Edexcel GIS for Unit 2 Guide

8/6/2019 Edexcel GIS for Unit 2 Guide

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GIS within Edexcel Geography

GIS or Geographical Information Systems are becoming an important part of a 21st century

way of life. GIS has evolved into a technology that is used by a huge number of industries andagencies to help plan, design, engineer, build and maintain information infrastructures thateffects our everyday lives. There really is no limit to the type of data that can be included ina GIS. Consequently GIS can be used in a huge range of geographical contexts, and isincreasingly being used in real time disaster management, to quickly map areas of damage(using GPS), identify services, locate possible refugee sites etc.GIS is also relevant to the Edexcel GeographySpecifications, both at GCSE and at A Level.

The aim of this short paper is to provide teachers ofEdexcel Geography with some backgroundinformation relating to GIS, as well how the

technology fits within different parts of thespecifications. We have also provided a section ofweb-links at end of the guidance that Centres may also find useful.

Source RGS-IBGhttp://www.gis.rgs.org/0.html

GIS Basis the system

Geographic information is simply information that a digital coded description of the locationsof objects and features. It relates to the distribution of any physical and human features thatare found on the Earths surface. Types of geographic information are varied including socio-

economic and demographic data as well as physical and environmental data. The data canexpressed as points, lines or areas, e.g. vectors or polygons. This is commonly calledattribute data, which is coded into coordinates.

Source Ordnance Surveyhttp://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/gisfiles/section1/page5.html

A point is defined by a single pair of

coordinate values. A line is defined by a

sequence of coordinate pairs defining the

points through which the line is drawn. An

area is defined in a similar way, only with

the first and last points joined to make a

complete enclosure.


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GIS systems work as a set of layers that the usercan turn on and off. This is the great advantageof GIS since users can customise maps and areas

to suit their own needs and demands. Maps, canfor instance just show physical information suchas elevation, rivers, geology etc. Alternativelythe human footprint on the landscape can beoverlaid, e.g. settlement patterns, transportnodes and networks, land use etc. GIS has theadvantage in that the user turns off or on thelayers that they want to see, either addingcomplexity or simplifying the map.One of the most useful (but more complexaspects of GIS) is that it can be used to performnetwork analysis. Network analysis is the

mathematical processing of the shape of alink/node layer, enabling the identification of allpossible routes around that network, along withthe distances and times involved. This meansthat, using an accurate road data layer, the software can identify possible routes betweentwo locations and calculate the shortest. This is how the sat-nav works. The technology isvery important in the logistics and distribution services.

The table below provides some examples of how GIS can be used in a variety of situations.Example overlay Application

Population density Flood risk; pollution from particular point sources

Maps of crime Crime hotspots; links to peoples perception of crime

Roads Ambulance / police / fire to find quickest route (network)Disease maps Monitoring / modelling and predicting disease outbreaks, e.g. swine-

flu

Town retailcatchments

To help with the location of a new shopping centre or supermarket

Overall, the use of modern GIS offers many advantages over paper maps: Can cope with larger amounts of data Can cover large study areas (the whole world if necessary) Can conveniently select any sub-study area Can cope with unlimited and frequent edits and changes More robust and resistant to damage Faster and more efficient Requires less person time and money

GIS spectrum

The idea behind the GIS spectrum is that there are different types of GIS systems that vary interms of their complexity, sophistication and flexibility to do tasks. Simple examples of GISare Google Earth, Google Maps, Microsoft Bing etc and then more sophisticated includingAnquet Maps, Infomapper, Aegis and ArcMapper. Refer to the GIS spectrum diagram.


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Free + low cost web-based GIS and digital maps

Virtually all students studying AS Geography will have already used a GIS system, becauseGoogle Earth and Google Maps are both GIS systems, although they are web based. The tablebelow suggests some of the sites that could be used as examples.


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One of the big benefits of this free web-based technology is that overlays can be added, e.g.

using GeGraphs see examples immediately below and at the bottom of the page.

Source FSC Juniper Hall

Simple GIS has been unwittingly used by

students for many years now the example

on the left shows how Google Maps for

example has been used in the legacy

coursework to locate an area. Below is an

extract from the Edexcel GCSE B Geography

workbook, indicating the use of placemarks

and overlays.


