Name:
Lab time:
Lab 7: Geographic Information Science
Section 1: Introduction to GIS
GIS, or Geographic Information System, is a tool that helps us visualize, analyze, and interpret
data related to locations on Earth. In simple terms, it allows us to create maps and analyze
information based on where things are located.
For example, with GIS, you can:
- Make maps that show different things, like where schools, roads, or parks are in a city.
- Analyze pattern, like where most accidents happen or how crime is spread across a
neighborhood.
- Solve problems, like figuring out the best route for a new bus line or the safest place for a
hospital.
GIS combines data about what is happening (like population, weather, or land use) with where
it's happening, helping us make better decisions based on location.
1. What distinguishes GIS from other information sciences? (1pt)
2. What are the 3 main steps of solving a spatial problem? (3pts)
3. List 3 examples of how GIS can be applied to solve real-world problems? (3pts)
4. Why should you be skeptical of oversimplified maps? (1pt)
5. Why do gas stations tend to cluster at the same intersection? (1pt)
Section 2: Applications
6. Suppose you are trying to create a map of the U.S. that informs you of the temperature
differences across the entire nation. Would you use vector or raster data? (1 pt)
7. You’re the governor of a city and your residents have been demanding a new hospital to
be spatially accessible to them. Your new hospital location must be at least 5 miles away
from the other two hospitals in your city and it must be at least 2 miles away from the
river in case of flash floods. What ArcGIS geoprocessing tool(s) would you use to show
available locations? (1pt)
In the three figures above, we see National Park Service locations as points, polygons, and as a
heat map. A heat map is a representation of data in the form of a map or diagram in which data
values are represented as colors.
8. What are other location features in National Parks that can be represented by the
following vector symbol types? (Examples include campsites, rivers, trails, etc.)
a. Points (1pt)
b. Lines (1pt)
c. Polygons (1pt)
9. The map below tells you about the salary you need to afford the average home in your
state. Based off of this map, if you were making $30,000 a year, where would you MOST
and LEAST likely be able to afford to live? (1pt)
10. You want to launch a youth development program that introduces children in low-income
areas to your sport. What spatial data would you need to gather to identify the best
locations for implementing this program? (1pt)
11. Suppose you notice the traffic in Atlanta is unusually heavy. What are 2 possible causes
of this traffic that you can collect as spatial data to further analyze? (1pts)
The map below shows the sites of suspected murders by Samuel Little, who has confessed to
killing 93 people and is considered as America’s worst serial killer.
12. What does this map tell us about the locations of his murders? (1pt)
13. Attach a URL to a GIS map of your choice and explain in ONE sentence what
information this map tells you. (2pts)
