LAND VIEW & GPS FOR 8^TH GRADERS

 

By:Akela Barnett

 

Purpose

            This project involves the use of GIS and GPS global positioning. The targeted audience is to inform 8^th graders.   This project allows you to teach your students the benefits and rewards of planting trees as well as saving trees as a part of GIS. We will identify 5 trees within the school campus.  Each group of students will label their tree and record the data points on paper.

 

Materials Needed

            GPS hand held receiver

             Pencils

             1 sheet of paper assigned to each group to record points

             Software- Microsoft Excel and Land View

Steps

1.      Divide students into 5 groups

2.      Pin point what trees will be used for the project

3.      Have each group of students name their tree

4.      Estimate how far apart each tree is from one another

5.      Using the GPS hand held receiver have students stand for 2 minutes and record the latitude, longitude and location of the tree. * Save as a dbs.file

6.      After all points are successfully recorded you are now ready to bring the information to a computer and map points using Microsoft Excel and Land View.

7.      Refer to Land View Instructions for further help**

Note* Have students decide the desired color and symbols for mapping.

 

 

Expected Overcomes

            I want students to become familiar with latitude and longitude and the various things GPS has to offer whether the target is regional or local.   Using biogeography students will be persuaded that by navigating points through Land View this experimental learning can blossom into a career development in the future.  Students are expected to gain knowledge of GIS/GPS design art and graphic design and natural resource.

 

Bibliography

            To further your search you will find more details as well as current available websites. GIS is used in American Forests.  For example the American Forest has a mission to improve the environment with trees and forest. In relation to the above project GIS can be used to test landscape ordinances and evaluate site plans.

 Such websites are:

 www.americanforests.org

 www.geocomm.com

 www.mapquest.com

 www.gisday.com

 www.indo.com/distance/

 www.esri.com

 

Southern University Baton Rouge Lousiana

http://cafcs.subr.edu/ubfor/menupage.htm

 

 

You may also obtain knowledge by asking your teacher for the software provided with this project.

 

**Procedure for Bringing the GPS Points in your *.dbf File into LandView GIS

 

Note: These instructions are very general.  Less experienced LandView users should refer to the LandView Users Manual.

 

1. Add an empty field entitled “MARPLOTID” to the *.dbf file containing the GPS points.  Make sure the field is 16 units wide.
2. Start up LandView GIS.
3. Go to the MARPLOT window.
4. At the List menu, go to Layer List.  Open the layers window and then follow the procedure to add a new Layer to the map.  Call the new layer “GPS.”
5. Keep the new layer unlocked.
6. Go to the LandView window.
7. Under the File menu, choose Open
8. Open the *.dbf file containing the GPS point coordinates.
9. Under the Map menu, choose Associate File with Map Layer, and then follow the instructions to associate your *.dbf file with the new GPS layer you created earlier.
10. Under the Map menu choose Create MARPLOT Import File, and the follow the instructions to bring the *.dbf file you created into LandView as a *.mie file (the *.mie file will appear in the LvUser folder on your hard drive.
11. Go to the MARPLOT window.
12. Under the File menu choose Import, navigate to the *.mie file you created and then follow the instructions to import the file into LandView.
13. Under the List menu choose Layer List.
14. Open the layers window and then lock the layer “GPS” you created earlier.
15. After locking the GPS layer, choose a proper color and symbol.
16. Next, make sure the GPS layer is set to “Show,” then click “OK.”
17. Your points should now be visible on the LandView map.