Integrating Geographic Information Systems

(GIS)into your Curriculum

Teaching American HistoryMeg Merrick & Heather Kaplinger

Year 2 GIS Inservices

Today:

• What is GIS?• Methods of Inquiry & Problem Solving

Process

• Discuss Geographic Data

• Classifying & Displaying Data

• Familiarization with RLIS Data• Working with Arc View

& Create a Data Driven Map

• Work in Groups & Present a Map

What is Geographic Information Science?

"An emerging field of knowledge that embraces the nature, representation, acquisition, analysis, discussion, and communication of geographic or geospatial data in a computational environment."

-- UCGIS (University Consortium for Geographic Information Science)

Geospatial Data

• Spatial (positional data) that has been georeferenced, or relates to a geographic coordinate system (such as latitude & longitude)

How do we get this type of data ?

Create the Digital Earth

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Examples of Geospatial Data

• Climatological• Satellite imagery• Aerial photos• Public lands

(surveying)

Advantages of geospatial data:

• Position is inherent… we have the WHERE

• Can be used to address geographic problems

Challenges of geospatial data:

• Complex data sets• Large data sets• Usually requires

computers

Things To Think About When Approaching A Geospatial Question:

•Nature of the data used to used to understand the phenomena

•Information the data provides

•Method used to analyze data

•Method used to display the results

•What tools can be utilized

Inquiry

• Traditional Approaches• Problem Solving Process• Geographic Data• Classifications of data• ArcView Legend Schemes• Geographic Concepts

Traditional Approaches

• Deductive

• Inductive

the deriving of a conclusion by reasoning

inference of a generalized conclusion from particular instances

Other Approaches

• Quantitative– Measuring a phenomena mathematically– Count, amount, or number– Estimations– Totals– Measurable: greater / less / equal– Duration and intensity

Other Approaches…..

• QualitativeDescribing a phenomena

• the nature of phenomena• its characteristics • its rank

Problem Solving Process

1. Identify the problem

2. Collect data to solve the problem

3. Explore the data

4. Analyze the data

5. Evaluate the results

6. Present the results

Geographic Data

• Discrete & Continuous

• Raster & Vector

• Point, Line, Area, Volume

Discrete Data: …the actual location can be specified

Line

Point

Parcel (Polygon)

Continuous Data

… phenomenon that can be measured anywhere

Soils Data

Elevation Data

Data Formats

• Raster

• Vector

• Tables

RasterData is stored in a grid file structure

associated with continuous data

LinePoint Polygon

Vector:

Data is stored in discrete structures

Table Data

Most common data format for data not collected geospatially; such as census (demographic), gross domestic product (economic), voting (political), toxic chemical releases (environmental), etc…

…the lists is endless on what data is collected on.

Table Data a.k.a The SPREADSHEET

Classification of Data

• Nominal• Ordinal• Interval• Ratio

NominalThe data is named

Ordinal (< , >)The data has been ranked into ordered categories, ranges, and relationships (orders & ranks)

Interval (+, -, average)The data has an equal distance between categories. There are numeric values with and arbitrary zero – In other words this measurement level is used to organize features along a continuum

Ratio (Multiply & Divide)The data is set at an interval with a true zero. In other words it is this is a how you display a percentage such as: population density.

ArcView Legend Schemes

• Single Symbol• Graduated Color• Unique Value• Dot• Chart

Single Symbol

Graduated Color

Unique Value

Dot

Chart

Geographic Concepts

• Most / Least• Density• Inside / Outside• What’s Nearby• Change

Most / Least

Density

Inside / Outside

• Identify the problem is GEOGRAPHIC in nature

Geographic Problem Solving

• Collect the GEOGRAPHIC data to solve the problem

• Explore the data using GEOGRAPHIC VISUALIZATION AND SPATIAL DATA EXPLORATION

• Analyze the data using SPATIAL ANALYSIS

• Present the results using CARTOGRAPHY

AS A GROUP• List the properties that are common to the

project• List the properties that are different

DISCUSS• The geographic nature of the problem• Data needed to answer – what do you

already have in terms of data sets that applies to your question?

• Analysis needed to answer the problem – refer to geographic concepts

• Method for presenting the results