College of the Atlantic > Academics > Academic Facilities > GIS Lab > GIS Courses > Geographic Information Systems I: Foundations & Applications Syllabus

Fall '08 Class: Monday and Thursday 9:35-11:00 Lab: Thursday 2:35-4:00

Note: syllabus is subject to change based on speaker and field trip availability and available time.

The 'Class Folder' is D:\GIS1_Fall_08\ Assignments and exercise data are located there.

Assignments will be e-mailed and may contain additional work/reading beyond what is listed here.

Week 0: Thursday September 11

Topics: The three main questions to be addressed this term.

What is GIS? How does it work? How can I use it?

Course description, goals and expectations, establish lab time.

Basic software demonstration and discussion

Sign-up for ESRI Virtual Campus course.

Exercise Assignment: ESRI Virtual Campus: 'Getting Started with GIS'

Module 1-Six Questions About GIS-Requires sound. Headphones recommended

Reading: Wikipedia definition of GIS and related links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system

Week 1: Sept 15

Topics: The history and role of GIS at COA.

What is a GIS 'project'?

Building a GIS 'Map'

Quiz: On Wikipedia GIS reading.

Lab: Working with local and regional data in ArcView.

Intro to GPS.

Exercise Assignment: ESRI Virtual Campus: Learning ArcGIS9

Module1: 'Getting Started with ArcGIS Desktop'

Module2-'Creating Map Symbology

Reading: 'Understanding the Archaeology of Landscapes' on reserve

Week 2: Sept 22

Speaker: Giovanna Vitelli, GIS in Archeological Research. Case Studies

Giovanna will also discuss several local projects for students to get involved in.

Topics: Intro to mapping techniques and using Global Positioning System receivers, in the field.

Lab: Build a map of an archaeological site.

Import GPS data

Basic data creation and editing.

Exercise Assignment: ESRI Virtual Campus: Learning ArcGIS9

Module 5-'Creating and Editing Data'

Reading:

Pioneers of GIS. About Ian McHarg

http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/23

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McHarg

Design with Nature, Ian McHarg-Preface, 'Introduction',

Chapter 2-' Sea and Survival' (on reserve)

Week 3: Sept 29

Topics: Creating and editing geographic data

Organizing geographic data for real-world projects.

Project documentation: work records, planning sheets, final requirements

Student project examples from previous terms.

Lab: Getting data (map layers, imagery, database table) ready for GIS

Exercise Assignment: ESRI Virtual Campus: Learning

Module 3- 'Referencing Data to Real Locations'

Module 6- 'Getting Started with GIS Analysis'

Reading: GIS Abridged, Longley,et al.

Design with Nature, Ian McHarg

Chapter 4- 'A Step Forward' Chapter 6- 'Nature in the Metropolis' and

Chapter 7- 'On Values'

Week 4: Oct 6

Topics: Introduction to GIS analysis

GIS term projects. Students should have a solid proposed project.

Lab: Analysis and GeoProcessing Exercise

Term project assistance. Giovanna will be available this week for consultation.

Exercise Assignment: ESRI Virtual Campus: Learning ArcGIS9,

Module 7. 'Working with Geoprocessing and Modeling Tools'

Reading: Design with Nature, Ian McHarg

Chapter 10- 'Process as Values', Chaprer 12- 'The River Basin'

Chapter 13 'The Metropolitan Region'

Week 5: Oct 13

Project Planning Sheet Due

Topics: Applying human values to data using Analysis and GeoProcessing.

How is GIS a tool for applied Human Ecology?

Mid-term review of class

Lab: Getting started on term projects.

Exercise Assignment: ESRI Virtual Campus: Learning ArcGIS9,

Module 8, 'Designing Maps'

Readings: The New Nature of Maps: Essays in the History of Cartography

Chapter 5: Deconstructing the map

Week 6: Oct 20

Topics: Introduction to Map Layouts

Maps, map design and cartography

Project development and software instruction

Student projects are reviewed and discussed

Lab: Project development and begin project map layout

Reading:

visit http://www.esri.com/mapmuseum/index.html

James W. Sewall Co. about Base maps, aerial-photos and applications of GIS

http://www.jws.com/pages/ed_resources.html (read all articles)

Assignment: Project Work Records due: Submit your project work records to date.

Week 7: Oct 27

Field Trip: Date and time to be determined.

Topics: Internet Mapping and software are discussed.

Arcexplorer, ArcGIS Server, Web Mapping Services, Google Earth

Publishing your information on the web.

Open Source: Free GIS. Quatum GIS is explored.

Project/Map critique and continued development

Lab: Project development and software instruction

Assignment: Work on projects.

Week 8: Nov 3

Topics: Projects are critiqued

Final project tasks are identified

Lab: Project development

Assignment: Work on projects.

Week 9: Nov 10

The week will be dedicated to working on your projects. Draft maps will be printed.

Giovanna returns for project assistance.

Project and map critique Thursday November 13 at 2:30

Week 10: Nov 17

Projects due at start of class Tuesday, March 11.

Tasks: Produce Adobe Acrobat maps

Print final maps

Create project web pages

Complete project write-ups

Burn project CDs

Complete course evaluation

GIS Lab Contact:
Gordon Longsworth, glongsworth@coa.edu, 207-288-2944, extension 277