Watershed Visualizations trials and tribulations creating a DVD
Watershed Visualizations – trials and tribulations creating a DVD for middle/high school students and classrooms Jim Washburne SAHRA, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ w/ Melissa Higgins, John Madden, Tim Seqin Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008 under Award GEO-0507710. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation
Objectives A DVD & web site that: • Targets MS/HS students and teachers, • Illustrates what watersheds are and why they are important, • Captures student’s attention and improves their conceptual understanding of watersheds and basic hydrologic principles. Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
1950’s era water education Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
21 st Century Visualization Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
What we know about spatial reasoning … and maps • Generally - a poorly developed skill, • More engaging if well known area or familiar (home) • Oblique (airplane) view closer to most people’s prior experience vs. nadir view • Map view requires prior experience with symbology • Contours hard to interpret • Colors/shading can help but … • Artificial band combinations can be confusing Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Concept vs. Reality Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Watershed Processes: Enduring Understandings 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Definition & representation (maps & scale) Basics: WS components and processes Change: WS’s change over time (natural, anthropogenic) Function: WS’s are complex systems Management: WS management is complex Issues: familiarity with SW watershed issues Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Main Menu Discover a Watershed Overview 3 D Flythrough Formation Hydrologic What is a Watershed? Tim’s Animation Geologic Where does the water in a WS come from? Defining watershed boundaries How do WS’s form? Water Cycle Tectonics Precipitation Erosion Concentration Function Issues Surface Water Groundwater How does recharge occur? How do streams become polluted? How does it effect the WS? Types of recharge Hydrograph Fire Natural Effects of pumping Bed Load Urbanization Anthropogenic History Hohokam Pollution Landcover Change How do you measure streamflow? Trappers Miners Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Challenges “Speculation. Water Monopoly. Land Monopoly. Erosion. Corruption. Catastrophe” Cadillac Desert, Marc Reisner Starting. Turnover. Clouds. Software. Compression. Slow Progress. Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Google. Earth Google Software Maya Autodesk 3 Dstudio Flash Autodesk Photoshop After. Effects Premier. Pro Adobe Macromedia Adobe Final. Cut. Pro Arc. GIS Apple ESRI Audacity workflow Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008 DVDStudio. Pro Apple
Workflow Concept Outline Storyboard Text Artistic Interpretation review Key frames Rendering Narration Sequencing AV timing review Labeling/Credits Movie DVD Supplements review Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008 Pilot test
Storyboard – water cycle Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Watershed Fly-through Goal: introduction of WS in 3 -D perspective before 2 -D map Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Watersheds Goal: Definition & representation (maps & scale) Misconception: WS is area nearest river • Multi-format – video & animation • Range of scales – simple maps • Provides perspective • Where the water goes • Bias in representative figure Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008 techalive. mtu. edu/meec/module 01/whatiswatershed. htm
Water Cycle Goal: tap into prior knowledge • Coastal and Eastern bias Misconception: Most important parts of water cycle • Cyclic view vs. simultaneous view are visible – rain & runoff • Representation of reservoirs and fluxes Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
Precipitation Misconception: Rainfall is uniform • Cloud rendering & animation • Rain streaks & rate • Surface shading • Cloud movement • Multiple cloud decks • Real videos Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008 4
Orographic precipitation • How to display topo. & precipitation • How to animate annual avg. rainfall • Even monthly/weekly images are averages Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008 4
Recharge Misconception: Groundwater and Surface water are not connected • In progress … • Balance betw. realism and conceptual process techalive. mtu. edu/meec/module 06/The. Water. Table. htm • Next step is to illustrate aquifers at a larger scale Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
WS management is complex • • Complex Human System uced d e r in il r e p e e s s Expert ns onitoring of Natio m – Culture s streams and river – Laws When Phoe nix, T – Economics ucso n me – Politics rge s e h court issu ig H – Science or f e e r c e d n o ti a d li o cons – Values Colorado River South Arizon a tribe w a settles t er-righ Familiarity with ts disp ute local water issues t a s k l a b r e l d n Cha er t a w d e m i a l c e r 2008 using Feb. Watershed Visualizations,
Current Status • Working on Module 4 – infiltration & recharge • Developing supplemental classroom activities • Developing web site – www. sahra. arizona. edu/education • Pilot Testing • Collaborations – Huth & Hall – GIS case histories & data analysis Watershed Visualizations, Feb. 2008
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