Mountain Environments Background and NotesBanff National Park in Banff, Alberta, Canada

General
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert

General

Minimum Hardware Needs

Suggested Software/Multimedia: Relevance of Methodology

Research shows that interactive media which combines computer text and graphics, video, still images, and audio in classroom presentations are exciting, motivating, and flexible. Further studies show that interactive learning increases retention, significantly decreases learning time, and virtually guarantees mastery learning. An IBM study showed a 30%-50% increase in learning gain scores and a 300% increase in students reaching mastery level. Just as interactive media increases mastery, image processing increases the rate that data can be perceived and interpreted by the human brain. Language is processed at one hundred bits per second while images are processed at two hundred million bits per second. In effect a picture is worth one million words. By visualizing information students gain the power to see data in new and unique ways opening the door to original scientific discovery. As students manipulate images they explore data in a vareity of interactive processes making image processing an ideal vehicle for exploration and open ended discovery.

The topic of Mountain Environments was chosen since a variety of scientific topics could be addressed under its umbrella. These topics include a discussion of the different biomes in a mountain ecology, contour mapping, topography, bird and animal species, and the 1988 fires of Yellowstone National Park. Several excellent resources related to these and other mountain environment topics can be found on the NMP mountain environment resource page.

Novice:

Management Ideas
Depending on classroom setup and your teaching style, small group explorations work well with these activities. Furthermore, a computer hooked up to large monitor or LCD panel for teacher-lead group discussions or overhead transparencies of maps work well. The major goals of these lessons are for students to become aware of the environment around them and to formulate and complete investigations and activities.

Novice Background Links:
 
Biomes Contour Maps Grizzly Bears
Biomes of the world Drawing and Interpreting Contour Maps Bears.org
World map of Biomes How to Read and Interpret Contour Maps Grizzly Discovery Center
Missouri Botanical Garden Making Simple Contour Maps Craighead Environmental Research
The World's Biomes Making Student Contour Maps NMP's Bear Resource Page
Yellowstone Park Fires
Yellowstone Fire Facts
Yellowstone Fire's Legacy
The Total Yellowstone Page

Intermediate

Intermediate Background Links:
 
Erosion and Weathering Groundwater  Water Quality & Streams
Erosion Pictorial Dictionary Groundwater Issues What is a stream?
Erosion Defined UN's Groundwater Page Water Resources in the U.S.
Weathering and Erosion Groundwater.com Water Librarians

Advanced

To complete most of these activities, students will have to be familiar with the use of the software package NIH Image, a data analysis package developed by the National Institutes of Health. NIH Image was originally designed for use exclusively with MacIntosh computers; just recently has a PC version been developed. It is suggested that the teacher work with NIH Image to learn how the tool works.

Advanced Background Links:
 
Discovering Topography All about birds CRYSYS
What is Shaded Topography? The Birds of North America Live from Antarctica
US Monthly Precipitation Bird Checklists of the United States Live from Antarctica#2
Global Atlas of Vegetation Land, Soil & Water Resources Information on the Cryosphere

Expert

These lessons focus on using GIS in to determine where the habitat of certain animal species will exist in a given area. Although the teacher does not need to understand the intricate details of GIS, he or she should familiarize themselves to some of the basics of the software package. In the final lesson at the expert level, students choose an animal species and determine its habitat.

Expert Background Links:
 

NMP's Bighorn Sheep Links Mammal Species of the World Marine Mammals Index
NMP's Mountain Lion Links The Mammal Society The Marine Mammals Page
Desert USA Animal of the Month About Mammals Fish-WWW Virtual Library
Potter Park Zoo Animal photos Class Reptilia Live Marine Specimens
Birdlinks to the World Amphibian Links Arachnida