Week 6: Following Rivers Through Time

Weekly Goals

Symbolize GIS data to reveal patterns in the data.
Understand how remote sensing and GIS can help us monitor the flow of rivers through time.
Classify GIS data to reveal patterns in the data.
Symbolize and classify a GIS data layer to reveal an interesting pattern applicable to your teaching.
Share your ideas about how you used symbolization and classification to illustrate a story with data.
Provide feedback on what you are learning and the process of learning it.

List of This Week's Tasks

Choose an appropriate representation (in terms of color, size, and symbol type) for specific features on a map.
Find out how Dr. Zhong Lu, a physical scientist with the USGS, uses remote sensing and NASA data to monitor water-level changes in and around New Orleans, Louisiana.
Read background information on using GIS to map rivers and analyze changes in water level and water storage.
Choose an appropriate classification method (such as equal interval or quantile) to sort features on a map into categories.
Contribute to an online discussion centered on using symbolization and classification, in your teaching.
Answer the Week 6 Feedback questions.

A Look at the Week Page by Page

Intro to Symbolization in GIS

This page provides an overall introduction to symbolization in GIS.

Intro to Symbolization in AEJEE
Intro to Symbolization in ArcGIS
Intro to Symbolization in My World

These parallel pages introduce ways in which you can symbolize GIS data layers, such as by color, by size, and by type of symbol.

If you are pressed for time, download the project file and watch all the movies.

Eyes on Dr. Zhong Lu

Meet Dr. Zhong Lu, a physical scientist at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) who uses NASA data to study land subsidence in Louisiana.

If you are pressed for time, read the background information and explore the Resources later.

Getting to Know Classification in GIS

This page introduces you to the process of sorting features on a map into groups or categories.

Getting to Know Classification in AEJEE
Getting to Know Classification in ArcGIS
Getting to Know Classification in My World

On these parallel pages, learn to classify data by equal interval, by quantile, and manually. Use classification and symbolization to illustrate a story with data. Take a screenshot of your map after you have classified the data. This is the image that you'll post to your discussion section.

This weekly activity is required and is due on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

Using GIS to Study Rivers

This page provides background information about using GIS to map rivers and analyze changes in water level and water storage.

Using AEJEE to Study Rivers
Using ArcGIS to Study Rivers
Using My World to Study Rivers

These parallel pages guide you through an investigation that uses GIS to explore how the flow of the Mississippi River has changed through time, how evidence of ancient rivers can be found in modern soils, and how rivers transport and deposit sediments to balance the erosion and subsidence of their deltas.

If you are pressed for time, complete the investigation at least through the Observe Patterns Left by Old River Meanderings section.

Share and Discuss

This page allows you to access your discussion section plus gives you the opportunity to provide us feedback.

Feedback is optional and anonymous. However, if you have time to provide feedback, you can help us better meet your needs.

Posting on Your Weekly Discussion Section Page (i.e. JSC 1, JSC 2, etc.)

Discuss with your colleagues how you might use the GIS techniques of symbolization and classification with your students. It is helpful if you create a new thread when you post your Tuesday assignment. Then use the reply function to "talk" to others in your section about their ideas.

This weekly activity is required and occurs from Tuesday, March 23, through Thursday, March 25, 2010.