# ![](media/image1.png)How Can We Grow Smarter?

# Investigating Urban Sprawl and Land Cover Change in the Classroom

# PREFACE

![](media/image2.png){width="2.875in" height="2.3979166666666667in"}
Beginning in 1998 the educational outreach group for NASA\'s Landsat 7,
at the request of Project Scientist Darrel Williams, began to develop an
educational unit for the [Landsat Project
Office](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/) (LPO.) The educational outreach
group created and field-tested middle school and high school educational
modules, which effectively have students use Landsat data in a variety
of classroom projects. The resulting product is an interdisciplinary
project designed to give teachers and their students the opportunity to
develop and explore the uses of 30 years of Landsat satellite data. It
was quite a task to find a broad-based application of Landsat data that
students could study with some ease and would spark their interests. One
of the NASA funded projects served as a perfect model. Investigators
from the University of Maryland College Park Geography Department
utilized historical and current Landsat data to map the patterns of
urban growth and sprawl in the metropolitan area surrounding Washington
D.C. (for additional information see: [Growth Patterns of Urban Sprawl:
How do zoning policies and environmental pressures influence the
expansion of urban
populations?](http://www.geog.umd.edu/resac/planning.htm)).

The University of Maryland investigators worked on the premise that
vegetative decrease in an area could be used to identify the location,
timing and extent of urbanization. Through meetings with two of the
investigators, Jeff Masek and Frank Lindsey, it became clear that
students could, with some training in basic remote sensing techniques,
use satellite images to help them understand their local area and how it
had changed over the years. This unit is designed to be presented on the
web. It was also developed to support existing curricula while promoting
student inquiry. The seventh grade teachers at the Queen Anne School of
Upper Marlboro Maryland worked together to create and implement this
interdisciplinary project in the spring of 1999. The resources that were
collected and the lessons that were developed through that collaboration
have been incorporated into this web-based unit.  

On this web site, teachers and students can find supporting background
information, lessons for an interdisciplinary project, the required data
sets, and various appendices that expand this project. Each of the links
on this web site is designed for to make implementation easy for both
teachers and students.

How Can We Grow Smarter?

Investigating Urban Sprawl and Land Cover Change in the Classroom

**TEACHER INTRODUCTION**

This interdisciplinary unit uses cross-curricular problem-solving
techniques and remote sensing data to solve a proposed problem (urban
sprawl) for our area.  It is possible for the lessons to be implemented
in only the science classroom or in a cross-curricular manner. This
project asks the question: how will the local development (both
industrial and residential) affect life in a community for both people
and the local ecosystem. Once the students understand their local
problem through the analysis of remote sensing data and additional
research, they will be asked to suggest community solutions. The
Maryland [Smart Growth](http://www.op.state.md.us/smartgrowth/)
initiatives offer a model for some methods to solve urban \"sprawl\"
growth problems.

The thematic construction of this unit has students assume the persona
of various community members, developers, scientists and citizens, who
have been assembled as a committee to create a request for Smart Growth
funds for their area. The students, acting in their characters, have to
interpret the satellite images from that character¹s perspective. The
culminating event is a town meeting where the students present their
findings to the community and establish the request for Smart Growth
funds.

There are many ways that Landsat data is used in the social, earth, and
biological sciences, from estimating soil moisture levels to documenting
urban growth and observing vegetative land cover change. In this project
students will utilize Landsat data to investigate vegetative land cover
change in their local communities.  Vegetative land cover change over
time is result of natural and human induced phenomenon that encompasses
a wide range of issues.

This web site provides an example of how Landsat data can be used in
conjunction with local maps and aerial photographs to address questions
concerning land use changes over time. Teachers are encouraged to modify
the unit to focus on a problem or question relevant to their local
community.  There are numerous applications of Landsat data that explore
geographically diverse issues.  Choosing which local issue is relevant
to your area is easier when you review the Applications of Landsat Data
web site.  A locally relevant issue will allow students to take
ownership of their learning and get them involved in a way that
web-based lessons cannot.  To help in the modification of lessons they
can be downloaded as Rich Text Format (RTF) and imported into a word
processing software package to be edited. 

