Site Contents
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This Site has two distinct halves, one for PCs running Windows and one for Macintoshes.
You should see only those materials appropriate for the platform you are using.
There are many valuable resources on this Site. Some resources can be used with a
low-powered computer, while others require a more robust computer. Special hardware
requirements are indicated below with each element. Even if you don't have a computer that
can run the most powerful applications right now, you should still find elements of value.
You may want to move elements of the Site onto a local hard drive for faster access. If
so, you need to understand the Site's file structure, which is laid out below. The
elements to move onto a local hard drive are "start.htm," "readme.txt,"
and the entire "\GAW1998" directory (or "folder"), which totals
about 12 mb. As long as they are kept "side by side," you can put these three
items in any directory, even on a network, and have full access to the Geographic
Explorations and the Documents identified on the Road Map
page.
Blue box icons 
below identify elements
visible when you first open the Site. Backslashes ("\") in a name indicate the
element is a directory.
Contents
readme.txt
-- opening instructions
start.htm
-- initial page
\APPS -- Installable software to
use in exploring this Site if you do not already have these installed.
\\ADOBE- Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 installers, necessary for reading the "PDF" files
listed below plus those in the ArcVoyager Special Edition installation. Works on any PC
running Windows or any Macintosh with at least 4 mb physical RAM.
- \\NETSCAPE
- Netscape Navigator 4.04 browser installers, one of several browsers that can be used to
read the HTM files on the Site, access the World Wide Web, permit online mapping, and so
forth. Works on a PC running Windows or a Macintosh with at least 4 mb physical RAM.
(Separate Internet connection is required for accessing World Wide Web.)
\GAW1998 -- the contents
- \\BASE
- Pages like this one, used for exploring the Site.
\\\HTML- documents for operating this Site - requires a computer with a web browser installed,
and set to display at least 256 colors (preferably more)
- \\\IMAGES
- images used in the HTML documents
- \\DOCS
- Documents designed for teachers that will help in learning about using geographic
information systems (GIS). All items are Adobe Acrobat documents, and should be
explored using the enclosed Adobe Acrobat Reader. (If you have not set up your browser to
read PDF files, the Acrobat Reader must open separately. See your browser's instructions.)
Exploring Common Ground ("xcg.pdf" or browser version)- Synopsis of why GIS can have such a powerful influence in making educational experiences
more effective, and summary of what GIS-using teachers find attractive.
- GIS in the Curriculum ("gisincur.pdf")
- Description of how GIS might fit into different grade level activities.
- Techniques for Using GIS in the Classroom
("techsuse.pdf")
- Strategies for incorporating GIS into classroom use, at any level.
- Explore Your World with GIS ("explore.pdf")
- Full 50 page document of six lesson activities introducing spatial thinking, designed
for grades 5-12. The 1998 Geography Awareness Week lessons are an update of Activities 4-6
in this booklet.
- GeoTeching ("geotech.pdf")
- Description of various "techie tools" that teachers might be able to take
advantage of in conjunction with GIS.
- Fundamentals of Map Design ("intrcart.pdf")
- Introduction to fundamental principles of map design.
- GIS in K-12 Education ("k12educ2.pdf")
- Comprehensive white paper (revised 1998) on the background, issues, and opportunities
for using GIS in schools.
- \\IMAGES
- Sets of computer screen shots that show interesting topics for exploration, each set
already pre-arranged in documents found on the Road Map
page. Any computer that can display GIF images can view these files.
\\\ANIMGIFS- These images are used on various pages to demonstrate what it looks like when using GIS
"live".
- \\\ARCVIEW
- ArcView GIS is extremely powerful software, but one that students can use easily. This
set of images shows some of the basic operation in ArcView. These images are set at
640x480 pixels, so are best viewed on a display of at least 800x600m pixels.
- \\\GEORGPOP
- Images showing the county population of Georgia according to Census figures, every ten
years from 1900-1990.
- \\\POSTER
- Images from the "GIS Poster" in the 1998 Geography Awareness Week packet.
- \\\QUAKES
- Images exploring earthquakes during 1997 around the world and around North America.
- \\\US48ETHN
- Images showing major patterns of race and ethnicity at a county level across the
contiguous 48 US states.
- \\\USCITY48
- Images showing 25,000 cities and towns identified in the 1990 US Census, and what
appears when you use the computer to select out only those which are above a certain
population.
- \\\VOYAGER
- Images showing the basics of ArcVoyager. This Site contains a special edition of
installable ArcVoyager software!
- \\\WORLDPOP
- Images showing population density around the world, continent by continent, and for a
select set of countries.
\GIS -- Installable mapping
software and data, plus some demos to show you what geographic information systems can do.
\\AEXPLORE- ArcExplorer installable software (lightweight mapping tool usable by computers running
Windows95 or WindowsNT only). Includes MAPables data installer with 50 mb of geographic
data for the US and the world.
- \\DEMOS
- Some "sit back and watch me" demos about GIS (demos can run on any 256-color
Macintosh with 4 mb physical RAM or any 256-color PC running Windows)
- ArcView Explorer = presentation (some interactivity) about GIS, spatial
analysis, and how ArcView GIS software works.
- ArcVoyager demo = self running presentation about the power of
ArcVoyager. This demo
shows the "full version", which is just like the "Special Edition"
version on this Site except that the full version can save files, create data, and open
projects, which the Special Edition cannot.
- \\VOYAGER
- ArcView GIS installable software coupled with ArcVoyager Special Edition, usable
by PowerMacs with at least 16 mb physical RAM or by Windows-based PCs of 486DX or better
with at least 16 mb physical RAM.
\GISDATA -- Geographic feature
data for use with ArcVoyager Special Edition or ArcExplorer.
- CITIES50 - US cities in 50 states from 1990 Census
- CNTRY95 - detailed country boundaries
- ELEV48 - US contiguous 48 state elevation (see the enclosed "elev48.txt" file
for key information)
- ELEVAK - Alaska elevation (see the enclosed "elevak.txt" file for key
information)
- ELEVCAN - Canada elevation (see the enclosed "elevcan.txt" file for key
information)
- NAM_POP - updated population information
- PUERTO - detailed shapes of Puerto Rico
- QUAKES - 1997 earthquake information
- RIVERS - detailed rivers of US contiguous 48 states
\NGS
-- Installable sampler of NGS Works, a suite of tools
that permit students and teachers to make maps, create data tables, color images, write
documents, and maintain a calendar.
See the Proprietary Rights and License page
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