GIS 303

Skyline College Spring 2001


Instructor: Alan Forsberg.
Office hours:
after class or by appointment.
Tel: (650) 574-6677 x9296
e-mail:
geo300@skittlebug.net

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students will complete projects in an area of their choice. GIS 301 & 302 are recommended but is NOT a prerequisite. Advanced math or computing skills are not necessary to enroll in this course.

COURSE SCHEDULE (below) and this syllabus can be accessed at the following web address:

https://griots.tripod.com/sky/gis303sp01.html

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of the course you should be able to:

TEXT

Reading assignments will be from online sources, and occasional handouts.

HOW THE COURSE IS ORGANIZED

Students in the computer lab will work on projects related to brief lectures on advanced topics in GIS.

PREPARATION AND ASSIGNMENTS

You should complete the assigned reading by the due date. Check the schedule to see if there have been any revisions. Prepare for the class by taking notes and asking questions on topics that you do not understand.

IN-CLASS PROJECTS

Students will work on projects during each class meeting. Work not completed in class

FINAL EXAM

The final exam will be comprehensive - covering the readings and lecture materials of the entire course.

ATTENDANCE & CLASS PARTICIPATION

Attendance will be taken daily. Class participation means attending regularly, answering questions in class, asking appropriate questions, contributing to class. You may be dropped if you are absent more than twice without notifying the instructor. However, it is your responsibility if you decide to drop the class. Do not count on me to drop you before the last date for a "W".

COURSE EVALUATION

Two Projects (375 points each)  750 points
 Final Exam  150 points
 Participation  100 points
 TOTAL POINTS  1000 points

GRADING

The total number of points that you accumulate during the semester will determine your final course grade. Final grades are based on the following percentages of total points:

 A = 900-1000 pts.  B = 800-899 pts.   C = 700-799 pts.  D = at least 600 pts.


COURSE SCHEDULE GIS 303
subject to change
(Last Updated May 23, 2001)
 Week  Date  Subject and GIS links
 1 4/18  Introduction to Map Making with ArcView.
What Is a Good Map?
Elements found on virtually all maps
Cartographic Communication - U. of Colorado, Boulder
ArcExplorer 2
Web-based data and map sources.
Guide to Mostly On-Line and Mostly Free U.S. Geospatial and Attribute Data
Readings: from GIS 585: Locating GIS Data pp.7-22
Finding Data
Data Wharehouses

GIS Data Depot
Gateway to GIS Resources - U.S. Census Bureau
The GIS Portal - GIS WWW Resources
GIS data for northern California
POSTAL/ZIP CODES
1990 Census Lookup - by zip
 2 4/25 Using interactive web-based GIS systems.
U.S. National Atlas, ESRI ArcData Online, U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER Mapping Service - TMS Version 2.5, US-Mexico Demographic Data Viewer
Window to My Environment, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP), GeoTracker, Free GIS, Free GIS Stuff,
Introduction to DEMs and TINs. Microdem, TerraExplorer
USGS DEM status and download
USGS Map Finder
Overview of Elevation
Digital Elevation Data Catalogue

Finding Data for 3D Terrain Modeling
 3 5/2 Guest Lecture by Garret Lee of the National Park Service-- "Creating a database of the Presidio"
Project One Due - Citations and Bibliographies
 4 5/9 GPS and GIS
How GPS Works, Global Positioning System Overview, Converting Degrees, Minutes, Seconds to Decimal Format, The Uses of GPS
 5 5/16  Remote Sensing - Guest Lecture by Michael Rymer of USGS

Polygons and Politics--how human relationships influence GIS
implementations and Advanced Internet Map Server Techniques:
Designing Intuitive Websites for a Non-technical User Base

Guest Lecture by Jonathan W. Lowe
Geospatial Evangelist from Informix Software, Inc.
Oakland Unified School District's map center.
City of Oakland's online mapping site.
City of Berkeley's parcel notification system.
 6 5/23 Project Two Due at the end of class.
Extra Credit Project
Review
Final Exam - Take Home


The GeoCommunity GIS Data Depot Other GIS/Geo Sites
Put the GIS Search Engine on your website!
Submit your url

Alan's World