This project is an extension of the [GLOBE
Program\'s](http://www.globe.gov/) Land Cover/Biology protocols.  It
makes use of the 15 km x 15-km Landsat image provided to GLOBE school
participants by the GLOBE program.  Additionally students will research
and collect extensively from both national and local data sources as
they investigate land use changes over time.

![](media/image3.png){width="5.9375in" height="3.301388888888889in"}

figure Intro 1. A False color image (color composite using bands 5,4,2)
of Upper Marlboro, Maryland shows the differences between various
vegetative types. Grasses and marshes are light green, broad leaf
forests are green, and dark green displays evergreen dominated land
cover. Man made land cover is shown as purple or blue, while dark blue
represents open water.

**Resources**

Using resources listed below, the students can then develop their own
maps and visually determine how their surroundings have changed and in
what manner. The project is designed to allow teachers to customize the
objectives to accommodate different available time commitments. It can
range from a 1-2 week unit all the way to a yearlong intermittent
project.

National Sources:

-   National Archives and Records aerial photography records

-   USDA Farm Services Agency aerial photography program

-   USGS map services (for topographic maps)

-   EROS Data Center NAPP Aerial Photographs

Local sources:

-   County Zoning Informational Boards (for maps, aerial photographs and
    GIS generated maps)

-   Historical Societies

-   State Department of Natural Resources

County Department of Natural Resources

Using these resources, the students can then develop their own maps and
visually determine how their surroundings have changed and in what
manner. The project is designed to allow teachers to customize the
objectives to accommodate different available time commitments. It can
range from a 1-2 week unit all the way to a yearlong intermittent
project.

## GENERAL UNIT OVERVIEW:

## TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[![](media/image4.png){width="3.708267716535433in"
height="4.677165354330708in"}](http://edcwww2.cr.usgs.gov/umap/htmls/uareas.html)

The Earth is constantly changing. Change over time is basic to all
natural systems. The Earth has undergone changes since its formation
some 4.6 billion years ago. The patterns of change vary in form, size,
duration and extent. (Hidore, 1996) In his book, [Global Environmental
Change: Its Nature and Impact]{.underline}, John Hidore categorizes
patterns of change into six groups: persistent, rhythmic, cyclical,
short-lived, anthropogenic, and biological responses to environmental
change. Anthropogenic change or human activity is increasingly
considered a factor currently changing the Earth. Some anthropogenic
changes may have serious impacts such as global increases in carbon
dioxide levels, habitat loss and stratospheric ozone depletion. These
types of changes are a concern to us all. Just in the United States
alone the extent of urbanization has increased substantially in recent
years. Figure 2 shows the increase in urbanization between 1975-1995.
(See either USGS web site for additional information: [Land Use History
of North America](http://biology.usgs.gov/luhna/) or [Urban Dynamics
Research Program](http://edcwww2.cr.usgs.gov/umap/htmls/uareas.html))
For most of us it is easy to think globally; however we often have
trouble understanding the part we play locally in global change.

*"Human activity on Earth has reached such an intensity and such a large
spatial extent that it is a major agent for a changing planet...Within
the past 20,000 years, and perhaps as far back as 100,000 years, the
human species has grown sufficiently in numbers and technology to
produce global change."* (Hidore, 1996)

To better understand the patterns of change, scientists rely on
ground-based observations, observations from airborne instruments (flown
on airplanes or balloons) and satellite observations.

By assessing data collected at different scales, researchers can begin
to answer questions about global environmental change. This unit gives
teachers the opportunity and resources to facilitate an
interdisciplinary unit using remote sensing techniques and data to
investigate urban sprawl and its consequences in the Washington, D.C.
region. The remarks by Governor Parris N. Glendening of Maryland at the
\"PARTNERS FOR SMART GROWTH\" conference on December 3, 1997 capture
some of the complexities of this problem and some of the possible
solutions as modern society faces urban sprawl and the rapid loss of
forests and farms. He also offers possible solutions to this issue that
has gained national and international recognition. For complete
reference see Appendix E.

