GIS NatSci

Initial Exercises

We will use the free parts of the ESRI Virtual Campus as an adjunct to the exercises that I will later assign and grade.

Do this:

• Go to campus.esri.com
• Sign up for a new account (unless you already have one!), by clicking on Sign Up Now, near the lower left of the page.
• Choose a username and password. Fill out the rest of the forms. If any of this seems excessively difficult, see my Prerequisite! Remember, I'm not trying to scare people away, just be realistic. If your computer skills are non-existent you will work VERY hard in this class, I will try to help you succeed, but it will be hard, email me. End of parenthetical digression...
• Click on Browse Course Catalog
• Choose a course (see list below), and click Enroll for Free Module. At the minimum do either Introduction to ArcView GIS, or Learning ArcGIS I. Print out a certificate showing that you completed the free module and give it to me when I get back. Thanks!

The following are what I would consider useful modules for this course. Do as many of them as you have time for! They're pretty fun!

GIScience

• Understanding Geographic Data
• Understanding Map Projections and Coordinate Systems
• Turning Data into Information

Technology

• Learning ArcGis I
• Introduction to ArcView GIS
• Any of the 3D, Spatial or Image Analyst Extensions
• ModelBuilder

Applications

• Marine Science
• Conservation
• Hydrology
• Agriculture

Frankly, I don't much like the tests on the ESRI Virtual Campus, they emphasize memorization over intellectual processing or doing something new with what you learned. But they serve as a record that you completed the modules, so we'll use them!