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Background Information
A) Basic Explanation of the Topic
B) References
Teachers Guide
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Planning considerations
Required Materials
Possible Scenarios
Local Dataset
GPS Package
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ArcView GIS 3x
A) Background Information
In the past, explorers and navigators used the position of the stars and the sun to determine their location
on the earths surface. However, advances in technology have now led to a more accurate and userfriendly navigational tool called global positioning system (GPS).
A GPS uses location information collected from a series of satellites orbiting the earth to pinpoint
positions on the earths surface. GPS technology allows people to locate and map objects with a much
greater degree of accuracy then was possible in the past. Standard hand held units allow people to pin
point there position within a 10 15 metre degree of accuracy. It is important to note that receivers
require a clear line of sight, so they might not work indoors or in areas with many tall buildings. During
this exercise, students will acquire a variety of skills and knowledge that will help them understand GPS
and show how it can be integrated with geographic information systems (GIS).
This lesson will introduce the students to the basics of global positioning systems. They will learn how to
collect a series of latitude and longitude points, then add them into an existing digital map and conduct
some analysis using a GIS.
The lesson assumes that you have a basic understanding of GIS for the analysis section. The depth of
analysis is dependant on the skill of the user.
It is important to think about ways that this kind of activity can be recreated with your students in other
settings. The exercise will suggest some scenarios that teachers can use to incorporate GPS and GIS in
the classroom as well as outlining the skills necessary to perform those tasks. The idea is that teachers
either use one of the suggested scenarios and build on it or come up with their own scenario.
This exercise will teach students skills in data collection, GPS reading, and observation. This exercise
also has the students acquire digital photos and then hot link them in ArcView to create a complete
project. It is essential that students have an understanding of the project and the direction they wish to
take it prior to the data collection stage, so that they can tailor their data collection to the issues they wish
to analyze.
B) References
Websites
Geocaching Website
www.geocaching.com
Garmin Website
www.garmin.com
Trimble GPS
www.trimble.com/gps
Books
Integrating GIS and the Global Positioning System
Karen Steede-Terry
Fun with GPS
Donald Cooke
Community Geography: GIS in Action
Kim Zanelli English and Laura S. Feaster
2006 ESRI Canada Schools and Libraries Program
12 Concorde Place, Suite 900 Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3R8 Tel: (416) 441-6035 Fax: (416) 441-6838
Email: k-12@esricanada.com World Wide Web: http://k12.esricanada.com
ArcView GIS 3x
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Students will propose a local geographic question that they wish to answer.
Students will determine the data they need to collect in order to answer their question.
Students will split up in groups and divide the data collection tasks.
Students will learn how to use the GPS units to collect accurate data in the field.
Students will learn how to bring their newly collected data into ArcView for analysis.
Students will print and present their work.
Helpful Hints:
1. We strongly advise that teachers work through the exercise before distributing it to students.
2. Timelines for completion of the exercise will vary. You may want to plan for several classroom
periods to complete the exercise if you decide to use the exercise as a mini-project.
B) Materials Required
GPS unit
Pencil / Pen
Paper
Recommended
Local Data
Digital Camera
C) Possible Scenarios
1. Your class has been asked to take part in a student exchange program. As part of this exchange,
you will be responsible for showing the visiting students around your school and neighbourhood. You
need to prepare a collection of maps, pictures, and directions for the visiting students.
2. You have been asked by the janitor to help curb the litter problem at your school. You need to map
the location of garbage cans and litter, in particular the areas with the highest amount of trash, in
order to strategically locate new garbage cans in an effort to help fix your schools litter problem. For
this exercise students will need to create two tables for data collection, one for garbage cans and one
the litter.
3. Conduct a tree inventory on your school grounds. Locate various tree types. Take pictures of the
trees and hotlink the points to the photographs. What types of trees are abundant around your
school? Are the trees healthy?
2006 ESRI Canada Schools and Libraries Program
12 Concorde Place, Suite 900 Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3R8 Tel: (416) 441-6035 Fax: (416) 441-6838
Email: k-12@esricanada.com World Wide Web: http://k12.esricanada.com
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ArcView GIS 3x
4. You have been asked to calculate the area of your school and your school grounds. You need to
collect the point coordinates for the corners of both your school and the school grounds and conduct
some calculations in ArcView.