**"How Can We Grow Smarter?" provides all the necessary materials
required to address the issue of land use change and urban sprawl in the
D.C. area. The unit design can be customized to suit other problems
besides urban growth using the same techniques. If a school wanted to
collect the same type data that we have and apply these remote sensing
and other research techniques to their local area they could easily do
so using the data collection Appendix C. There are numerous applications
of Landsat data including:**

-   [Precision farming land
    management](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Application1.3.html)

-   [Cartographic mapping and map
    updating](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Application2.2.html)

-   [Mapping volcanic surface
    deposits](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Application3.5.html)

-   [Measuring changes and extent of glacial
    features](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Application4.4.html)

-   Mapping floods and flood plain characteristics

-   Determining patterns and extent of turbidity

-   [Monitoring
    deforestation](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Application6.1.html)

-   [Assessing and monitoring grass and forest
    fires](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Application6.7.html)

(All the above links come from the Landsat Project's web site. For an
more extensive list of possible uses of Landsat data see the
[Applications of Landsat
Data](http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Landsat_Applications.html) web
page. The web page has a table that lists examples of various
applications of Landsat data that have been demonstrated in the 28-year
history of the Landsat program.
<http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/Landsat_Applications.html>)

**How to implement the project**

This unit gives teachers the opportunity and resources to facilitate an
interdisciplinary unit using remote sensing techniques and data to
investigate urban sprawl and its consequences in the Washington, D.C.
region. \"How Can We Grow Smarter?\" provides all the necessary
materials required to address the issue of land use change and urban
sprawl in the D.C. area. The unit design can be customized to suit other
problems besides urban growth using the same techniques. If a school
wanted to collect the same type data as on this web site and apply these
remote sensing and other research techniques to their local area they
could easily do so using the data collection [Appendix
C](http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/growsmart/appendix.html). It is possible
for the lessons to be implemented in only the science classroom or in a
interdisciplinary manner.

