Case Studies

Challenge In 2013, Greg Neil developed an ambitious idea for a class project. He wanted his students to take the lead role in a comprehensive study of the Northern Gateway Pipeline (NGP)—a proposed project to transport oil and condensate along a 1,177 km route between Bruderheim, Alberta and Kitimat, British Columbia. By adopting a student-led, inquiry- based approach to studying the pipeline, Mr. Neil hoped to achieve a high level of student engagement that would in turn allow his class to develop informed opinions about the internationally publicized NGP. Mr. Neil designed a lesson plan that encouraged his students to drive the project themselves, formulating their own questions, mapping the planned pipeline route, and researching its potential environmental and social impacts. His students would also learn a variety of introductory skills in areas that included mapping, spatial analysis and evaluating the environmental and social impacts of infrastructure development. With his vision for the class project clearly in focus, Mr. Neil needed a solution that would provide his students with the right tools to visualize and map the NGP and its affected areas, organize information, and also present their project work and findings in a visually meaningful way. Mindful of the school's mission to integrate innovative technology in student learning, Mr. Neil sought a solution that allowed his students to use their laptops, which are provided by the school. Finally, the solution best suited for the class project would require minimal financial investment and student training. Calgary public school uses GIS to give students a self-directed, hands-on approach to learning The Northern Gateway Pipeline is a highly-publicized oil and gas infrastructure project with many complex factors and controversial issues that must be considered. Greg Neil, a teacher at Calgary's Connect Charter School, was keen to help his grade seven science class develop informed opinions about the proposed project. His students used ArcGIS Online as a mapping, research, design and information management tool to produce results that allowed them to decide on whether or not they would approve construction of the pipeline. In 2014, the innovative class project won a City of Calgary Mayor's Environmental Expo award. Perhaps most importantly, 30 students, in a post-project survey, unanimously and strongly agreed that ArcGIS Online was a useful learning tool. 1 Esri Canada | Grade Seven Students Lead Pipeline Study Using ArcGIS Online

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