click on the arrow on the right hand side of the screen to display or hide an insert map. This is useful to show learners your location within a wider spatial context. London Street Map Bird 's eye Print Share PLANNING 4 London Street Map Bird 's eye Print Share World United Kingdom Scotland N World United Kingdom Scotland N Once you have double clicked on a country the location will appear at the top left of the map. World United Kingdom Scotland

3 Idea Four - Continued PLANNING 4 Step 4 - Explore the different views and scales of the Earth. Bing Maps (like Google Maps) has a number of different views that it can display. These views include 'Road', 'London Street Map', 'Ordnance Survey Map' and 'Birds Eye'. The Birds Eye Map is an impressive map consisting of photos taken from the air. You can also select 'Automatic' which tells Bing Maps to change to the best style as you zoom in and out. Step 5 - As well as finding a place by zooming in, zooming out and double clicking, you can also search for locations using the Bing Map Search. Type 'Stonehenge' into the search box and press the enter key. Bing Maps will now centre on Stonehenge.

4 Idea Four - Continued Step 6 - Once you have zoomed in on Stonehenge, change the map type from the drop down menu to 'Ordnance Survey Map'. The map view will change to a 1: 25,000 OS Map of Stonehenge. You will be able to see various map symbols and contour lines. World United Kingdom England Wilts Salisbury Use the zoom controls to zoom out. As you zoom out, the map will change from a 1: 25,000 map to a 1: 50,000 map. The change of scale is obvious because the look and the feel of the map and the map symbols change. Both scales of map are popular for outdoor learning and in particular hill walking. 1: 50, 000 maps are also popular in Geography exams within secondary school. N Ordnance Survey Map Spend some time searching and exploring places you know with the Bing Map OS Layer. To take you further If you're into Ordnance Survey Maps and things like the National Navigation Awards or John Muir Award, then you might also be interested in teaching map and compass skills to learners. Here is a great site to help you do this from the Barcelona Field Studies Centre: All you need to do is follow the on-screen instructions which will allow you to orientate the map, rotate and read the animated compass and plot route bearings. PLANNING 4

5 Idea Four - Continued What Now? 4 PLANNING Explore the layers and try searching for places that you have visited with learners on previous outdoor learning experiences. Think about how you could use maps more in your everyday lessons and how digital maps provide a different experience to paper maps. For more information on Ordnance Survey Maps and some MapZone games visit: mapzone/games.html If you want to find out more about Bing Maps you might also like to take this short guided tour: or try some of the Bing lesson ideas in Teach-IT 2. Bing Ordnance Survey Maps can also be used for reflection based activities. Try something new What about Planning Lesson Idea Five?

6 Lesson Idea Three - Photo Orienteering PRACTICAL 3 Core Photo Orienteering in your school grounds or further afield is a novel and interesting approach to traditional orienteering. Unlike normal orienteering courses, it does not rely on trying to find red and white markers. Instead, it encourages participants to look at pictures of their surroundings in a completely different way. The activity also works well if learners are visiting from another school (perhaps for a transition activity) and you want to use a team challenge to help get them more familiar with the school grounds. A simple variation or introduction for very young children includes photographing key features in your school grounds and the learners having to find them as they walk around as a whole class. At each feature, stop and undertake a simple activity e.g. do ten star jumps or play a game of 'Simon Says' or sing a song. This activity can be repeated with the features becoming increasingly obscure. The Hidden Park App is another approach which can be undertaken by small groups of learners with adult support. It does require time to set up a trail beforehand. For more information visit: Aim To set up a Photo Orienteering course in your local area, school grounds or when you are on a school trip. Objectives To find out what Photo Orienteering is and how to set up a course. To encourage learners to develop their orienteering skills.