+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| **Science class               | **Interdisciplinary implementation** |
| implementation alone**        |                                      |
|                               | This interdisciplinary unit uses     |
| This project asks the         | cross-curricular problem-solving     |
| question: how will the local  | techniques and remote sensing data   |
| development (both industrial  | to solve a proposed problem (urban   |
| and residential) affect life  | sprawl) for our area. This project   |
| in a community for both       | asks the question: how will the      |
| people and the local          | local development (both industrial   |
| ecosystem. Once the students  | and residential) affect life in a    |
| understand the local problem  | community for both people and the    |
| through the analysis of       | local ecosystem. Once the students   |
| remote sensing data and       | understand their local problem       |
| additional research they are  | through the analysis of remote       |
| asked to present the          | sensing data and additional          |
| environmental impact of the   | research, they will be asked to      |
| growth supported with         | suggest community solutions. The     |
| remotely sensed data using    | Maryland Smart Growth initiatives    |
| Landsat data.                 | offer a model for some methods to    |
|                               | solve urban \"sprawl\" growth        |
|                               | problems. In the unit the students   |
|                               | assume the persona of various        |
|                               | community members, developers,       |
|                               | scientists and citizens, who have    |
|                               | been assembled as a committee to     |
|                               | create a request for Smart Growth    |
|                               | funds for their area. The students,  |
|                               | acting in their characters, have to  |
|                               | interpret the satellite images from  |
|                               | that character¹s perspective. The    |
|                               | culminating event is a town meeting  |
|                               | where the students present their     |
|                               | findings to the community and        |
|                               | establish the request for Smart      |
|                               | Growth funds.                        |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| **STEP ONE:** Teacher         | **STEP ONE:** Teacher Overview       |
| Overview                      |                                      |
|                               | 1.  Collect local data for the       |
| 1.  Collect local data for    |     project from either web pages or |
|     the project from either   |     local sources.                   |
|     web pages or local        |                                      |
|     sources.                  | ***Science or History: Appendix C    |
|                               | Data Collection***                   |
| ***Science: Appendix C Data   |                                      |
| Collection***                 | 1.  Write and mail community and     |
|                               |     parent introductory letters.     |
| 2.  Write and mail community  |                                      |
|     and parent introductory   | ***English: Optional Extension       |
|     letters.                  | Lessons: Conducting interviews and   |
|                               | making presentations***              |
| 3.  MultiSpec and Landsat     |                                      |
|     image tutorial            | 2.  Provide list of community member |
|                               |     roles to students                |
| 4.  Remote sensing tutorial   |                                      |
|                               | 3.  Assign roles or let students     |
| 5.  Optional reading "Growth  |     choose student research role     |
|     Patterns of Urban Sprawl" |                                      |
|     by Masek                  | 4.  Have the students begin to       |
|                               |     create a point of view.          |
| ***Science: See Appendix F*** |                                      |
|                               | 5.  Have students, in English class; |
| ***Science:*** Study          |     write a journal entry answering  |
| population growth statistics. |     these questions about their      |
|                               |     roles life.                      |
| ***See Appendix B***          |                                      |
|                               | -   What does your character do for  |
|                               |     a living?                        |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ```{=html}                           |
|                               | <!-- -->                             |
|                               | ```                                  |
|                               | -   How did they become interested   |
|                               |     in this career?                  |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   How long have they lived in the  |
|                               |     community?                       |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   What is their view of how the    |
|                               |     community changed during the     |
|                               |     time they have lived here?       |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | 6.  MultiSpec and Landsat image      |
|                               |     tutorial                         |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | 7.  Remote sensing tutorial          |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | 8.  Optional reading "Growth         |
|                               |     Patterns of Urban Sprawl" by     |
|                               |     Masek                            |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***See Appendix F***                 |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***Science, History or Math:***      |
|                               | Study population growth statistics.  |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***See Appendix B***                 |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| **STEP TWO:** Determine       | **STEP TWO:** Determine extent of    |
| extent of urban growth using  | urban growth using Landsat and other |
| Landsat and other data        | data                                 |
|                               |                                      |
| ***Science Activity: Studying | ***Science Activity: Studying        |
| Vegetation From Space***      | Vegetation From Space***             |
|                               |                                      |
| -   Create a set of NDVI      | -   Create a set of NDVI images      |
|     images                    |                                      |
|                               | ***Science Activity: Studying        |
| ***Science Activity: Studying | Vegetation Change From Space- ∆ NDVI |
| Vegetation Change From Space- | Calculation,***                      |
| ∆ NDVI Calculation,***        |                                      |
|                               | -   Create a ∆ NDVI image            |
| -   Create a ∆ NDVI image     |                                      |
|                               | ***Science Lesson: Aerial Photograph |
| ***Science Lesson: Aerial     | Interpretation***                    |
| Photograph Interpretation***  |                                      |
|                               | -   Create a selective               |
| -   Create a selective        |     interpretation key for and       |
|     interpretation key for    |     practice reading aerial          |
|     and practice reading      |     photographs                      |
|     aerial photographs        |                                      |
|                               | ***Science Lesson: Vegetative Change |
| ***Science Lesson: Vegetative | Detection***                         |
| Change Detection***           |                                      |
|                               | -   Come up with hypotheses as to    |
| -   Come up with hypotheses   |     what changes are occurring in    |
|     as to what changes are    |     the local area.                  |
|     occurring in the local    |                                      |
|     area.                     | -   Look at change over time by      |
