Introduction to GIS Course Schedule

Thurs   

1/16

GIS overview, course overview, lab and software logistics

none

Tues

1/21  

In-class tutorial: ArcGIS Basics-Somerville - see links on ArcGIS Tutorials and Tip Sheets

Please read:

• ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis, ch. 1 (copy in GIS lab, for sale at Tufts Bookstore, on reserve in library)
• Assignment 1 - bring questions to class

Thurs

1/23   

Discuss GIS application examples / Learn about basic GIS data formats

Read the Literature Search Tips presentation and then do a literature search and read at least one of the articles you find and be prepared to discuss it in class. Think specifically about what types of questions the researchers are asking, spatial and otherwise. Our own GIS Application Areas can also be a useful place to start.

Tues 

1/28   

Data Sources - finding, assessing and using existing spatial data
Data Download Practice (in class)

Please review the Tufts GIS Data Guide.  For city/region specific data, check the subcategory - US States, Cities, and Metros). Also look at the MassGIS web site (drill down to the the data layers link and look through this)

Also try out the Tufts Geodata Portal - geodata.tufts.edu

Read Assignment 2 and come to class with questions

Assignment 1 - Project Area Interests and Spatial Questions (10 points) due Tuesday,1/28, by 11:59pm

Thurs

1/30   

Basic cartographic principles - reference mapping and thematic mapping

Read ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis, Ch. 2.
Also read our Cartography Tips and Creating and Editing Scale bars and Legends tip sheets.

Optional: ESRI Map Book Gallery  

Tues   

2/4

Mapping continued;
Basic GIS queries using the Select tools

Be working on Assignment 2
Read ArcGIS 10.1 Help:

• Using Select by Location
• Using Select by Attribute
• Working with Selected Features

Thurs

2/6     

Working with US Census data in GIS

Look over our Census Workshop materials, and also look at the Census Web Site (http://www.census.gov/)

Assignment 2- (10 points) due Friday, 2/7

Tues 

2/11  

Census discussion continued - mapping quantities

ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis, Ch. 3
Do the following exercise as homework for today's class and have your results ready to use in class: Using American Factfinder and ArcGIS to Map Census Data

 Reference: ArcGIS 10 Help references: 

• About symbolizing layers to represent quantity
• Classifying numerical fields for graduated symbology

Thurs

2/13 

American Community Survey data
In class exercise:American Community Survey Margin of Error Tutorial

Spielman, S. E., Folch, D., & Nagle, N. (2014). Patterns and causes of uncertainty in the American Community Survey. Applied Geography, 46, 147-157.

Be working on Assignment 3

Tues 

2/18   

Understanding data quality

Read Assignment 4

Optional: Maantay, J. 2007. Asthma and air pollution in the Bronx: Methodological and data considerations in using GIS for environmental justice and health research. Health and Place, 13 (1), pp. 32-56 (focus on issues of data quality and methodological decisions)

Thurs

2/20

No Class

Substitute Monday's schedule on Thursday

Assignment 3 - Working with Census Data (10 points) - due Monday 2/24

Tues

2/25

Mapping Addresses through Geocoding
  

Homework: Go through the Geocoding Reference USA Tutorial at least through page 8. We'll cover the rest in class.

Skim through the ESRI Guide to Geocoding

Thurs 

2/27    

Finish up geocoding discussion - parcel geocoding, working with unmatched records 
  

From ArcGIS 10.1 Help, read:  

• About Rematching a Geocoded Feature
• Rematching with the interactive rematch box

Tues 

3/4

Map Projection and Coordinate System Basics

Watch this clip from The West Wing - "Why are we changing maps?"

The readings below are for your reference - they will make more sense if you read them after class!

