High school students learn area history through geo-spatial technology
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Albemarle High School students are learning about their home beyond history class. They're doing it through county geography.
Chris Bunin teaches geography and geo-spatial technologies at AHS. His students used drones to study and map Albemarle County.
Their final projects were PSAs called "This is Albemarle."
It was part of a $50,000 grant from the National Geographic Society.
Bunin said learning history through spatial science adds another layer to the idea of "sense of place."
"Space is meaningful on a both personal and collective level. But space is also an area for cooperation and conflict," he said.
The drone class paired with an African American studies class.
They went on a field trip to Montpelier to learn about those enslaved there.
The students said learning about the land and buildings gave them a better perspective.
"The homes, they were like really small. And the roof, the roof was low. So, it's just, I took a lot away from it because I would have never though they actually had to live like that for years," 10th grader Taymarri Scott said.
Students from the drone class and the African-American history class say they think students should have these learning experiences if they get the chance.