About this tutorial
Educational Objectives
After completing several of the activities in this tutorial, the student:
- will be familiar with the basic concepts of .remote sensing. technology;
- will be able to recognize/interpret some features in satellite images;
- will be able to describe how remote sensing contributes to monitoring the environment.
Content
The material in this tutorial makes use of Canadian examples of environmental monitoring.
Presentation of the Material to Students
Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 should be carefully examined by the students. Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 are intended as additional reading; Appendices A, B, and C, may be useful resources while working on the activities. The answers are found in Appendix D. The activities in Section 3 are presented in a recommended order.
Level of Difficulty
These activities and exercises are intended for children aged 11 and up. Some of the activities will be more suitable for older children. Length of time required for each activity varies between 5 and 30 minutes.
Format
It is anticipated that this tutorial will be used in a classroom setting. The activities can be completed by students working either individually or in small groups. This tutorial is intended for use as a printed copy.
Considerations Regarding Printing
The tutorial pages should be printed on a colour printer. Please use the best quality colour printer and paper that is available and check the results to ensure that features referred to in the exercises are indeed visible in the printed version.
Prerequisite Knowledge
The student should be familiar with:
- Cartesian co-ordinates (x, y) for referencing locations of features in the imagery;
- the cardinal points of the compass;
- map reading.
- See Appendices for descriptions of Cartesian co-ordinates, points of a compass and the dot grid technique for measuring area.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following people and organizations for their contributions to this education kit:
- Multimedia Applications Section
- Lingua / Services Momentum for French translation
- Other CCRS contributors: Joanne Ellis, Caroline Forest, Robert Landry, Josée Levesque, Mike Manore, Heather McNairn, Christian Prévost
| Description of activity | Skills development | Time required | Level of difficulty | Extra materials used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 Which is Which? -Becoming familiar with the appearance of features (colour, shape, size, texture, etc.) in satellite imagery | Matching images with a description of features | 10 - 15 min | Introductory | None |
| 3.2 Find it! -Becoming familiar with the use of cartesian coordinates and the appearance of features in satellite imagery | Finding and determining the location of features on an image | 15 - 20 min | Introductory | Nonen |
| 3.3 (a & b) Measure This -Recognizing features and measuring distances | Measuring distances, feature recognition, determining direction | 25 - 30 min | Introductory | String |
| 3.4 Clearcutting in the Forest -Monitoring a logging operation | Aligning an image and a map;measuring area | 25 - 30 min | Challenging | Acetate and markers |
| 3.5 Oil Spill Danger -Measuring and monitoring the motion of an oil slick | Measuring area, distance, speed and direction of movement (predicting change over time) | 25 - 30 min | Challenging | Acetate and markers |
| 3.6 Crop Types -Identifying crop types, other rural features and assessing flood damage. | Using an interpretation key to match features; position analysis | 15 - 20 min | Moderate | None |
| 3.7 Forest Fire -Becoming familiar with the strategies of fighting forest fires | Measuring distances; identifying routes; feature recognition | 10 - 15 min | Moderate | Acetate, markers and string |
| 3.8 Navigating a Ship Through Ice -Using a satellite image to navigate a ship through ice | Determine the best route and measure its distance | 10 - 15 min | Moderate | String |
| 3.9 You Figure it Out -Interpreting an image with coastal features | Multiple choice questions using image reading skills and contextual logic | 20 - 25 min | Challenging | None |
| 3.10 Urban Land Use -Identifying urban land use and colouring a land use map | Recognizing urban features in a satellite image from writtendescriptions | 15 - 20 min | Moderate | Markers, or coloured pencils, or crayons |
| 3.11 At a Mine Site -Observing the activity at a mine site using remote sensing imagery | Finding similar features on an image | 20 - 30 min | Moderate | None |
| 3.12 A Different Perspective -Matching oblique aerial photographs to corresponding satellite images | Comparing low-altitude oblique views to high-altitude vertical views | 10 - 15 min | Challenging | None |
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