Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/732807
Incorporating Web GIS in the K-12 Classroom Esri Canada White Paper EC5_0147_1202_3A Esri Canada | 9 3. Find Relevant Content Content (i.e., data) is a critical component in any Web GIS and can come from any number of sources, including colleagues, the Internet, commercial data providers and government organizations. The type of data that are required depends on what you are trying to achieve and the questions you are hoping to answer. In the past decade, the amount of geographic data available has increased dramatically and many datasets are provided free through the Internet. Now, Web map service technology has made it possible for anyone, anywhere to find data online for another continent, country or even for your local community. One of the many advantages of leveraging ArcGIS Online is that there are a variety of free base maps ready for you to use. Using the community base maps found on ArcGIS Online, you do not have to spend time looking for and setting up common map data. Simply choose what base map fits your purpose and start from there. With this base map, you can focus on what you need to do, and not on what data you need to find. Support Esri Canada provides resources to help you use ArcGIS Online in the classroom. These resources include Web GIS software, curriculum-based lessons, technical "how-to" tutorials, access to GIS data specifically for educators and a variety of online communications, articles, videos and past projects to help you better understand GIS and its many benefits. All of these Canadian resources for educators can be downloaded from esri.ca/teachingmaterials. Curriculum-Supporting Lessons If you have little time for lesson preparation or have no GIS experience, ArcGIS Online and its corresponding lessons make it easy to add engaging and interactive activities that connect to your curriculum. These activities help encourage your students to think critically and build a solid foundation in spatial literacy and numeracy. The lessons are available at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels in both English and French. The Education Team at Esri Canada can help you get started – they can also build new lesson packs customized to meet your needs. Technical "How-to" Tutorials These tutorials are developed with input from educators for use by educators. They are intended to lead you through the various GIS operations that can be used in classroom activities, as well as help you and your students to learn how to leverage all the capabilities of ArcGIS Online in just a few easy steps. Data Resources Finding data can be a stumbling block. However, data are getting easier to find and use, especially since many data resources can now be accessed and downloaded online. Data providers can include Esri Canada, other teachers who have created datasets that can be shared, various levels of government and the community of online GIS users. Within ArcGIS Online, content comes ready to use in the form of community base maps that include street maps, multi-resolution digital imagery, topographic maps, shaded relief maps and demographic maps. ArcGIS Online is also the source for an assortment of specialty data and map services from local to global scales. Start by choosing one of the many community base maps available, search for data or add your own data to help answer your geographic questions.