Summer 2018

Catalog description: Exploration of geospatial tools, including but not limited to global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and related visualization tools (e.g., Google Earth). Application of these tools and techniques to instructional settings, including appropriate pedagogy and assessment.

Course format: This class is a short-form course, meeting face-to-face for 8 days over a 9-day stretch (Friday, 6 July through Saturday, 14 July; no class on Tuesday, 10 July). Class begins at 8:30 am and ends at 1:00 pm.

Recommended equipment, software & web services

• GPS unit or GPS-enabled smartphone. I have GPS units for students to borrow during the course that are very accurate. The compass on your iPhone is pretty good but not nearly as accurate as the GPS units. A relatively good iOS app is Spyglass but it costs a few dollars. A free iOS app is Gyro Compass – might be a good option for classrooms. Again, apps are not as accurate as GPS units.
• Google Earth: http://www.google.com/earth/
  • There is a new web version of GE that will import kmz files but I don’t think you can edit places directly in the web version.
  • I believe the “Pro” version is still currently free! This is the more powerful tool that will allow you to build your own kmz files. Go here to download: https://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html
• ArcGIS.com: https://www.arcgis.com/home/signin.html– free web-based GIS from Esri. This will be our primary tool for this class. You can also use the Lehigh (Enterprise) account and sign in with your Lehigh ID/PW – it is accessible from lu.maps.arcgis.com
• For those interested in augmented reality: ARIS (Augmented Reality Interactive Storytelling): http://arisgames.org/
• A spreadsheet program; Microsoft Excel or Google Spreadsheets or an equivalent

Class location – We will be meeting in the Mac lab of Iacocca Hall (E106) each day however we will venture outside on occasion for activities. We may also visit Building C.

Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

Class sessions & topics – Each topic links to supporting pages. I will be posting as much material as possible on this publicly-available webpage and will make minimal use of CourseSite. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are due on the day in which they’re listed.

NOTE: This is a dynamic page and it WILL be updated regularly as our class progresses to reflect our enacted curriculum. So, please check it regularly for changes.