• From GeoSTAC - the following two links are good reference for our discussion and your mapping!
  • State Plane Coordinate System overview (most widely used system for municipal and county level mapping) 
  • UTM Coordinate System overview (widely used for regional and environmental mapping)
• From Hunter College - How to Choose a Map Projection

Thurs 

3/6    

Understanding how to use and trouble-shoot map projections

Do the Trouble Shooting Coordinate Systems exercise on your own (takes about 1 hour)
Review ArcGIS10.1 Help - Guidebook for Map Projections

Assignment 4 - GIS data quality assessment (10 points) - due Monday, 3/10

Tues 

3/11

Exploring geographic data with basic queries

Look over Assignment 5 - Project Data Preparation and Basic Spatial Analysis

Thurs

3/13

Example Raster Overlay Analysis - Siting a Wind Farm Maintenance Facility in China

ArcGIS 10.1 Help - please read the following: 

• Solving Spatial Problems with Representational Models
• A Conceptual Model for Solving Spatial Problems
• Using the Conceptual Model to Create a Suitability Map
• Read through to the top of page 4 in our in class exercise: Siting a Wind Farm Maintenance Facility in China

No classes

SPRING BREAK

Tues

3/25

Using Spatial Join and Zonal Statistics tools / 
Understanding vector and raster data format and uses

From ArcGIS Help, read:

• Feature Class Basics (this is vector data)
• What is Raster Data?
• Table Basics
  

Meet with Barbara - use Trunk Sign-up Tool

Thurs

3/27

Proximity analysis 
New England Nuclear Power Plant Exercise

ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis, vol 1 -Ch. 6- Mapping What's Nearby
 
Resource:  ArcGIS 10.1 Help  - Proximity Analysis

Tues

4/1 

Proximity analysis - street-based examples using Network Analyst

• Take a look at this article, in particular the GIS methods section (p. 546-547) - we'll talk about this example in class: B. Giles-Corti et al. 2011. School site and the potential to walk to school: The impact of street connectivity and traffic exposure in school neighborhoods, Health & Place, 17(2):545-550
• Read over ArcGIS 10.1 Help - ArcGIS 10.1 Help - What is the Network Analyst Extension?

Assignment 5 - Project Data Preparation and Basic Spatial Analysis (15 points)- due Tuesday, 4/1

Thurs 

4/3 

Mapping density and hot spots

ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis, vol 1 -Ch. 4 - Mapping Density
Read over ArcGIS 10.1 Help  - Density Analysis

Tues

4/8

Site suitability example using vector tools

Vector overlay analysis exercise

• Read about the New Entry Farming Program, including this article from the Boston Globe(12/3/2012) 
• Read: ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis Ch. 5 - Finding What's Inside 
  Resources: fromr ArcGIS 10.1 Help  - Overlay Analysis

Thurs

4/10

Analysis issues

Scholssberg, Marc. 2003. GIS, the US Census and Neighborhood Scale Analysis. Planning, Practice & Research 18.2-3 (2003): 213

Assignment 6 - Detailed Project Plan (15 points) - due Monday, 4/14

Tues

4/15

Review - putting analysis steps together

An interesting example - Coalition for a Livable Future (Portland, Oregon) - Regional Equity Atlas (see especially How to Read the Atlas Maps) and the Metadata section)

Also, the Original (2007) Regional Equity Atlas has a useful Methodology explanation and a "primer" to how they calculated the neighborhood tabular variables and scores.

Thurs

4/17   

No formal class

Sign up for individual meetings with Barbara to review your project plan

Tues 

4/22   

Poster Design Workshop

Please explore Color Brewer - this is a good site for helping you to determine a good color scheme.

All materials for the poster design workshop online are on our GIS Poster Design Guide site.

Thur

4/24

Course wrap-up and how to continue developing GIS skills

Final posters/papers   (30 points) poster must be printed by 5pm Monday, May 5; paper due Wednesday, May 7 

GIS Poster Expo, Tuesday, May 6, 3:30-5pm, Alumnae Lounge, Aideman Arts Center - food and festivities!