5. Conduct a drainage study on your school grounds. Locate the highest and lowest points of elevation
on the school grounds. Are the gutters and/or drains placed in appropriate places?
6. Conduct water quality tests on a local stream and collect the GPS readings at the location where
each sample is taken. Do you notice any patterns?
D) Local Dataset
If you dont have local data for your school, you can purchase a 10 x 10km Local Dataset
from ESRI Canada. ESRI Canada and DMTI Spatial have partnered to offer
Canadian K-12 schools a high quality source for local data. The Local Dataset
is a complete, custom designed set of local data surrounding a school and
includes a wealth of census data at the enumeration area level, a
comprehensive street network file with address ranges, points of interest,
land use and building footprints (where applicable), topographic features,
and much more. Please contact k-12@esricanada.com for more information.
E) GPS Package
For those interested in GPS units as well as the Local Dataset ESRI Canada,
DMTI Spatial, and Halltech have partnered to create a GPS Package for schools.
This package includes a copy of the Local Dataset (see above) and three
Garmin eTrex GPS units. Students are able to collect GPS points and then,
working with their Local Dataset, view and analyze those points in ArcView.
Please contact k-12@esricanada.com for more information.
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ArcView GIS 3x
A widely used and well documented third-party software application for integrating GPS location data with
ArcView is the DNR Garmin Extension for ArcView. DNR Garmin is an ArcView resource developed and
provided free of charge by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. DNR Garmin was developed
for Minnesota DNR Staff and the general GIS public to make life easier collecting GPS data and
analyzing the data in ArcView.
The DNR Garmin extension provides users the ability to directly transfer data to and from a Garmin GPS
receiver and GIS software packages including ArcView. With this extension, WayPoints, TrackLogs, and
Routes collected using GPS units can be transferred directly to ArcView and saved as shapefiles. In
addition, you can upload shapefile point features to a GPS as WayPoints, and polyline and polygon
features can be uploaded to the GPS as TrackLogs or Routes.
Figure 1 DNR Garmin Interface
With ArcView 3.3, you can run the extension as a stand-alone application (see Figure 1) or as an
extension from the ArcView interface (see Figure 2).
For more information and to download the extension visit the DNR website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mis/gis/tools/arcview/extensions/DNRGarmin/DNRGarmin.html
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ArcView GIS 3x
View
Table of Contents: All themes in a View are listed to the left of the map. The Table of
Contents shows the symbols used to draw features in each theme. The check box next to each
theme indicates whether or not it is turned on or off in the map (whether it is currently drawn on
the map).
Theme: A set of related geographic features, such as streets, parcels, or rivers, and the
characteristics (attributes) of those features.
Table
Join: In ArcView, an operation used to attach Tabular data to a theme. The fields of one
table are appended to another table (usually the theme table) using a common field.
Query: A question or request used for selecting features or records. A query often
appears in the form of a statement or logical expression. In ArcView, a query contains a field, an
operator, and a value.
Layout
Select
Tool
Edit Tool
Identify
Tool
Record
Counter
Help
Coordinat
es
Scale
Text
and
Editing
Hot Link
Area of
Interest
Label
Measure
Pan
Zoom Out
Feature
Zoom In
Pointer
Vertex
Edit
Select
Identify
Help
Zoom Out
Zoom to
Previous
E t t
Features
using
Clear
Selected
F t
Zoom to Full
Extent
Zoom to
Active Theme
Zoom to
Selected
Zoom In
Find
Locate
Address
Query Builder
Theme
Properties
Edit Legend
Open Theme
Table
Add Theme
Save Project
ArcView GIS 3x
Sort
Ascending
Sort
Descending
Calculate
Summarize
Join
Promote
Query Builder
Find
Create Chart
Select None
Switch
Selection
Select All
Paste
Copy
Cut
Save Project
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Integrating GIS & GPS
Text Tool
Drawing
Tools
Frame Tools
Zoom In Tool
Zoom Out
Tool
Pan Tool
Vertex Tool
Pointer Tool
Identify
Tool
Erase Tool
Within
Polygon
Element
Properties
Chart
Colour Tool
Help
Find
Records/Field
Area Chart
Gallery
Bar Chart
Gallery
Column Chart
Gallery
Line Chart
Gallery
Pie Chart
Gallery
Scatter Chart
Gallery
Chart
Properties
Series From
Undo Erase
Save Project
ArcView GIS 3x
Help
Zoom Out
Zoom to
Actual Size
Zoom to
Selected
Zoom In
Zoom to Page
Undo
Send to Back
Bring to Front
Ungroup
Group
Layout
Properties
Paste
Copy
Cut
Save Project
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Integrating GIS & GPS
ArcView GIS 3x
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Photographer
GPS carrier/reader
Note taker
Observer
Any other tasks that apply to your scenario specifically
2. Create a table on a sheet of paper to record the points and any attribute information that you are going
to collect. It is important to have a point field so that each record has a unique number. Also, if you are
studying a route or measuring a perimeter, it is necessary to know the order in which the points were
recorded. The table below is an example of a tree inventory attribute table. Remember, you may need
additional/different fields for your scenario.
