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Teachers First Edge Review: For adventurous MAC or Linux users with permission/ability to download software. Have fun and create four dimensional maps with chosen data. Choose data and view on a map that can be rotated, zoomed, and followed over time. Uuorld (pronounced "world") is a download application available for Mac OsX, Windows, and Linux. Uuorld is a free download but with some limitations. For example, the noncommercial (free) version has a maximum limit on data that can be exported to Google Earth. Any user can VIEW the gallery of Uuorld map images created by others and use them as a visual way to share data, no download necessary.
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In the Classroom:
Skills needed: Users must be able to download and install the application. Many districts have restrictions on what can be downloaded and used on district computers. Be sure to check with your school policy before downloading. To first use data, create an account using your email address (though verification of email is not required). Data for the free version is found in the downloaded application.
Using Uuorld: Use data from reliable sources by going to the data portal. Along the top left of the panel, click "Data" to show the sets that you have chosen, "Display" to change colors and other parameters, "Analyze" to view all the data included in the image, or "Export" to create an image, a Google Earth file, or a comma separated value (csv) file. Below the map, click the world icon to browse over 10,000 data sets. Click "Metadata" to view the URL of the data, name of data set, source name and date, and other information. Change the tilt to really view the height dimension of the data. Zoom in and out of areas on the map. Many data sets have data over several years. Play the data to see the changes as they occur through those years.
Safety/Security Concerns: As email verification is not required, anyone can use this resource. If you do use email addresses, rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
Be aware, there are restrictions on the noncommercial free version. Be sure to read the licensing agreement prior to using.
Possible Uses: Data topics are quite varied and include everything from economics to health and even the Olympics! Before creating your own graphics (or if you are unable to download the software), have students browse the Gallery on your interactive whiteboard to become acquainted with reading visual representations of data. Use the sets to explore social and environmental issues and encourage critical thinking questions about WHY this data is as it is. View any data set as an inquiry activity in the classroom. For example, view "Calories Emanating from Animals" to view the animal calories consumed by countries over a 36 year period of time. Follow the viewing of the data by asking questions about what they see. From these questions, research the diet of various countries, identify the major biomolecules in the foods we eat, and identify nutrition, social, and ethnic issues. View this resource on an interactive whiteboard or projector for great impact. Students can create conventional or multimedia displays of information learned. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using Tabblo reviewed here. |
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