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More sophisticated GIS

There are a range of specialist

software products that can supportGIS usage in schools. The most

commonly used application is AEGIS3

http://www.advisoryunit.org.uk/.

This is a specialist schools based

product which comes with a range of

free data.

The leader in professional platforms is

ESRI who have products such as

ArcView and ArcInfo which are now

widely used in some schools.

http://www.esriuk.com/ . Other

examples of GIS systems are available and are listed by the Ordnance Survey see extract

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/education/mappingnews/previouseditions/33/

p38-39.pdfPaid-for packages have greater flexibility and sophistication than their web based

counterparts, but they are more complex, often requiring specialist training for teachers and

students. You can find out more about GIS also from the Geographical Association who have

a support book http://www.geography.org.uk/shop/shop_detail.asp?ID=575&section=4

Linkage to GIS within the Edexcel geography specifications.

Both the Geographical Association http://www.geography.org.uk/gtip/thinkpieces/gis/#top and the RGS have recognised the importance of GIS in school educationhttp://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Resources/GIS/Getting+started+with+GIS.htm . Infact , GIS is specifically mentioned with in new Geography Manifesto:GIS can be the source of innovative teaching approaches, both inside and outside theclassroom.Edexcel has embraced the importance of this new technology and so it has become a

recognised component of both the new GCSEs (2009) and A Level (2008).

GCSEIn the qualification content, (knowledge and skills) both specifications refer to: the use ofnew technologies, including the Geographical Information System (GIS), to assist geographicalinvestigation.Also:Specification A: Unit 1: Section A Geographical Skills: This covers cartographic, graphical,geographical enquiry, ICT and GIS skills. This refers to Topic 6. GIS is also mentioned inconnection with the controlled assessment.Specification B: Controlled Assessment / Unit 4: The use of Geographical InformationSystems (GIS) and digital maps should be used during the students fieldwork investigations.Assessment criterion b methods of data collection and assessment criterion c datapresentation and report production assess the students ability to use GIS in the fieldworkinvestigation.


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GCE

At both AS and A2 GIS maps can used within the specification to show patterns, distributions,areas, anomalies etc. Edexcel feel that these digital resources and new mapping technologyare very important elements of modern geography. In particular they can:

Help question and understand a range of data Enable and promote multiple interrogation of complex data (one excellent web-based

resource for this is Gapminder www.gapminder.org )

Make use of 3D representations, e.g. the use of Google Earth Provide opportunities for modelling and decision-making. Noel Jenkins of Juicy

Geography fame has some excellent lesson plans that illustrate this, e.g. a hazarddecision making exercise Visualising a safer cityhttp://www.juicygeography.co.uk/googleearthsanfran.htm

GIS also appears on the specification in Unit 2 there is specific reference:

GIS maps have appeared as stimulus material in 6GE02 examinations, e.g. June 2009, so it is

expected that candidates will have at least some idea of how the technology works and may

be applicable for fieldwork and research.

Source Google Maps and Environment Agency.


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In summary

GIS is an exciting new technology and does today as well as in the future form a very

important component of many young peoples lives. Simple GIS and digital resources fromthe internet deliver a number of advantages: The vast majority of web-based digital GIS maps can be obtained free, or at least you havethe ability to grab still images from the screen to use in an educational context. Maps and resources can be live or at least updated on a more regular frequency thantraditional printed versions. Teachers and students can access to a host of specialist maps and resources which canstimulate young minds and improve spatial awareness. These can be used as the foundationfor an enquiry question which is useful for student-centred work at both GCSE and A Level. Digital maps and resources are easy to store and retrieve saving space and time. The future of GIS maps lies in digital resources which can be easily updated. The futureworkforce will be using digital maps. Just about every conceivable sector of industry and

public service depends on digital maps its essential to retail, agriculture, the emergencyservices, building and planning.

Web links and additional resources

Ordnance Survey GIS pages http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/GISfiles/GIS for the Curious http://gge.unb.ca/Resources/GISForTheCurious/ USGS web posterhttp://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/GIS_poster/ GIS.com http://www.GIS.com/whatisGIS/index.html ESRI GIS basics http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/basicGIS.html GeoExplorer - what is GIS? http://www.geoexplorer.co.uk/sections/GIS/GIS_explained.htm

Edexcel GIS for Unit 2 Guide

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