1 Geography 370 Syllabus 1/14/2019Geography 370: Introduction to Geographic InformationContact InformationInstructor: Dan Weiss ([email protected])Teaching Assistant: Tamara Mittman ([email protected])Teaching Assistant: Paul McCall ([email protected])Course Places & TimesClassroom: Saunders Hall, Room 2209:00-9:50 AM, Monday, Wednesday, FridayRecitation: Saunders Hall, Room 322Section 601: 12:00-12:50 PM, WednesdaySection 602: 2:00-2:50 PM, WednesdaySection 603: 1:00-1:50 PM, Thursday Office Hours: Saunders Hall, Room 3172:00-4:00 PM, Thursday 10:00-12:00 AM, FridayOr by appointment Links to Course InformationCourse Website: http://www.unc.edu/courses/2007fall/geog/370/001/UNC Blackboard: http://blackboard.unc.edu/Course Textbook Heywood, I., Cornelius, S., and Carver, S. (2006). An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems. 3rd Edition. (ISBN: 0131293176)Course Data StorageLabs for this course will require data storage. We recommend purchasing a flash drive (also known as a jump drive or a thumb drive) with a capacity of at least 256 MB. FYI, most flash drives currently available at Student Stores or Best Buy etc. havea capacity of 1 GB or more (i.e., 4 times larger than what you will need for this class).Course SoftwareLab assignments will utilize the ArcGIS 9.2 software package. ArcGIS is installed on the computers in Saunders 322 for your use when other classes are not occupying the room. To obtain a copy of this software for your laptop, send a request to the software acquisition office (https://software.unc.edu/available.php). When your order is complete, you can pick up the CDs at the software acquisition office located in the basement of House Undergraduate Library. Course OrganizationMonday & Wednesday: Lecture (see calendar below for topics)Lecture notes (PowerPoint slides) will be available on BlackboardFriday: Small group discussions around a case studyRecitation: Lab assignments will be introduced and you will have time to work on them. TAs will be present to explain the labs and to assist you with your work.Case StudiesCase studies will consist of small group (4-5 people) discussions focused on a topic presented at the beginning of class. Each group will answer a set of discussion questions that will be turned in at the end of class. Attendance, answers to the2 Geography 370 Syllabus 1/14/2019discussion questions, and discussion participation will contribute to the overall class participation grade.ReadingsAssigned readings from the textbook are shown on the calendar on page 4. The readings are associated with the lecture topics presented that day and should be read before class. Lab AssignmentsLab assignments 1-3 will be turned in individually. Helping each other is encouraged,but handholding other students through individual labs is not (i.e., giving step-by-stepinstructions is not acceptable). This is an ethical concern covered by the UNC honor code.Lab assignments 4 and 5 can be completed individually or in groups of 2 or 3 students.Each lab assignment will contain a grading rubric explaining how the lab will be graded. Materials turned in for the labs will typically consist of written responses to questions, and one or more maps. For individual assignments (labs 1-3) each studentwill turn in a copy. For group labs (labs 4 and 5) only one copy containing the names of all group members needs to be turned in.All labs will be turned in using the “Digital Drop Box” functionality in Blackboard by 5:00 PM on the date due. Late lab assignments will be docked 10% (3 points) for each day late. Class ProjectThe class project may be done individually or in groups of 2 or 3 students. More details will be presented later in the semester, but basically each group will be asked to come up with a small GIS project. First, each group will develop a short proposal detailing the project and which data and methods will be utilized. This proposal will be reviewed by other students in class and by the instructor. Once the proposal is accepted, each group will find all of the needed data, conduct the proposed analyses,produce a report detailing the results and providing interpretations, and present the results to the class. The purpose of the class project is to develop a GIS project from start to finish. Each group will identify a research problem, form a hypothesis, determine the data & analyses needed to test the hypothesis, obtain or collect the necessary data, conductthe analyses, produce output that adequately conveys the results of the analyses, and interpret the results. Projects that expose students to project design and interpretation of results are beneficial because they require thinking, planning, and creativity that are hard to replicate through lab assignments that come with prepareddata and a set of instructions. Projects like these are also reminiscent of what you are likely to do in future classes and/or jobs should you use GIS analysis.GIS QuestionsDuring your lab assignments and class project you are likely to have GIS questions. When they arise, here is the general order you should follow to solve your problem: 1) Read the lab thoroughly before starting. Fully understanding the task will avoid dead-ends and save you time in the long run.2) Try a few times to solve the problem yourself (i.e., explore the menu options available on the menu bar and those that pop-up from left & right clicking).3) Consult the ArcGIS help files.4) Ask other students taking this course. This is a good reason to get to know people in your discussion groups. For those answering questions remember that teaching someone is one of the best ways to learn.5) Ask a TA during recitation or ask the instructor during office hours.3 Geography 370 Syllabus 1/14/20196) Ask a TA or the instructor another time (subject to their availability) or send the question via e-mail. Note that you should not expect an instantaneous response to e-mail, so don’t wait until the last minute to ask your question. For example, asking a question at 1:00 AM the night before a lab assignment is due probably won’t get you a response in time.E-mail Protocol Please include “geog370” in subject line of any e-mails you send to us in case the e-mail is intercepted by a spam filter.ExamsMidterm exam (10/10/2007): This exam will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions relating to topics covered in the first half of the course.Final