Geographical Information Systems Resources

THE GIS PAGES

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN THE GEOGRAPHY CLASSROOM

GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION GIS RESOURCES

(GIS)

This page last updated November 2008

There are several GIS available to teachers. These vary in price and can be quite expensive for some systems. In a November 2004 TES supplement, several of them were listed. They are coming down in price and becoming a little less intimidating. There are also teachers out there who are posting resources and ideas as a way in to using them. There was also a supplement in a recent OS Mapping News which contained more information.

I was contacted in early 2005 by the nice people at DIGITAL WORLDS. This is a GIS system which looks to be rather good. A free demo CD is available on request. Check it out. Also had a demonstration up in Norfolk, and met up again at the GA Conference 2005.

Digital Worlds are also involved with the DAKINI PROJECT, which has made the Digital Worlds software available to schools in Kent.

AEGIS3 is another programme which several Geography departments will have, from the Advisory Unit.

I led a 2 hour workshop at the 2007 GA Conference called FUTURE FIELDWORK which explored this technology.

VISTA GIS from WILDGOOSE - excellent introductory level GIS

ESRI have also had a lot of publicity relating to their new maps on demand service. The service is called MAPS DIRECT and offers maps direct to your PC from a web based database, based I think on the OS MasterMap. The OS MasterMap is a huge database which is OBJECT ORIENTED: each building is recognised as an object on the map, rather than just a series of rows and columns containing numbers.

JUICY GEOGRAPHY has reviews of some software that Noel Jenkins uses called MEMORY MAP (a copy was also in the latest OS Mapping News). We also have a copy of this software, and some others. He also has a section on the various features that you should look for when purchasing a handheld GPS receiver. I have a GARMIN ETREX model.

A site I was alerted to in May 2004 was MAGIC. It stands for:

MULTI-AGENCY GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

You can view and download maps in PDF format on a whole range of topics, for example, there's a great map of the NATIONAL PARKS to view, and also DATASETS to explore and request. Recommended.

Follow the MAP TUTORIAL to create a customised map for yourself. There are lots of LAYERS which you can put onto the local OS Map (which can also be toggled ON and OFF)

There are lots of other regional GIS sites as well: search for your local authority and "interactive maps"

A selection of online LESSONS relating to ARCView is available at ARC LESSONS site.

Thanks to Mark Smith of Leeds Grammar School for letting me know about another resource link (February 2008)

You'll hopefully be familiar with the OS MAPZONE site. The GIS Zone is a new area, which includes a simple 'simulation' of a GIS at work including exercises such as locating a wind farm.

The link to the OS GIS FILES is now active. Click to explore. The GIS files goes into the terminology and allows students to look at layers on a map and make decisions.

There are now a series of 'MISSIONS' for students to use. they can be downloaded too...

FLOOD DAMAGE CONTROL

WIND POWER LOCATION

CONTROL & COMMAND (AMBULANCES)

SHOPPING FOR PROFIT (SUPERMARKET LOCATION)

FARM MANAGEMENT

CRIME STOPPERS

Thanks to Roger Jeans for assistance with these resources.

The RGS-IBG have also taken a step towards introducing teachers to the use of GIS in education. They have opened an area called :

GIS - RGS - well done to all those involved in the development - some familiar names from the Geography online community. It has lists of useful software and also be basics of using GIS.

AEGIS 3 is popular with a lot of people. David Rayner has now added a section of resources suitable for use with this software to his GEOINTERACTIVE site.

There is a move towards an online community of mappers swapping data which they have produced using a GPS system. This was featured in an article in the Guardian's ONLINE supplement, which can also be read online by following the link below:

We have had access to this software given to us as part of the work we are doing on the YPG project.

Registered a while ago for uLEARN: the new product from the company that produced Infomapper.

· A FREE open cross-curricular resource library including links to every free and open resource created by every Grid for Learning

· FREE Web 2.0 tools to highlight the most popular resources, linked to your areas of interest

· Sophisticated yet simple tools for the creation of online resources (web pages / links) FREE

· FREE tools to link resources (with associated maps if required) into Personalised Learning activities

· Safe educational social networking providing multiple tools to create communities of users with the same learning interests FREE

· ‘Activelink’ tools enabling you instantly to pull information from multiple websites regarding any location on the planet FREE

With the exception of detailed mapping uLearn is available without charge to every school in the UK. This means that, for the first time ever, every school has access to the same free GIS-enabled schools-only learning platform. The shared nature of the new service is already coming into its own. We have sold mapping licenses to both Northern and Southern Ireland (amongst others). Southern Ireland in particular is using it as their key tool for the teaching of geography. They are therefore busy uploading resources to serve their curriculum. But because this is a shared tool there are now 2578 with the word Geography either in the description or as a Tag, in the open uLearn Resource library for all teachers to access.

In addition to this, although it is only in the early stages of our planned development, uLearn includes safe schools-only Social Networking tools.