• Friday, July 6: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Introductions – please post a little bit about yourself here.
  • Geocaching
    • A limited discussion of geocaching.
  • Scaffolded geocaching –  GPS activity to apply & extend understanding of lat-lon, geospatial awareness.
    • Prime Meridian and Equator Images
    • Activity Worksheet
    • Don’t look at this stuff until we’re back inside…
      • GPS activity locations – kml file
      • 1 Second Activity – kml file 
  • Review of syllabus (pdf)
  • Significance of geospatial tools
  • Geography Basics:
    • Latitude & Longitude coordinates
    • Great site for finding and converting DMS and DD coordinates
    • Relative vs. absolute location (i.e., lat-lon) – I’m going to defer to Wikipedia’s entry on Location (geography) for this.
  • Introduction to Google Earth: Interface & navigation; basic markup; editing, organizing, saving, & sharing markup
    • Duke University Google Earth resource page
    • Google Earth Library
    • Quick and dirty intro to HTML – simple styling adds a lot!
  • How did we do with the ‘Happy Place’ assignment?
  • Share your Google Earth Happy Place!
  • …and two Key Thoughts for this course: 10% is good enough for our purposes, and everything is in beta always.
    • I like to explore this through a markup layer about the SS Savannah (1819-1821): Savannah_1819.kmz.
  • Share your Happy Place from arcGIS!
  • For those who need it: How to deal with that “other” operating system
    • PC users grappling with Macs: PC to Mac tips
    • Mac users wishing they weren’t on a PC: Tips for Mac users on a PC (sorry, there’s just not as much stuff here…)
• Saturday, July 7: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Let’s finish the slides from yesterday, specifically the pedagogical stuff
    • Significance of geospatial tools
  • Kick it up a notch – Field trip to Building C for Virtual Reality Google Earth (still working on logistics…)?
    • VR Google Earth!
      • Post your reactions to Google Earth VR here.
    • But I don’t have the money for an HTC Vive!
      • (But if you DID have access to VR…check out this free app that will allow you to build lessons in VR: Engage.)
      • A lower-tech option: Google Cardboard with Expeditions. Check out Google’s Earth education resources.
        • Tour Builder (similar to ESRI’s Story Maps)
  • Google Earth vs. Google Maps (i.e., client-side software vs. web services)
  • Google Earth, second pass: Advanced features
  • Where/how to find Google Earth datasets.
    • What actually is KMZ and KML?
  • Map projections (i.e., why doesn’t my map overlay work???)
  • Brainstorming Google Earth project topics.
  • assignment due…sometime today or tomorrow: Google Earth proof-of-concept: KMZ or KML file, plus text file describing how you hope to use the finished product and what you need to do to complete it.
• Sunday, July 8: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Google Earth – Any project de-bugging we need to do? Questions?
  • Illustration of value-added from geospatial tools
    • Trees, cars, & carbon activity.
  • Say hello to our new friend: First look at ArcGIS.com.
    • https://learn.arcgis.com/en/gallery/ 
      • Here is the tutorial we’ll be doing today.
        • https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with-arcgis-online/
    • Go get new pre-made layers inside and outside of arcGIS!
    • Story Maps
    • Sharing ArcGIS.com work: Editable Google Doc.
    • GIS in the “real world”
      • Safety
      • Agriculture
      • Insurance
      • Health Care
      • WILL WE HAVE A SNOW DAY??
  • Explore the gallery – what inspires you? What sparks an idea? What do you like? Post your “cool map” here.
  • working time for assignment due tomorrow
• Monday, July 9: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • assignments due: Google Earth final product
  • Small groups to share Google Earth projects (and feel free to discuss GIS work as well!)
    • Present to your group, then we’ll briefly report back to the whole class.
  • Spatial thinking overview – Note that this is a four-page prose discussion. Alternatively, we will glean the same info from this slide deck.
  • A necessary topic: Map design (video)
    • Map Design 
    • Maps as Advocacy
      • 2016 Election Maps
    • Maps as Arguments
  • GIS work, step 1.5: Adding new data to an existing map. However, I’ve pre-processed the data for you. (You’re welcome.)
    • Working with point data, which is the easiest possible data (it’s in lat-lon, so it’s universal)
      • A small dataset: Iacocca Hall geocache locations.csv
        • Note the lat/long are in DD format
      • A larger dataset:
        • Honey Bee Production in the USA
        •  CSV_Main_Eastern_theater_ver01.csv (link currently broken)
    • Importing polygon data….it’s sort of hard (read impossible) to do so with just arcGIS
      • But…let’s try to import this data set into arcGIS and see what happens
        • Jewish demographics circa Holocaust -sheet 2.csv
      • Now, let’s see what happens when the same data is first processed through a “client” GIS like My World and then imported into arcGIS
      • Our guest star, Dr. Hammond, will dive more deeply into this on Wednesday.
    • So…there are ready-made shape files available on the www.
      • Shape file resource example 1
      • Shape file resource example 2
      • “But, I want to add data to this shape file I found!” 
        • Adding data to a shape file (Not that we’re going to get into this!)
    • Creating your own POINT DATA set for ArcGIS – Spreadsheet KungFu!:
      • First – I saw this article:
      • Then I went and got the raw data for test scores
