ArcView and Geocoding Exercise

By Luciana Noland

 

The purpose of this research project is to help children gain a better understanding of GIS and Geocoding by mapping local toy stores and MacDonald’s fast food restaurants. The target audience is third graders. 

 

“A number of organizations have successfully applied GIS to their marketing intelligence and analysis needs. For example, fast food restaurants and other food service firms have been one of the most prominent business users of geographic technologies. Firms such as Arby's, Burger King, The Olive Garden, Popeyes, Red Lobster, and others use GIS for market analysis, franchisee selection and placement, site location analysis, and demographic profiling… MacDonald's has used geographic technologies for a number of years and is recognized as an industry leader in the use of geographic information technologies because of its progressive use of GIS for a wide variety of marketing and operational applications” (Mennecke, 2001).
       

 

Material needed:  ArcView GIS software, Microsoft Excel, Yellow pages, pencil, paper

 

Procedure:

                        STEP 1.  Using the yellow pages-write down all the addresses of the

 

STEP 2.  Using Microsoft Excel-create a database with the addresses-      saving it as a dbase file.

 

STEP 3.  Go to www.esri.com and follow the instructions to download the shapefile (*.shp) of the streets and roads for your county.

 

STEP 4.  Start ArcView GIS and add the streets and roads shapefile to the View as a theme.

 

STEP 5.  Under Theme menu-go to Properties and follow the instructions to set up the streets shapefile for geocoding.

 

STEP6.  Open the Project window and then go to the Tables menu.  Under Tables choose Add and then browse until you find the dbase file containing the names and addresses of the local toy stores and MacDonald’s fast food restaurants.  Add the file to the Project.

 

STEP 7. Open the View and then go to the View menu.  Follow the instructions to geocode the addresses. 

 

STEP 8.  Under the View legend make the matched addresses visible on the street map.

 

STEP 9.  Create a list of questions that will explain the reasons behind doing this project.

 

STEP 10.  Make choropleth map using census data of children under the age of 12.  Compare point locations of toy stores with numbers of children under the age of 12 in each census tract.

 

Assessment:  Students should be able to understand and explain GIS and Geocoding.

 

 

Bibliography:  For more information on GIS and Geocoding-

 

“Geocoding in ArcView” in Geographic Information Systems with Caitlin Dempsey

http://gis.about.com/library/weekly/aa053100b.htm?iam=savvy&terms=%2Bgeocoding

 

 

“GIS for Kids” in Geographic Information Systems with Caitlin Dempsey

http://gis.about.com/library/weekly/aa062701a.htm?iam=savvy&terms=%2Bgis+%2BK-12

 

 

Mennecke, B. E.  “Understanding the Role of Geographic Information Technologies in Business: Applications and Research Directions” Journal of Geographic Information and Decision Analysis, vol.1, no.1, pp. 44-68. http://publish.uwo.ca/~jmalczew/gida_1/Mennecke/Mennecke.htm ( Date accessed August 14, 2001)

 

1.  Why do you think GIS is important?

 

2.  What makes GIS important to MacDonald’s and toy stores?

 

3.   What is geocoding?