Abstract: GIS tools such as ArcGIS Online and Field Maps are available free to K-12 educators, and improvements in their design have simplified the process of building data collecting activities for students to use as part of local geospatial investigations designed by educators. However, teachers may not have the prior experience or modeling necessary to effectively design and implement geospatial data collection activities into their curriculum. This paper will demonstrate how to build a data collector and provide four strategies for designing a curriculum-aligned data collection process: observing a spatial pattern in your local environment, observing a phenomenon in your local environment, a scavenger hunt, and a social use of GIS. Each strategy is illustrated by examples created by teachers and used by their students.