      • Then, I needed addresses for the PA schools
      • Then, I needed to mesh the two together…this is the Kung Fu!
        • Need to find a common value to match two data sets together
        • Need to “clean the data” so that it will import into ArcGis
          • Spaces, dashes, and periods are not allowed for field names in the header row.
          • Make sure there are separate columns for latitude and longitude values.
          • Check that longitude values for the western hemisphere are negative (if in decimal degrees).
          • Best practices for file format
      • Resulting in this csv file
      • Resulting in….this map app
  • I NEED DATA!
    • Lehigh’s Datasets for the Social Sciences
    • ESRI’s Open Data site
    • Open Data Network
    • Data.Gov
    • The National Map
    • GIS Data for Public Health
    • The Nature Conservancy
    • Open Data PA
    • Lehigh Valley Planning Commission data site
    • Allentown’s Open Data portal
    • Reading’s Open Data portal
    • Bethlehem Data is coming…
    • ACLED Data (for conflicts)
    • Kaggle.com
    • Tiger Shapefiles
    • GapMinder.Com
    • Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access
    • PA Historical and Museum Commission
    • Georeferenced Maps (You can create a fee account)
  • An altogether insufficient look at mobile environments: Google Earth on a computer vs. Google Earth on an iPad vs Google Earth Website (on computer) vs Google Maps. (ArcGIS on mobile – evaluate on own)
    • Let’s identify the differences
  • Time to brainstorm again:
    • Talk to some peers to clarify your thoughts about your ArcGIS project
    • Having trouble? Check out this cool map site for inspiration!
    • Then post your idea in: What will you do for your GIS project?
    • Working time & Peer/Teacher assistance time
• Tuesday, July 10: No class
  • Note: Not that I hope anyone wants to or needs to…but I believe this is the last day to drop this class.
• Wednesday, July 11: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • assignment due: GIS proof-of-concept: Web URL for ArcGIS.com, plus text file describing how you hope to use the finished product and what you need to do to complete it.
  • Geospatial tools and pedagogy: What is it and how do geospatial tools fit in?
    • Group Work – Pedagogy & GST
  • Final Presentation Sign Up (please don’t sign up until July 11th)
  • I found this cool site last night – Google Tools to Support Geo Spatial Learning by David Davidson. It’s older but a lot if it is still very relevant.
  • Special Guest Star: Dr. Thomas Hammond
    • Building 21 Project
      • Project site
    • GIS stuff – part 2
    • An introduction to client side GIS: software options…and what is GIS?
      • Client side: Using My World and pre-built data – watch my demo of Why bother with GIS? Follow-up:Getting your hands on GIS, using Dr. Hammond’s LINIQES acronym.
      • Web service: Re-tracing those same steps in ArcGIS.com
    • And now the training wheels are off! GIS under your own power.
    • GIS example: Here’s what you might end up with after working with that school district data: Lehigh Valley school districts.
    • GIS, second pass: Finding data, finding maps; building data…and you never want to build your own map
  • A very rough, first pass, not tested (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!) tutorial on how to combine polygon and point data within ArcGis
  • ArcGIS proof-of-concept debrief – how is it going?
  • GIS work time
• Thursday, July 12: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Finish up: Geospatial tools and pedagogy: What is it and how do geospatial tools fit in?
    • Group Work – Pedagogy & GST
  • Affinity groups: Discuss GIS work, final project
  • Geospatial Games! and Augmented reality
    • Play Mountain Top Meltdown
    • Play Community Needs Game
      • Wrap around curriculum ideas
      • KMZ file
      • Homework Sheet
  • ARIS – intro to building a game
    • Building a game is an iterative process!
    • Tutorial for the day! 
      • Media download for tutorial
      • Learn more about the game’s premise: Dow Riot @ UW Madison
    • If you want to mod my games – Import the game files into ARIS. Just download the zip file listed below to your computer and then add it to your ARIS account by choosing “Import” from the first screen in the ARIS editor page (at the bottom).
      •  Tower Game
        • QR Codes for Tower Game
      • Community Needs Game
        • QR Codes for Iacocca version
        • QR Codes for Moravian Academy (could be applied to most schools)
      • Great Government Guru Game
        • QR Codes (2018 version)
      • Mountain Top Meltdown
        • The one QR code you need!
    • Online sources for learning the basics:
      • http://manual.arisgames.org/
      • https://fielddaylab.wisc.edu/courses/aris
      • More in depth “Learn the Basics”
    • New AR tool tutorial (I haven’t had time to play with this yet)
      • https://fielddaylab.wisc.edu/courses/aris-ar
    • What devices should I get for my students? (Assuming there’s a budget!)
  • Working time
• Friday, July 13: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Final project presentations
  • A relevant topic: Innovation, Diffusion, & Geospatial Technologies
  • Other geospatial tools worth mentioning
  • assignments due: GIS final product
• Saturday, July 14: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Checking in on project work, presentation work
  • Last Class Reflections
  • Final project presentations
  • Working time
  • assignment due: Final project files and presentation files of final project. These can be turned in no later than 11:59pm, Sunday, July 15.