StrataLogica

StrataLogica is an interactive world map in which users explore Earth and learn about the world. To start exploring, users can select the Map Library from the main menu and then the Satellite or Discovery Series view. The Discovery Series has different countries and cities labeled, and users can select the “Tectonic Plates” or the “World in 1600” view. When choosing one of these options, users will see a map of either the tectonic plates or how the globe was divided in the year 1600. When viewing maps, users can move around the planet by swiping a finger, and zoom in by pinching and expanding the screen. Pins can be added to the globe with descriptions and photos, or shapes and outlines of buildings, animals, etc. can be added as well. Users can also doodle, add notes, or use a ruler to measure distances. In a split-screen mode, users can compare and contrast two different layers of the same geographic area, or two different parts of the world. Educational layers and presentations can be purchased, so teachers can share educational navigation projects with students.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can instruct students to use the dual view to compare and contrast a geographic area now with how it looked in the year 1600. Students can write their impressions in a Google Docs document or a Pages file and share it with the teacher or post it to a class website or Twitter page.
2. After instructed by teachers, students can use StrataLogica to create a project that illustrates the key battles of a war or important events in history using the StrataLogica pins, notes, pictures, doodles, and text features. Teachers can arrange a think-pair-share activity so students can show their work to classmates.
3. Teachers can use StrataLogica to quiz students on world capitals, cities, and countries. The teacher asks a question and the first student to pin the correct location and hold up his or her iPad wins. The class can keep track of their scores with a collaborative Google Docs spreadsheet.
4. Science teachers can use the tectonic plate view (located under the Discovery Series) to illustrate the world’s oceans, land masses, and physical features. Teachers can then have students hypothesize about how a natural disaster that occurred on a specific fault line would impact nearby cities and communities. Students can compose short essays that explain what they think would occur using another app such as Pages, Swiftkey, or Google Drive.
5. Teachers can make a StrataLogica project that acts as a world quest/web quest hybrid to explain a historical topic. Teachers will need to create learning activities that use a globe and provide students with specific instructions about how they are to complete the learning activity. The pins, notes, pictures, text, and doodles can all be used in conjunction with hyperlinks to enhance the learning activities.

Screenshots