7 what you will need Idea Three - Continued PC/MAC Step 1 - Go out into your school grounds and take some pictures of things close up. For example, a door handle, a gate post, a bird box, a corner of the school sign etc. Anything really, the more obscure the better! Note: For some tips on taking good digital images, see the Hints and Tips Section. Step 2 - Download your pictures to your computer and then either: Print them out (more expensive but if you laminate them they will last longer). Put them in a presentation slide and project them onto your wall. PRACTICAL 3

8 Idea Three - Continued PRACTICAL 3 Step 3 - Get a map of your school. If you don't have a map of your school, make one using Planning Section Lesson Idea Six. Note: You might want to take your group on a map walk around your school or location. On your walk help your learners to orientate their map. If you are doing this activity in a new place, then map walks are really important. Remember to add a compass rose to your map to help learners understand direction. Step 4 - See if your class can find the location of your pictures. Working individually, in pairs, or in small groups, conduct variations of the following activity: Give a group a picture but you keep the map. The group go and find the location of the picture and then come back to show you where it is on the map. If they get it wrong they go back and try again. When they get it right they get a new picture and continue until they have found all or a set number of pictures. Each group is given a camera and has to take a photo from the same place as the original. This provides evidence for the teacher that the group found the correct place for each photo. To take you further A great website from the British Schools Orienteering Association that has lots more information about orienteering as well as some ideas for curriculum linking: If you like orienteering, you might want to have a look at Open Orienteering Map (UK):

9 Idea Three - Continued This is an ever growing archive, based on Open Street Map, used to re-draw the UK as one large orienteering map. It is particularly useful if you are looking for an orienteering map of a place that you are going to visit. Much of rural UK is already mapped, including lots of country parks. What Now? Think about variations of this method of Photo Orienteering. For example: Learners could take the pictures or some of the pictures. Get learners in different year groups to do this together. Don't limit this to your school grounds. Think about other areas in your local area where this could be useful, or how this could be used as an urban photo trail. Have a look at 'Street View' in Google Earth. Encourage your class to choose a street (possibly where they live). Ask them to take some photos of their street. Remind learners not to stand in the middle of the road when taking a photo. When you are back in class, compare the actual photos with the ones in Google Earth. Are there any differences? What has changed and is it possible to gauge when the Street View photos were taken? Have a look at the Stories from Space website: Look at the 'Secret World' photos of miniature sculptures in cracks, crevices, walls and other tiny spaces. Create miniature artwork outdoors and photograph it from a distance and close up. Which is easier for other groups to find? Try something new What about Practical Lesson Idea Four? PRACTICAL 3

10 Lesson Idea Five - Google Earth Measurements REFLECTION 5 Core Many learners enjoy undertaking simple measurement activities outside. Following this up with using Google Earth can add to the magic of the experience. In this activity, learners are challenged to measure the boundary of the school, or other sizeable feature that can be seen and measured on Google Earth. In groups, learners should decide what equipment would be useful and how to organise themselves. Back inside, they can compare their results with measurements taken using the Google Earth ruler tool. For Early Years classes, many young children enjoy freely exploring Google Earth. They may need some help, for example, finding their home through the search function. Very quickly some children will learn to navigate, open up street finder, and generally experiment with all the functions. Don't forget that Google Earth can be a really powerful tool to use on an Interactive Whiteboard. More About Google Earth Google Earth is a fantastic, free, cross-curricular resource that can be used to bring the wonder of our world into the classroom. It displays detailed satellite imagery of the earth's surface. There are a number of different versions of Google Earth, however the free version is fine for educational use. Before starting this lesson idea you will need to have Google Earth installed on your computer. You can download Google Earth from here:

11 Idea Five - Continued Basic Controls Rotate the world using the directional arrows. 'Zoom In' and 'Zoom Out' using the slider or '+' or '-' buttons. Aim To understand how using satellite images can be a powerful tool for measuring distances. Objectives To become familiar with some of the functionality of Google Earth. To use the 'Ruler Tool' to reinforce aspects of measurement and to compare this with traditional field measurement tools such as trundle wheels, metre sticks and measuring tapes Change the orientation and perspective using the 'N' button on the 'Look Joystick' N START REFLECTION 5

