Geographic Information Systems Student Spotlight

GIS4043 Geographic Information Systems, Instructor, Mrs. Amber Bloechle

GIS Cartography

In this weeks lab students:
- Created and altered the symbology of maps created in ArcGIS
- Examined files from ArcCatalog and the ArcCatalog Window
- Reviewed raster pyramids
- Compared and contrasted raster and vector data files
- Identified and used all Table of Content (ToC) Views
- Utilized dynamic text in a map layout
- Created group layers
- Reviewed how to save a map as a map package 

Students utilized design skills learned in the previous lab to created three different maps showing  Mexico population by state, Central Mexico transportation, and Mexico's Topography.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Create and alter the symbology of maps created in ArcGIS 
• Examine files from ArcCatalog and the ArcCatalog Window 
• Review raster pyramids 
• Compare and contrast raster and vector data files 
• Identify and use all Table of Content (ToC) Views 
• Utilize dynamic text in a map layout 
• Create group layers 
• Review how to save a map as a map package

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT AWARDS

The following student was chosen for their exception work on the ArcGIS Overview assignment:

Rena Lautzenheiser

About Rena: Rena's journey into cartography started years ago(post-Columbus, pre-AutoCAD), back when topo maps were still drawn by hand. She has a bachelor's degree in Land Surveying and worked for several years in surveying and construction for private companies and the National Park Service. She then took a break from that work to become a mom and a teacher. Ten years ago, she resumed surveying in the summers for the Bureau of Land Management in Montana, working mainly with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and on projects such as mining claims, river surveys, and dinosaur digs. Rena's past exposure to GIS was mainly as a resource for her surveying needs. Not she is looking forward to being on the creation side of GIS and hopes that completion of this program will lead to more exciting opportunities in the future. Congratulations on making the spotlight, Rena!

What we like: Rena really owned her map this week. She made excellent design, color, and title choices. Also, her inset maps contained meaningful titles and appropriately sized scales. All of the information was very well presented. Her blog caption and A+ Process Summary also showed us she really understood the tools and techniques of this lab. Keep up the good work, Rena!

Come back next week for the Student Spotlight from Cartography!