Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the techniques geographers use to learn about the world. In the course we will learn how to interpret maps, produce maps, interpret remotely sensed imagery, analyze geographic datasets, and use geographic information systems. Not only will we learn how to use these technologies, we will examine ways to apply them to real world problems. By taking this course I hope you will learn more about the tools that geographers use and the ways that these tools can be applied.

Course Requirements:

Classes:

The time spent in class will be split between lectures and labs. Half the classes will be standard lecture format where we will go over basic concepts and the general workings of the technologies we are using. The other half of classes will be spent working “hands on” doing lab exercises. I expect that you will attend all the classes, add to discussions in class, complete the assigned readings before class, and do the lab exercises during class time. If you miss a class you are responsible to get the notes from a classmate and ask her/him about what we went over that day. If you are someone who may miss classes throughout the semester because of athletics or another university sponsored activity please let me know early in the semester so I can make note of it. Attendance will be taken and count as part of your final grade.

Readings:

The book for this course is Map Use and Analysis (4^th edition) by John Campbell which is available at the UVM bookstore. Read the assigned material before the class for which it is assigned. Additionally, there will be some handouts given out periodically during the semester as well as lab assignments that should be read in advance of the lab days.

Things you will be graded on:

Exams:

There will be 2 lecture exams and 2 lab exams during the semester (see class schedule for dates). The information for the lecture exams will come directly from the class discussions and readings. The exams will have a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and short essay questions. There is also a lab exam. The lab exam is open book, note, internet, etc. It will ask you to accomplish tasks that have been covered in the labs.

Labs:

There are 10 lab exercises during the semester. Turn-ins for the labs are due one week from the day we worked on the lab in class. I expect that you will work on the labs during class time, but in some instances you may need to spend additional time in the lab to complete the assignment.

Project:

You are going to make a map! Using the techniques learned in this class you are going to make a map ‘from scratch’ using data that you acquire from somewhere. In addition to turning in the map itself you also need to turn in a 2 – 4 page description of the steps you went through to produce the map. The map should be based on a theme that interests you and involves some sort of manipulation or analysis of the data you acquired.

Vieques project for the Committee for the Rescue and Redevelopment of Vieques?

You are under no obligation to do a map project based on the Vieques, Puerto Rico data and you will be graded using the same criteria whether you do a Vieque- oriented project or one on another subject.

Submit an idea for the map project by Nov. 3.

Project presentation:

You will do a (approx) 5 minute presentation of your map to the class describing what it is, how you made it, and what the map can be used for. Presentations will occur on Dec. 1 and 6. You must turn in your map and description on Dec. 1.

This is how the points will break down:

Lecture Exams: 200 points (2 exams at 100 points each)

Lab exams 200 points (2 exams at 100 points each)

Labs: 300 points (10 labs at 30 points each)

Map Project: 150 points

Project Presentation: 50 points

Attendance: 100 points

Total 1000 points

Grades will be distributed according to the following scale:

A+ 100-97; A 97-93; A- 93-90; B+ 90-87; B 83-87; B- 83-80; C+ 80-77; C 77-73; C- 73-70; D+ 70-67; D 67-63; D- 60-63; F= below 60.

Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism (submitting someone else’s work as your own), cheating, and fabrication of information or citations. It will result in a grade of “F” for this course. If you have any questions or uncertainty regarding this policy discuss them with me.

Access: I encourage persons with disabilities to participate in this class. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell me as soon as possible.

Class Schedule:

(Note: This is an approximate schedule. If there are any changes to it I will announce it in class.)

Aug 30: Text Reading

Introduction, syllabus, a little Remote Sensing

Sept 1:

Lab: air photo interpretation

Sept. 6:

Remote sensing and photogrammetry Chap 5, 17, 18

Sept. 8:

lab: photogrammetry

Sept 13:

Remote sensing and image analysis

Sept. 15:

lab: Remote sensing on the internet and satellite image analysis

Sept 20:

Maps, interpretation Chap 1, 2, 8, 9

Sept. 22:

lab: Map interpretation and use

Sept 27:

More on maps, projections, GPS, getting data Chap 3

Sept. 29:

lab: Getting into ArcGIS

Oct 4:

***** Lecture Exam Day 1*****

Oct. 6:

*****Lab Exam 1******

Oct 11:

data, spatial data, types of space, and databases Chap 11, 21

Oct. 13:

lab: databases and digitizing San Diego airphoto

Oct 18:

GIS, finding data on the web, working with databases

Oct. 20

lab: getting spatial into ARC, projecting and using it.

Oct 25:

Non-spatial data, Databases and tables in ARC

Oct. 27:

lab: importing databases and playing with data and tables in ARC

Nov 1:

Making maps. Chap 14, 16, 19

Nov. 3:

lab: symbolizing features. Turn in idea for project.

Nov 8:

Making maps

Nov. 10:

Lab: classifying features, labeling features.

Nov 15:

*****Lecture Exam Day 2****

Nov. 17:

*****Lab Exam 2*****

Nov. 22:

Less talk, more rock… extended lab time.

Nov 24: – No Class: Thanksgiving

Nov. 29:

lab: making your map

Dec. 1

Project presentations. Projects Due.

Dec 6

Project presentations.