This immersive ArcGIS StoryMap explores Hawaii’s intertwined geological origins and human history, showcasing how volcanoes, landforms, and cultural development have influenced each other over time. It combines maps, layered visuals, and textual narrative to illustrate the islands’ formation—from deep-sea volcanism to human settlement, land use, and contemporary conservation issues.
Navigate interactive map layers to trace volcanic growth, lava flows, and landform change through time.
Compare timelines: match geological epochs with key human events—such as initial Polynesian voyaging, ancient temple construction, and plantation agriculture.
Reflect discussion prompts: How have lava, soils, and water influenced where Hawaiians lived and farmed?
Design your own map overlay: using local geological and cultural data, students create their own StoryMap section exploring a chosen site (e.g., a mountain ahupuaʻa, a coastal loko iʻa).
Volcanology, island building, and landform evolution
Human migration, settlement, and Hawaiian cultural landscapes
Customary resource management tied to geology (e.g., upland forests, coastal fishponds)
Interactions between natural hazards (lava, erosion) and land use
Visual mapping techniques and narrative layering in geographic storytelling
