Drumbeat/StoneSoup/Write with a satellite

	StoneSoup > Activity: Write with a satellite
	Owner: Enric	Updated: 2011-03-1
	Combine geoglyphs for printing your name on a cool sticker

View the video demo here

Summary

Use buildings or rivers like letters to write your name (or any other word) and get the coolest sticker ever :) But you should prove first you know something about the places the satellite has found for you! Just grab the browser -and look for more information if needed.

Skills to develop: geolocation | shape recognition | presentation

Goals

Open sensibility to visual coincidences (in this case shapes of places that look like letters)

Motivate kids to learn about world regions and/or urban contexts

Activate skills for navigating geolocated information

Activate skills for producing ready-to print images

Think about the potential (good and bad) uses of satellite information

Do a double cut & paste activity (first digital, then with paper :)

Previous skills needed

Participants of this activity just need to have minimum notions about:

Web browsing

Copying and pasting

Web searching

Steps

Recommended sequence for replicating the activity:

1. Brief presentation about Google Maps (eliciting about the tool, and about satellites)

2. Show one sticker already done (eliciting about the places on it)

3. Brief technical presentation of the cartographic typewriter) (answering about places in the previous example and showing how it works)

4. Generate middle names captures (in pairs) with the help of Pixlr grabber

5. Find information about 2/3 of the letters minimum (see questions section)

6. Present your names and findings in order to be allowed to produce your stickers

7. Print the stickers, cut and past them in any of your personal belongings

8. Final reflections about the activity

Resources needed

Drumbeat project (Cartographic typewriter)
Firefox browser
FireFox addon (Pixlr grabber)
One laptop for every pair of learners
Blank sticker paper
Color printer
Internet connection
A couple of scissors

Questions to ask

Where in the world or cities are these places you just found?
What's the closest and more far away from you (by distance or people)?
How different do you think is life there to yours here?
How do you think did that place look like 50 years ago?
Which good or bad uses can be done by whom with all this detailed satellite information?

Examples for the session

Zoom example

Addon output example #1: http://imm.io/3DyH
Addon output example #2: http://imm.io/3Dz4

Outputs at: http://drumbeatstonesoup.wikispaces.com/

Extra activity (add a letter): http://www2.ub.edu/cursusductus/femfum/maps.google.cat/afegiunousGEOglifs.php

Further steps

In a second session learners could go and create captions themselves, by detecting places that look like letters (close to their homes or hometowns) and following the easy technical process for contributing to the project as described here: http://www2.ub.edu/cursusductus/femfum/maps.google.cat/afegiunousGEOglifs.php
Create a t-shirt with your name using the world? (a different process)