Point #
Latitude
DDs
Longitude
DDs
Species
Description
Photo
#
45.93847
-77.39487
Oak
2
3
4
5
6
7
3. Assemble outside at your starting point and organize your materials.
Turn on your GPS unit and wait for it to lock onto satellites and get a firm fix on your position.
Important! Be sure that your GPS receiver is set to decimal degrees (dd.ddddd). Examples:
45.45674oN, 72.94865oW
Have your paper and pencil ready.
Turn on your digital camera.
4. As you arrive at each data collection point, take a GPS reading and complete the information for the
table. Be sure to pause long enough at each point for the GPS receiver to get an accurate fix on your
location. Take a photo if you are using a digital camera. Make sure you collect all the information
2006 ESRI Canada Schools and Libraries Program
12 Concorde Place, Suite 900 Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3R8 Tel: (416) 441-6035 Fax: (416) 441-6838
Email: k-12@esricanada.com World Wide Web: http://k12.esricanada.com
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ArcView GIS 3x
2. You are going to start by saving your ArcView project. From the File menu, choose Save Project
As. Navigate to the folder where you want the project saved and name it appropriately. (MAKE
SURE YOU SAVE THE PROJECT IN THE CORRECT FOLDER AND YOU REMEMBER WHERE IT
IS SAVED!)
You will now see a blank table appear on your screen, and you are ready to recreate the table of
information that you collected. The first thing you have to do is add the correct number of fields
(columns) and records (rows) to your table. Create a new field for each of the columns on your hand
written table. Follow the next steps very closely!!
The following steps describe how to replicate the example table depicted in ArcView. Use these
steps as a guideline to create your own table in ArcView. Make sure when you are creating your own
table that you choose the correct field Type and an adequate Width. Use the list of the various field
types below as a reference.
2006 ESRI Canada Schools and Libraries Program
12 Concorde Place, Suite 900 Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3R8 Tel: (416) 441-6035 Fax: (416) 441-6838
Email: k-12@esricanada.com World Wide Web: http://k12.esricanada.com
Page 11 of 18
String
Number
Boolean
Date
ArcView GIS 3x
A String is a fixed length sequence of characters/text. This is the field type you will
likely use to record your text based attribute data. Make sure that you set aside enough
width to allow for your attribute descriptions.
The number field type will only accept numerical values. For this exercise, the latitude
and longitude coordinates will have a numerical field type.
This field type is for attributes that are described using only the values True (T) or False
(F).
The date field type is a container for dates. Values in date fields contain eight digits in
the format YYYYMMDD. Should you wish to record any dates in your table they must
be written in that format. For example, the 2nd of May 1961 would be represented as
19610502.
Note: When you are populating your table be conscious of the names you give your fields. Naming
conventions vary but ArcView requires a field name to be no more than 10 characters. Do not start
your field name with a numeric character and do not use spaces or any punctuation marks except
underscores (_), dashes (-), percent signs (%), or dollar signs ($). Using the Trees theme as the
example you may want a Species field.
6. From the Edit menu, choose Add Field. In the dialog box that appears, change the Name to
Longitude, the Type to Number, the Width to 10, and the Decimal Places to 5. Click OK. You will
see that another new field heading appears in your table.
7. From the Edit menu, choose Add Field. In the dialog box that appears, change the Name to
Species, the Type to String, and the Width to 50. Click OK. You will see a fourth field heading
appears in your table.
