Hurricanes. Urban and exurban sprawl. Biodiversity loss. Crime and terrorism. Water quality and availability. Energy resources. Sustainable agriculture. Invasive plant species. Epidemics. Climate change. Earthquakes. Issues and problems of the 21st Century are increasingly complex, cover wider areas, and are beginning to affect our everyday lives.

All of these issues and problems share one thing: They all have to do with a location on, above, or below the Earth's surface. They are all geographic problems. They vary in scale and theme, but if their spatial distribution and relationships can be analyzed, they can be better understood. If they can be better understood, then it is my eternal hope that better decisions will follow.

What tools will decision-makers need to grapple with these complex issues of our times? They will need geographic technology, tools, and methods to deal with geographic issues. These technologies include Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and Remote Sensing (RS), and Virtual Globes (VG). The methods revolve around spatial analysis and the process of geographic inquiry: Asking geographic methods, acquiring geographic data, organizing geographic information, analyzing geographic information, and answering geographic questions.

How can we help students learn how to think spatially and to use geotechnologies? That is the purpose of this blog: To discuss resources, tools, ideas, data sets, training, and other topics that will help enable students to use these tools to become wise decision-makers of tomorrow.

GIS provides a technology and method to analyze spatial data, or information about the Earth. The earth’s climate, natural hazards, population, geology, vegetation, soils, land use, and other characteristics can be analyzed in a GIS using computerized maps, aerial photographs, satellite images, databases, and graphs. By analyzing phenomena about the Earth’s hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, a GIS helps people understand patterns, linkages, and trends about our planet.


Since the 1960s, GIS has quietly transformed decision-making in universities, government, and industry by bringing digital spatial data sets and geographic analysis to desktop computers. Geographic Information Sciences (GISc) include Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as well as the disciplines of geography (examining the patterns of the Earth’s people and physical environment), cartography (mapmaking), geodesy (the science of measuring and surveying the Earth), and remote sensing (studying the Earth from space).

GIS is used in three major ways in courses at the elementary, secondary, and university level. First, teaching about GIS dominates at the community college and university level, where courses in methods and theory of GIS are taught in geography, engineering, business, environmental studies, geology, and in other disciplines. Second, teaching with GIS is emphasized at the elementary and secondary level, where GIS is used to teach concepts and skills in earth science, geography, chemistry, biological science, history, and mathematics courses. Finally, GIS is used as an essential research tool in all institutes of higher education in geography, demography, geology, and other disciplines.

The U.S. Labor Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) stated that the most effective way to teach skills is "in context" (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1991). SCANS competencies include identifying resources, working with others, using information, and understanding complex and changing inter relationships. Implementing GIS into the curriculum may encourage students to examine data from a variety of fields. In 2004, the US Secretary of Labor named geotechnologies as one of the three fields most in demand for 21st Century decision-making.

Since the publication of the first national content standards in geography (Geography Education Standards Project 1994), social studies (National Council for the Social Studies, National Task Force for Social Studies Standards 1994), science (National Research Council 1996), and technology (International Society for Technology in Education 2000), educators nationwide have been progressing toward a model of instruction that emphasizes a hands-on, interdisciplinary, research-based learning experience. The national geography standards state, “the power of a GIS is that it allows us to ask questions of data.” Students using this inquiry approach form research questions, develop a methodology, gather and analyze data, and draw conclusions.

The approach with GIS should not be, "How can we get GIS into the curriculum?" but "How can GIS help meet curricular goals?"

Examples of GeoTechnologies In Education

Students using GIS in the curriculum are studying phenomena from the local to global scale. The use of GIS fosters a connection with the community through the acquisition of data and maps and through field work.

With GIS, students can examine the Earth in a new way, through three-dimensional analysis of a watershed, or by examining the Pacific “Ring of Fire” using a map projection that shows all of the Pacific Ocean in one view.

Rhode Island students study the economic impact of rivers in their communities. Other students map and analyze tree species on their school property.

In North Dakota, high school students help state parks use GIS to study and manage their resources. Middle school students map alternative sites for a local landfill.

Idaho students use GIS to examine the history of mining and cemeteries in their community.

In science courses, students use USGS earthquake information on the Internet in a lesson on plate tectonics.

World Geography students examine the climate, vegetation, population, natural hazards, landforms, and political geography of Africa.

Students in Los Angeles map and analyze the ethnic makeup of neighborhoods in
their city over time.

Vermont middle school students use GIS technology, science journals, and photographs to determine the origin and ecological relationship of a local pond to the community.

North Carolina students use GIS to study the history and development of the African American community in their city.

Students use GIS with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to collect coordinates and chemical constituents of local streams, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity.

Starting Points

GIS in Education:
http://education.usgs.gov/common/lessons/gis.html

USGS online aerial photographs and topographic maps:
www.terraserver-usa.com

Educational Applications of GIS:
www.esri.com/k-12

National Atlas
http://nationalatlas.gov

Geography Network
www.geographynetwork.com

Software

ArcExplorer, ArcView, and ArcGIS, by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI): www.esri.com

Idrisi, by Clark Labs at Clark University:
www.clarklabs.org

GeoMedia, by Intergraph Corporation:
www.intergraph.com

MapInfo, by MapInfo Corporation:
www.mapinfo.com

Maptitude, by Caliper Corporation:
www.caliper.com

Events

GIS Day:
www.gisday.com

ESRI hosts an international conference in GIS education each summer in California: www.esri.com/educ

Listserv

TERC hosts an email listserv called EDGIS on this topic. See list.terc.edu/mailman/listinfo/edgis for subscription information.

Books and Lessons

Learning to Think Spatially. 2006. GIS as Support System in the K-12 Curriculum. National Academies Press. http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11019.html

Mapping Our World: GIS Lessons for Educators and Community Geography: GIS In Action, both from ESRI Press. http://gis.esri.com/esripress/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=99

ArcLessons library of GIS-based Lessons:
www.esri.com/arclessons

Training

USGS training for educators:
http://education.usgs.gov/common/lessons/gis.html

List of Training Events:
kangis.org/learn

References

Geography Education Standards Project. 1994. Geography for Life: National Geography Standards. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 272 p.

International Society for Technology in Education. 2000. National Education Technology Standards for Students. Eugene, Oregon: ISTE, 373 p.

National Council for the Social Studies. 1994. Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Washington, DC: NCSS, 178 p.

National Research Council. 1996. National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 262 p.

U. S. Dept. of Labor. 1991. Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). Washington, DC: GPO.