www.ctetrailblazers.org

Stepping up to a nontraditional challenge

Spatial thinking is an increasingly important skill for livingand working in the 21st Century. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology can help educators teach this skill to students. Spatial literacy will play an increasingly important role in today’s information-based economy and should be incorporated into k-12 instruction.

Learning to Think Spatially

Spatial GIS is a powerful analytic tool that helps students understand the significance of spatial distribution patterns through experiences that involve students in “authentic inquiry.”

GIS in Schools

Enhancing Spatial Literacy:What can GIS do for you?

Why Teach GIS?• Standards for National Geography, Science, Mathematics and Social

Studies

• Increases the recognition that geography education is important to society

• Work with Real-World Data in an inquiry-based, problem-solving mode

• Essential skills that the job market of the future will require

• Multidisciplinary learning at a scale from local to global

• Problem Based Learning and Reality Based Learning

• Integrated approach to learning with computers

• Conduct authentic investigations

Lesson Plans Using GISVirginia

http://www.cteresource.org/featured/geospatial.html

Virginia Geospatial Academy

http://www.fw.vt.edu/geoacademy/index2.html

Virginia’s Geospatial Extention Program

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/resources.html

USGS Resources

http://www.gis2gps.com/GIS/lessons/lessons.html

GIS Loungehttp://gislounge.com/k-12-education-in-gis/

Colorado Schools

http://www.dolorescounty.k12.co.us/cboyd/boyd/GPS_GIS_lesson.ht

m

I Love GIS (GIS4KIDS)

http://www.ilovegis.com/SampleProjects.html

GIS4Kidshttp://gis4kids.wordpress.com/

Geospatial Technologies: Real Projects in Real Classroomshttp://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/aasl/kolvoord.pdf

Sample Projects

Middle School Science: Earth Science: Biology:Exploring local area Climate of local area Wetlands/stream Monarch Migration Alternative Energy Frogs in HeatWhere am I? Local area characteristics

Criminal Justice: Health: Economic Development:Criminal ActivityPandemic Impact of building

Lesson Plans Using GIS

Geospatial Technology ICourse 8423 – 36 Weeks:

Managing Geospatial Projects:

Students develop a project to investigate and present

Understanding of Geospatial Technologies:

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) – Gathering Long/Lat points

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – Viewing geodata

Remote Sensing (RS) – Using Digital Photography

Geographic Information Systems:

Data that is identified by location (long/lat/elevation) may be:

• Assembled

• Stored

• Manipulated

• Analyzed

• Displayed

Databases can be directly entered into a GIS to create a map that can reveal important new information that leads to better decision-making.

What is GIS?

Assembling DataFree:

• Your County Mapping Department

• Virginia Government: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/cldownload.shtml

• UVA: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/resources/index.html

• National Atlas: http://nationalatlas.gov/pros.html

• Geodata.gov: http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos

• Yellow Pages: http://www.yellowpages.com

• Census: http://www.census.gov/

Purchase:

• AGI Website: http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/globalgis/orders.html

Creating a Geodatabase

• Open a Text File using delimiters

• Save as a xls file

• Import an Excel File into Geodatabase

• Add to ArcMap

Attribute Table

Organization

•Predefine storage locations

•Save data in folders for easy navigation

•Create a Naming Convention for easy grouping

•Maintain a backup of data

•Locating data sources that are no longer visible in your map

File Organization

Manipulating Data

•Easy to “Clean” data in Excel before adding to ArcMap

•Headers – only 10 letters or numbers, NO spaces

•No Special characters in the data

•Find/Replace

•Check Spelling and Abbreviations for Geocoding Matching

•Add or remove data

Analysis

•Changing GIS Symbology

•Creating Multiple Views

•Joining Tables

•Using Extensions

Displaying Data

•Zooming around your data

•Identifying Features

•Creating a Map Layout

•Adding a report

Weldon Cooper CenterDemographics and Workforce

When looking for data – check with us first:http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics

Other Data Sources:American Fact Finder (Census.gov) - http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en

American Community Survey - http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

Historical Census - http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html

Virginia Vital Statistics - http://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/vital/