12 what you will need Idea Five - Continued PC/MAC Step 1 - Set your class the challenge of measuring the boundary fence in small groups. If possible have a range of tools such as tape measures, trundle wheels, metre sticks, string, etc. Each group should decide upon one measuring tool that their group will use. Discuss some of the potential issues and how these will be overcome. This could be practical considerations such as the need to measure accurately. Behaviour issues such as remote supervision and staying focused on the task may need to be covered along with any health and safety matters. For example, accessing the car park. Ask each group to gather any other equipment needed. This may include clipboards and pencils for recording measurements taken. Step 2 - Go outside and complete the practical activity. If your school grounds are huge, or the boundary is not easily accessible then you may decide that just one part of the boundary should be measured. Step 3 - Once you are back inside the classroom, open Google Earth. After Google Earth has opened you will be faced with the globe. Spend a little time figuring out the controls. Step 4 - Make sure the 'Search Box' is open in the top left hand corner of the application. REFLECTION 5

13 Idea Five - Continued Step 5 - Make sure the 'Fly To' tab is open within the Search Box. Fly To Step 6 - Type the name of your school and the town or village where it is located. Try to be as specific as possible. If you have a postcode of the area you visited or the place name this task will be much easier. Step 7 - Click on the magnifying glass or press 'Enter' to 'Fly' to your location. Step 8 - Use the arrows on the 'Look Joystick' to adjust your viewing angle. This will allow you to look across the land and get a really good view of where you have been. Just seeing where you have been, as a high resolution satellite image, is a great way to help your learners reflect on where they have been, what they have seen, and what they have achieved. Step 9 - Using the slider at the right of the screen 'Zoom In' on your location until you can view where you started and finished your measurement. N Eye alt 5.11 km REFLECTION 5

14 Idea Five - Continued Step 10 - Open the 'Ruler Tool' by clicking on the 'Ruler' icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen. Step 11 - Click on 'Path' at top left of the box. The following box will appear. You can change the ruler's unit of measurement by selecting an option from the drop down menu. REFLECTION 5

15 Idea Five - Continued Step 12 - Click on a corner of the boundary fence of your school. Now start to click on the path that you travelled, a yellow line will join your clicks. You should continue to click until you have covered the perimeter of the fence or the part that you measured. The length of the line in the 'Ruler' box will show you the distance you have travelled. Step 13 - You can now use this data to prompt further work: Ask your learners to work out the distance in different units of measurement. Compare this distance to other measurements taken by each group. How can the class determine which method is likely to be the most accurate? What human errors may have occurred in each method? Is it the median or is it the mean result that is the better fit? Ruler Line Path Measure the distance between multiple points on the ground Length: Meters Mouse Navigation Save Clear earth Note: You can click 'Clear' at anytime to delete your line. REFLECTION 5

16 Idea Five - Continued REFLECTION 5 To take you further You might also want to have a look at the Google Earth 3D Buildings layer. This enables you to accurately measure the length and width (but not height) of buildings etc in other places and compare them to your local surroundings. What Now? In this activity, the class used standard measuring devices. A fun non-standard approach is for learners to work in groups of around seven (odd numbers work best). They have to hold hands in a wide circle and become a giant human trundle wheel. One learner needs to be 'Clicker' and count the number of times his or her back passes the boundary fence. After moving round the boundary and counting the 'Clicks' the group works out the median armspan. This can be multiplied by the 'Clicks' and you will have an answer which can be compared with the other forms of measuring. This exercise is a very practical team challenge as the whole group needs to work slowly and carefully together. Use Google Earth to look at any planned walks or off-site work that you are doing. Can the class work out the route to travel and the distance it will take? In Practical Lesson Idea Seven, you had to find a Waypoint. Can you measure the distance between the Wayponts? What's the difference between the distances walked and travelling as the crow flies? Try something new What about Reflection Lesson Idea Six?