Story of Your Place uses an active-learning model called Geo-Inquiry, which we have applied to the concept of place. SoYP helps you apply inquiry-based learning to a nearby place accessible to your class.
Here are five SoYP steps, based on the Geo-Inquiry model; each includes a key outcome to feed into the next step, with technical training in GLOBE and ArcGIS as relevant. For a worked example walking through these steps in detail, see the ACCF SoYP presentation from August 2019.
- Step 0: Prepare. We have added a preliminary step to SoYP for classes to get a quick background on geography and place, and to select and explore their chosen place.
- Explore places around the world
- Explore repositories related to your possible place
- Define and bound your place
- Explore maps of your place
- Get outdoors and explore your place
- ⇒ Key outcome: Complete SoYP form to share your chosen place
- Step 1: Ask. Good inquiry-based learning is guided by good questions. SoYP includes settlement, land use, physical, human, comparison, and connection guiding question categories to get you started. Your class will pose, research, and communicate answers to specific questions for each.
- Learn about good inquiry questions
- Review SoYP guiding question categories
- Brainstorm possible questions
- Get feedback on potential questions
- Finalize SoYP questions
- ⇒ Key outcome: One SoYP question for each of six categories
- Step 2: Collect. The next step is to collect information to answer your questions! Places have many dimensions, so this information can take many forms, from museums and archives to online data repositories to GLOBE-based field measurements and interviews.
- Confirm information needs for SoYP questions
- Brainstorm potential information sources
- Plan an information gathering strategy
- Collect/store/document information (including shared GLOBE protocols)
- Verify information adequacy to answer SoYP questions
- ⇒ Key outcome: All information to answer your SoYP questions
- Step 3: Visualize. Now it’s time to analyze the data you have collected, which will take a number of approaches and result in outcomes including maps, charts, tables, timelines, and key excerpts.
- Brainstorm desired outcomes for each SoYP question & related information
- Determine data analysis strategy to achieve desired outcomes
- Perform analysis (including mapping with ArcGIS) and produce outcomes
- ⇒ Key outcome: Answers to all six SoYP questions
- Step 4: Create/Act. We have combined the fourth and fifth steps of Geo-Inquiry into one: designing and telling the story of your place. Stories can take the form of a simple Powerpoint presentation, a video narrative, an ArcGIS StoryMap, or others. We will help you share your story online, and you could plan to directly tell your story to your school and community as well.
- Create a Step 1/2/3 narrative for each SoYP question
- Brainstorm overarching lessons for your place
- Storyboard your SoYP, including all key elements
- Decide on an appropriate outcome format
- Produce your story, then share online and via other means
- ⇒ Key outcome: Your SoYP story