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Grade Level(s): This lesson plan highlights high school, Social Studies Academic Standards BUT the lesson
activities and concepts can be taught at upper elementary and middle grades, too.
Purpose: Students will engage in a series of activities in order to better understand the economic value of the
Indiana Broadband Map, as part of the National Broadband Map.
Background:
Teacher should pre-read the attached What is Broadband? paper for background
knowledge
Teacher should pre-read the article by Kit Eaton on Fast Company, What Does 2,000-Times-Faster
Broadband Look Like?, November 7, 2012; the article may be inappropriate for younger students.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3002790/what-does-2000-times-faster-broadband-look. Mid-article
(Business as unusually fast…) is a two-paragraph statement that suggests an economic impact
statistic related to increased broadband speeds.
Another article that a teacher may use (after reading): Broadband as an Economic Driver:
What Are the Economic Benefits of Broadband? by David Salway at About.com Guide. The article
provides economic impact possibilities from a variety of sources IF broadband access increases and IF
broadband speeds increase. (NOTE that the sources suggest possibilities -- not necessarily statistically
valid numbers.)
http://broadband.about.com/od/economicdevelopment/a/Broadband-As-An-Economic-Driver.htm
Materials Required:
Computer with access to the Internet and capability to display screens or computer lab
Permission to access the following websites:
o Indiana Broadband Map http://www.indianabroadbandmap.com/#
o IndianaMap http://www.indianamap.org
o About.com (see above)
o Fast Company (see above)
Copies of the What is Broadband? paper for students – if appropriate
reading/comprehension levels
Various maps of the state and community
Copies of the blackline maps of Indiana for each student or small groups of students (see the PPT
document)
Procedures:
1. Ask the students the questions below. Log the answers on the chalkboard/whiteboard/large piece of paper
for all to view.
Questions:
1. How many students have access to the Internet from their home?
2. How many students have access to the Internet from school?
3. Where else might the students have access to the Internet? (local library, parent office building…)
4. How many students have access to the Internet wherever they travel (via i-phone or other portable device
with access to 3-G/4+-G networks)?
2. Discuss how their lives would change if there was no Internet. Discuss how their family’s lives would
change. Discuss how the community’s functions would change: school, trash/garbage management, water
quality monitoring, grocery supplies, transportation routes and congestion, weather forecasts, police and fire
responders, and other ideas you or the students have that are appropriate for your community. The goal is to
get them to realize how closely tied people and communities are to the Internet.
3. Ask the students to define broadband. After comments, provide the accurate definition from the What
is
Broadband? paper.
4. Highlight the types of broadband available.
5. Depending upon the age group of the students, discuss the types of broadband available from their
Residences and from the school.
6. Visit the Indiana Broadband Map to obtain a list of providers in the school’s area:
http://www.indianabroadbandmap.com/# . (ALL information is private and secure; no names are required.)
7. Through the IN Broadband Map portal,
you can search for broadband access either by entering to your county, entering your address, or
activating the point tool (looks like a push-pin) on the state map.
The buffer distance is how large a radius you would like to conduct a search for providers: feet
or miles.
You can select to search for wire-based or wireless providers.
If you know your census block, you can also search for providers within the block.
Once you search, the list of providers is available in the lower left-hand corner;
o If you hover over a provider, the Type of Broadband is given along
with upload and download speeds
o You can export this list to Excel.
8. Encourage students to discuss the IN Broadband Map portal with parents/guardians and to encourage their
data contributions to the IN Broadband Map, either through checking broadband access at their location OR
by completing an on-line Questionnaire (wire line only; not wireless). Everyone’s contributions ensure
the accuracy of the Indiana broadband data, which results in more research, development and expansion of
faster, broadband service for Indiana citizens.
9. Next, Visit the IndianaMap, a free GIS (geographic information systems) software that makes available about
270 types of data (layers) per county.
For this exercise, click on VIEW the Map (under the antique map image); you should see a
shaded relief map of Indiana with a few major roadways.
Next, have the students select Layers (upper left-hand tool bar). A list will drop down connecting
users to the top nine map themes: basemaps, demographics, environment, geology, government,
hydrology, imagery, infrastructure, and reference. For this exercise, students should select
demographics; scroll down the list to select Population Density Blockgroups.
Notice the change in the map. Discuss observations.
A Legend can be accessed via the button in the upper right-hand tool bar. Where is the state
most densely populated? Why? Where is the state least densely populated? Why?
Close out the Population Density Blockgroups map.
Next, through Layers, select infrastructure; scroll down the list to select Communications
Broadband Coverage Wireless.
Notice the changes in the map. Discuss observations. Close out the map.
Next, through Infrastructure, select Communications Broadband Coverage Wireless.
Notice the changes in the map. Discuss observations. Keep this map open and select the
Communications Broadband Coverage Wireless map – both will be open at the same time
presenting a combined map image (this is the beauty of GIS technology via a strong and reliable
broadband mechanism).
On all three map layers, specifically identify you school/community location – even if
approximate.
Notice the parts of the state with no wireline or wireless broadband coverage. Discuss possible
reasons for why this is - - remembering the population density map.
10. On the blackline map of Indiana, roughly highlight the areas of the state where no broadband access is
available; students can utilize the other maps as needed/for reference.
11. Students should highlight or note the types of broadband access available in their community.
12. In summary, broadband access might be available, but it might be slow or very slow for certain needs and in
many locations throughout the state.
13. As appropriate, students read through the Kit Eaton and David Salway articles highlighting a few items that
support the need for access to faster broadband in Indiana. This may be done as a class with only review of
the most pertinent components of the article (based on the teacher’s assessment).
14. Students in Geography & History of the World analyze how communication changes have led to both
cultural convergence and divergence; analyze the impact of changing global patterns of commerce on the
local community; and analyze the impact that broadband technologies has on the physical environment.
15. Students create a public service campaign informing the school, local school board, local elected officials,
and local business leaders about the importance of broadband access to the community: radio
announcement, school production/television station, posters, postcards, Internet outreach/message…
Assessment:
Students engage in classroom or small group activity.
Adaptations/Extensions:
IF appropriate and needed, students write letters to local elected officials providing data, maps, and
information about the need for broadband (faster) access in the community.
Analyze broadband access in the United States via the National Broadband Map or other sources.
Analyze global broadband access; relate to GDP, population/population density, literacy rates, poverty,
and type of government leadership.
Resources:
Indiana Broadband Map website -- http://indianabroadbandmap.com
What Does 2,000-Times-Faster Broadband Look Like?, Kit Eaton, Fast Company, November 7, 2012;
http://www.fastcompany.com/3002790/what-does-2000-times-faster-broadband-look
Broadband as an Economic Driver, What Are the Economic Benefits of Broadband?, David Salway,
About.com Guide.
An article from The Atlantic Cities: Place Matters, February 28, 2014; The Most Revealing
Broadband Adoption Maps We've Ever Seen;
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2014/02/most-revealing-broadband-adoption-maps-weve-
ever-seen/8517/
What is Broadband? The term broadband commonly refers to high-speed
Internet access that is always on and faster than the traditional dial-up access. (Federal Communications
Commission, http://www.broadband.gov )
As a result, the FCC was tasked with the creation of The National Broadband Plan.
We need your help to accurately identify where broadband coverage exists, and to determine its level of
performance. In order to do this, we would like you to answer a few questions. We will test your connection
speed while you provide answers.
We will collect this data and provide it in map format to others to determine how and where to improve
broadband coverage across the state. http://indiana.gov/gis/BroadbandQuestionnaire.htm Amanda - do you want
citizens to fill out the questionnaire and/or utilize the interactive map?