- Definition
Spatial technologies are tools like GPS or online maps that help us understand and use information about places on Earth. They let us see things like where places are, how they're connected, or what they look like from above.
A weather app that uses your location to show a map of a storm moving toward your town is using spatial technology.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Spatial technologies are like the map app on a phone that shows you where you are going and can even switch to a real photo of the street.
Ask your child: How does the map app know the fastest way to get to the library?
Common mix-up: Kids may think spatial technology is just the moving dot on a map app. These tools actually combine many layers of information, like photos, traffic, and routes, to help us understand a place.
Examples
- Using a phone's map to find the closest pizza place.
- Looking at satellite photos of your school on a mapping website to see the playground from above.
spatial technologies is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
