Free Online Map Tools

Free Online Map Tools -- If you are interested in getting your kids to visit free, online map tools just to get their feet wet with GIS, here are a couple of fun websites to try:

GeoGreetings
http://www.geogreetings.com
Idea: Have students spell their names or write a "GeoGreeting" message and learn where each letter comes from!

GoogleMaps
http://maps.google.com
Idea: Have students find the street where they live! Then check out one of the new additions from the left side menu, such as 'real-time' earthquakes around the world!

ArcLessons from ESRI

The fabulous education team at ESRI develops lessons for educators that work with AEJEE and other ESRI GIS software. ArcLessons are available for download AND they come with all necessary AEJEE axl files, data layers, and lesson plans in a 'zip' file.

Try out this beginner level social studies lesson as an example:
2008 Presidential Election
http://gis.esri.com/industries/education/arclessons/search_results.cfm?id=388

Presidential Election ArcLesson by ESRI

The fabulous education team at ESRI develops lessons for educators that work with AEJEE and other ESRI GIS software. ArcLessons are available for download AND they come with all necessary AEJEE axl files, data layers, and lesson plans in a 'zip' file.



Try out this beginner level social studies lesson as an example:
2008 Presidential Election
http://gis.esri.com/industries/education/arclessons/search_results.cfm?id=388

New AEJEE lessons available

James Madison University Center for STEM Education and Outreach have announced the publication of the Rural STEM GIS activity collection for AEJEE and ArcGIS.  This collection of 12 activities (authored by Barbaree Ash Duke, edited by me and classroom tested by teachers around the country) focuses on middle school science and social studies.  Each activity comes with student instructions and worksheet, teacher notes, an answer key and all relevant data.  The activities are referenced to relevant national standards.  Each activity can also be easily modified for younger or older students.  Each activity can be used by itself or in conjunction with one or more of the other activities.  We hope teachers in a variety of settings will find these activities of use.

All the activities can be accessed at http://www.isat.jmu.edu/stem/curriculum.html

We've categorized the activities into three groups by GIS experience:

Level 1 – suitable as a first-time GIS experience

Bats in the Neighborhood: Friend or Foe?

Hunting for the Best Cabela's Location

Invasive Species: Attack of the Animals

Invasive Species: Attack of the Plants

Level 2 – best after a prior introduction to GIS

We are the World: A Look at Demographics

Production and Consumption: The Give and Take of Energy

Disaster Strikes

Should You Drink the Water?

Watersheds: Why bother?

Level 3 – best after more than one experience with GIS

What’s Your Carbon Footprint?

Can You Grow Money?

Survivor: The Agricultural Challenge

This work is supported the Center for Rural STEM Education at James Madison University and funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Mark Your Calendar for GIS Day 2008!

Mark Your Calendar for GIS DAY! -- You may already have big plans for Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day. If not, this could be the perfect opportunity to introduce GIS to your students! Mark the week of November 16 -22 and, specifically, November 19 for GIS Day.
For ideas on activities, both high and low tech, visit the following websites:

ESRI - Tenth Annual GIS Day
http://www.gisday.com/

My Wonderful World - A National Geographic-led Campaign
http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/gaw.html

1, 2, 3, GO! with AEJEE & Hawaii Data

If you are ready to install and use the ArcExplorer software and the Hawaii data from the jump drives (provided at the Summer 2008 Intro to GIS Workshop), here are the three steps to get up and running:

1. Download and install ArcExplorer Java Edition for Education (AEJEE) from the ESRI website: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/about/arcexplorer-education.html

2. Transfer Hawaii data from your Jump Drive -- Copy the GIS_HI_Data directory on your jump drive over to your hard drive into the following location: C:/ESRI/AEJEE/DATA.

3. Open AEJEE; Click "Add Data" (or the yellow and black addition symbol) and open the Coastline shape file. Note - A common mistake is to go to File:Open. Remember that this will only see .axl files (map projects) and will NOT see .shp files which are the data layers.

GO! Continue on with your GIS Inquiry of Hawaii. Continue adding data that will assist you. Check/uncheck layers as needed. Change symbology and add labels to help further your analysis.

Online Election Map (GIS) Tools

If you are interested in having your kids follow the elections while also introducing them to various online GIS tools, here are a couple of interesting websites to try:

Google Elections '08 Map Gallery
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/elections/

National Public Radio 2008 Election Map
https://gw.medb.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html