|                               |     using the ∆NDVI images with      |
| -   Look at change over time  |     aerial photographs and other     |
|     by using the ∆NDVI images |     research materials.              |
|     with aerial photographs   |                                      |
|     and other research        | ***Math Optional Extension Lessons:  |
|     materials.                | Math Scaling***                      |
|                               |                                      |
| ***Science Optional Extension | -   Rescale maps and aerial          |
| Lessons: Math Scaling***      |     photographs to assist in using   |
|                               |     the ∆NDVI image to detect change |
| -   Rescale maps and aerial   |     in the local area.               |
|     photographs to assist in  |                                      |
|     using the ∆NDVI image to  | ***Math and or History Optional      |
|     detect change in the      | Extension Lessons: Interpreting      |
|     local area.               | Data***                              |
|                               |                                      |
| ***Science*** ***Optional     | -   Determine if urban growth could  |
| Extension Lessons:            |     affect: environment- air         |
| Interpreting Data***          |     quality, animals migrating, loss |
|                               |     of habitats, increased erosion/  |
| -   Determine if urban growth |     loss of ability of land to       |
|     could affect:             |     filter water, and loss of        |
|     environment- air quality, |     biodiversity.                    |
|     animals migrating, loss   |                                      |
|     of habitats, increased    | -   Appearance of town.              |
|     erosion/ loss of ability  |                                      |
|     of land to filter water,  | -   Town operation concerns-         |
|     and loss of biodiversity. |     schools, roads/traffic,          |
|                               |     utilities. Optional reading      |
| ***See Appendix A for further |     "Governor Parris N. Glendening   |
| details***                    |     on smart growth"                 |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***See Appendix E***                 |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | > Town economic concerns- business   |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***See Appendix A for further        |
|                               | details***                           |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| **STEP THREE:** Possibly      | **STEP THREE:** Determine the issues |
| collect ground validation     | affected by growth                   |
| data to access the accuracy   |                                      |
| of the change detection.      | ***English: Optional Extension       |
|                               | Lessons: Conducting interviews and   |
| -   Collect ground truthing   | making presentations***              |
|     data through fieldwork or |                                      |
|     from website              | -   Students research their          |
|     ([p                       |     community member role using      |
| hotos](http://dogpile.com/)). |     library notes and                |
|                               |     socio/demographic data           |
| ***SeeAppendix I. MUC-A-Thon  |                                      |
| and ∆ NDVI-A-Thon Planning    | ***See Appendix B***                 |
| Guide***                      |                                      |
|                               | -   Journal about character's        |
|                               |     perspective                      |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   Have the students create and     |
|                               |     then review the questions to be  |
|                               |     used in the interview            |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   Have the students conduct        |
|                               |     interviews with community        |
|                               |     members and begin to work on an  |
|                               |     essay and speech for a town      |
|                               |     meeting                          |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***See Appendix G List of            |
|                               | characters/roles for the town        |
|                               | meeting***                           |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***History Lesson: Evaluation of     |
|                               | Growth Trends***                     |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ### Use library notes and            |
|                               | socio/demographic data to establish  |
|                               | the effects of local growth trends.  |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ***See Appendix H Possible           |
|                               | implementation timeline***           |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| **STEP FOUR:** Prepare        | **STEP FOUR:** Prepare presentation  |
| presentation                  | and conduct the town meeting         |
|                               |                                      |
| -   Five minute initial       | ***All subject areas-*** ***Optional |
|     scientific presentation   | Extension:*** ***Town meeting        |
|     discussing findings and   | grading of oral presentation***      |
|     methodological            |                                      |
|     improvements              | -   Five minute initial presentation |
|                               |     discussing main pros and cons    |
| -   Determine if government   |                                      |
|     growth controls should be | -   Determine if government growth   |
|     used                      |     controls should be used          |
|                               |                                      |
| -   Visuals developed         | -   Each person/group needs to       |
|                               |     present their argument/side and  |
| -   Remotely sensed data and  |     address each of these major      |
|     Landsat generated images  |     issues plus any other pertinent  |
|     are used to support       |     issues. Ex. How would a          |
|     various scientific        |     low-income father of four who    |
|     community members points  |     works at the local department    |
|     of view                   |     store feel about each of these   |
|                               |     issues?                          |
| -   Presentation              |                                      |
|                               | -   Practice presentation with all   |
|                               |     groups                           |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   Visuals developed                |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   Remotely sensed data and Landsat |
|                               |     generated images are used to     |
|                               |     support various community        |
|                               |     members points of view           |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   Presentation                     |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ```{=html}                           |
|                               | <!-- -->                             |
|                               | ```                                  |
|                               | -   Simultaneous town meetings       |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ```{=html}                           |
|                               | <!-- -->                             |
|                               | ```                                  |
|                               | -   Each viewpoint group gives a     |
|                               |     short presentation               |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | Two minute rebuttal/question &       |
|                               | answer period                        |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | -   Proposed solutions               |
|                               |                                      |
|                               | ```{=html}                           |
|                               | <!-- -->                             |
|                               | ```                                  |
|                               | -   Closing                          |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+

## 

#