The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how ESRI’s Story Map application can be used as an educational teaching tool in the secondary social studies classroom. The scope of the project encompasses a visual case study based on several notable historic sites in Memphis wherein comparative maps, graphs, and photographs are used to visualize change over time and demonstrate a real-world application of human geography. The key objective of the project is to have students observe and analyze the “layers of time” to be seen in Memphis in order to create a real-world connection for them between the abstract concepts of human geography and their own personal lives, aiding in the retention and application process of their learning.
Emily Woolsey is a graduate student at the University of Memphis in the Earth Sciences Department. She will graduate May 8th, 2021 with her Master of Arts in Archaeology and Secondary Education, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems. She is currently a graduate assistant with the University of Memphis and a student teacher with Shelby County Schools. Before she started her graduate school studies, she was a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger with Pinson Mounds State Park and Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park.