1. www.ctetrailblazers.org Stepping up to a nontraditional challenge

2. Spatial thinking is an increasingly important skill for living and working in the 21 st 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?

3. 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

4. Lesson Plans Using GIS Virginia 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 Lounge http://gislounge.com/k-12-education-in-gis/ Colorado Schools http://www.dolorescounty.k12.co.us/cboyd/boyd/GPS_GIS_lesson.htm I Love GIS (GIS4KIDS) http://www.ilovegis.com/SampleProjects.html http://www.cteresource.org/featured/geospatial.html http://www.fw.vt.edu/geoacademy/index2.html http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/resources.html http://www.gis2gps.com/GIS/lessons/lessons.html http://gislounge.com/k-12-education-in-gis/ http://www.dolorescounty.k12.co.us/cboyd/boyd/GPS_GIS_lesson.htm http://www.ilovegis.com/SampleProjects.html

5. GIS4Kids http://gis4kids.wordpress.com/ http://gis4kids.wordpress.com/ Geospatial Technologies: Real Projects in Real Classrooms http://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/aasl/kolvoord.pdf http://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/aasl/kolvoord.pdf Sample Projects Middle School Science:Earth Science:Biology: Exploring local areaClimate of local areaWetlands/stream Monarch MigrationAlternative EnergyFrogs in Heat Where am I?Local area characteristics Criminal Justice:Health:Economic Development: Criminal ActivityPandemicImpact of building Lesson Plans Using GIS

6. Geospatial Technology I Course 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

7. 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?

8. Assembling Data Free: Your County Mapping Department Virginia Government: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/cldownload.shtml http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/cldownload.shtml UVA: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/resources/index.htmlhttp://www.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/resources/index.html National Atlas: http://nationalatlas.gov/pros.htmlhttp://nationalatlas.gov/pros.html Geodata.gov: http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/goshttp://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos Yellow Pages: http://www.yellowpages.comhttp://www.yellowpages.com Census: http://www.census.gov/http://www.census.gov/ Purchase: AGI Website: http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/globalgis/orders.htmlhttp://www.agiweb.org/pubs/globalgis/orders.html

9. Creating a Geodatabase Open a Text File using delimiters Save as a xls file Import an Excel File into Geodatabase Add to ArcMap

10. Attribute Table

11. 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

12. File Organization

13. 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

14. Analysis Changing GIS Symbology Creating Multiple Views Joining Tables Using Extensions

15. Displaying Data Zooming around your data Identifying Features Creating a Map Layout Adding a report

16. Weldon Cooper Center Demographics and Workforce When looking for data – check with us first: http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics Other Data Sources: American Fact Finder (Census.gov) - http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en American Community Survey - http://www.census.gov/acs/www/http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ Historical Census - http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html Virginia Vital Statistics - http://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/vital/http://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/vital/