THE BASICS OF GIS

This online course is designed for the new user of GIS software. It uses ESRI’s desktop GIS platform ArcMap 10.1 during the first offering in fall, 2013.

This course will run twelve weeks. There are maps or videos to create every week, which should be kept in your Course portfolio to submit for a certificate or badge at the end of the term.

The course is organized to build skills gradually. Students should be able to work with data from their own areas so that the maps are more relevant to them..
For some topics, guest lecturers teach their specialty.
At many points, there are path offered for a student to delve deeply into peripheral topics.  Like-minded students can request I set up a group for them to share documents and information within the group.  We are open to suggestions on ways to improve the course.

 


Week

Date

Topic

1

9/9

Where to buy book – installing the program

Setting up your computer

Unzipping data, storing data to find it easily

Finding data for your own area online

Ways of looking at Earth, projections

2

9/16

Ways to add data to your map

Base maps or using ArcGIS services

The attribute table, adding a new field

Make a Map, learn how to zoom in, out, pan, zoom to feature

Layouts and Map Annotation, switching from Layout to Map views

Shapefiles vs. Geodatabases

Adding services for various reasons.

3

9/23

Changing the projection of your shapefiles

Symbolizing data – colors, symbols, effects

Toolbars and Extensions

Labeling, setting extents for labels to show

Make PDFs with layers

4

9/30

Making an address locator of your region

Geocoding addresses in a Excel spreadsheet

Using Lat/Lon to locate places on a map

Batch Geocoding via web services

Making a video of time-related data

5

10/7

Clipping features to map one area

Creating new shapefiles - point, polygon, line

Adding fields, calculating geometry

Editing features

6

10/14

Selection - how features interact with each other,

Ways to use selection

Spatial queries

Creating buffers zones

7

10/21

Georeferencing, getting paper maps into your system

Using a GPS to map features, routes,

Converting GPS data to useable format

Camera with GPS – integrating

Camera and GPS separate – making them work

Hyperlinking Photos, documents and video to spots on the map

8

10/28

Exporting files to Google Earth

Orthophotos

Working with USGS data viewer

ArcGIS Online (UK guest instructor)

9

11/4

Preparing for 3-D, ArcScene and ArcGlobe

Downloading DEMS from USGS viewer

Draping imagery and shapefiles over DEMS

Making a TIN from a DEM, if needed

10

11/11

Clipping rasters with spatial analyst

Extruding features in ArcScene

Mapping a watershed in 3D in ArcScene

11

11/18

Making a map for ArcReader with Publisher

Downloading and using ArcReader by your “client.”

Using file geodatabases for aerial photo mosaics

Thanksgiving week – no new materials

12

12/2

Joining tables based on common attributes

Working with US Forest Service/Davey Tree iTree programs.