8. Finally, from the Edit menu, choose Add Field. In the dialog box that appears, change the Name to
Description, the Type to String, and the Width to 75. Click OK. You will now see a fifth new field
heading appears in your table.
ArcView GIS 3x
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Note: You do not need to create a separate field for the photo. The photos can be linked to any of the
existing fields that you have created.
9. Next you need to add records to represent each of the points that you observed. From the Edit
menu, choose Add Record. You will see a blank record appear in the table now. Continue to add
records until you have a sufficient number to represent all the points.
Hint: As a shortcut to using the menu option to add records, you can use the keyboard function
CTRL+A.
10. You can then start entering the information that you have in your written table into the appropriate
fields and records of your table. IMPORTANT: Make sure you do not forget to enter the negative
(-) sign in front of the longitude values numbers! This denotes westerly longitude.
11. To type information into your table, use the Edit Tool, and your keyboard. Make sure that you hit
ENTER after each entry.
12. When you have finished entering all the information for your table, go to the Table menu and choose
Stop Editing. Save your Edits. Close the table.
Your table should look something like this:
ArcView GIS 3x
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2. Click once on the Views icon and then click New. A new
blank View will appear.
and add any data that is relevant to your area of study. Refer to
3. Click the Add Theme button
your local data. Think about the themes that would be useful for your study. For instance, Roads,
Landuse, Vegetation, Transit lines, Hospitals, Parks, etc.
4. Turn the themes on and off by placing a check mark in the gray box next to the themes name.
5. Reorder the themes in the Table of Contents so you can see them clearly. Generally, the display
order from top to bottom should be points, then lines, and finally polygons.
6. Set the colours and symbols appropriately for each of them.
7. Using the Zoom tools, zoom in
ArcView GIS 3x
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5. From the Theme menu, choose Properties. Change the name of the theme to something more
appropriate. For example, if you were doing the Litter Scenario you could name your theme Litter or
Garbage Cans depending on what you have just mapped. Click OK.
6. From the View menu, choose Properties and change the name of the view to Main Map.
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ArcView GIS 3x
Note: You must now choose the field that you wish to use for Hot Linking. In this example the
Landmark field is used; however, you need to choose an appropriate field based on your project. An
easy field to use for Hot Linking is the Points field. If youve numbered your photos and points the
same, then they will match up easily and you dont have to worry about spelling mistakes.
Change the name of the view from View1 to the name of the landmark that corresponds with the photo.
Click OK. The name must be spelt exactly the same way it appears in the table! Close the View when
you are done.
6. Follow steps 2 - 5 until you have created NEW views for EACH of your photos to be hot linked.
7. From the Window menu, choose your project name.apr again. Click once on the Views icon
Click the view called Main Map and then click OPEN.
ArcView GIS 3x
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Click OK.
10. Back in your view, choose the Hot Link tool
from the tool bar and click on the points for which you
have pictures. USE THE TIP OF THE LIGHTNING BOLT!! The corresponding picture will appear on
your screen. If your hot link doesnt work, check the spelling of the View name with the spelling of the
record name in your table. It is easier to change the View name (View Properties) than to change
the data in the table.
ArcView GIS 3x
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Queries
o
o
conduct attribute queries on your attribute tables using the Query Builder
eg. How many oak trees are over 15 metres?
tool.
Elevation Analysis
o create a contour map connecting points of similar elevation
o compare vegetation at different elevations
o compare soil type and soil moisture at various elevations
Fleuvial Analysis
o measure the speed of the river at each location
o measure water quality values for each point
o display data using a histogram/pie chart
and move the title into a suitable location and make sure it
7. Now you are going to add one of your pictures to your layout. Click hold on the View Frame tool
From the drop down menu that appears, choose the Picture Frame tool
8. With the crosshairs, click hold and drag a box where you want your picture to appear. In the Picture
Frame Properties dialog box that appears, click on the Browse button. Navigate to where your
pictures are saved and select the one that you would like in your layout. Click OK and then click OK
again in the next window. Your picture will now appear in your layout.
9. Use the Pointer tool
to move and resize the elements of your map, so that your layout is
aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps you would like to add a neatline (Layout menu Add Neatline), add
more pictures, or add some text (Text Tool
Print
your map.
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ArcView GIS 3x