Lesson plan for creating an Arc GIS Story Map based on literary locations and time periods.

1. Arc GIS Literature Story Map
Tamara Mitchell
Objectives
• Explain what Arc GIS is and what it can do
• Create an Arc GIS Story Map using a report about a piece of literature
• Display map data during the time period of the selected piece of literature using symbology
and labels
Overview
English Lit 2083 college students will be using Arc GIS Story Maps to create informational maps from
a pre-selected piece of literature.
Assessments
Formative Assessment:
• Students will engage with interactive video and questions to develop a basic understanding of
story maps.
• Students will answer a ten-question quiz on GIS story maps and what they can do. The quiz
may be repeated until the student earns an 80% or higher.
Summative Assessment:
• Students will enhance previously-submitted report with five appropriate images, one to two
videos, and two physical maps.
• Students will use at least two physical maps with three labeled locations on each map to
describe facts relevant to a piece of literature.
Required Time
60 minutes to introduce students to Arc GIS in order for them to develop a Story Map on their own.
Required Materials
• Computer
• Arc GIS Story Map online software
• A graded report with feedback on a pre-selected work of literature (time period, major literary
influences, author overview, and major themes in the work).

2. Accessibility
An interactive video (5 minute video and 15 minutes of interactive questions) with closed captions
will be provided to help students get to know the software.
Additional written and audio resources will be provided to help students to master the software (20
minutes)
A fifteen-question quiz will be given in written format which will be accessible to a screen reader (20
minutes).
Lesson
This lesson will be delivered in an online course to college students who are in their freshmen of
sophomore years.
1. Students will access a Moodle lesson.
2. Lesson, page 1: An interactive video (created in H5P) with questions which helps students to
access, sign up for, and learn the features of GIS Story Maps.
3. Lesson, page 2: Basic information about how to convert a written report into a story map.
(This includes information that will walk students through the process of creating a map to
meet assignment guidelines.)
4. Lesson, page 3: Questions that students should answer in their literary story map.
5. Lesson, page 4: A link to The Five Principles of Effective Storytelling -
http://storymaps.arcgis.com/en/five-principles/
6. Lesson, page 5: A 15 question quiz which assesses student understanding of the Arc GIS
software and of adapting the report content to the assignment.
7. Lesson, page 6: A link to an example story map.
8. Lesson, page 7: A grading rubric and instructions for the story map that students will create.
Instructions:
This assignment is meant to help you with visualizing a literary text in its geographical,
historical, political, and cultural context. Using your 750 word report (and feedback), create a
GIS Story Map with the following pieces of information relating to the piece of literature:
• Geographical locations
• Historical events relevant to the plot
• Everyday cultural practices
• Cultural artifacts
1.Your map must have at least five pages of content which combine text with five images,
two maps with three locations each, two videos that you have found (or one video that
you have created), and APA citations for the source material that you use.
2.When you are finished, upload a link to your Story Map to a post on the Discussion Board.
3.Then, review at least two maps from your peers. Post a paragraph to describe what you
liked about their story maps and offer suggestions for additional content.