Geographic Information Systems (Science) is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of spatially (geographically) referenced information.
Students as Point Source: Restaurants - a quick idea from Dan Weigold of the Whitley County GIS Team - Dan visits classrooms to introduce the idea of GIS by utilizing each student to represent a restaurant: fast-food to sit-down dining. He, then, places students (all but a few) relatively randomly around the classroom (standing). The students then discuss the placement of a new restaurant (one of the remaining students; fast food) by studying the current distribution of existing restaurants. Next, place two additional restaurants (one common sit-down and one fine-dining). The point is to discuss the patterns and distribution. This collection of restaurants, each one representing one location, becomes one possible layer in a GIS. How did the students utilize the data? How did the information help the students make a better decision?
Digital Maps Are Giving Scholars the Historical Lay of the Land - A New York Times, July 26, 2011, article addressing the use of GIS (geographic information systems) to aid in the interpretation of historic events, such as the Battle of Gettysburg.
EarthCache - an educators' guidebook to help with the mechanics of establishing an Earth cache, the teaching of GPS, and the implementation of a GPS into a GIS. http://www.geosociety.org/earthcache/teacherGuide.htm
Earth Explorer by United States Geological Survey – data and satellite imagery; http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/EarthExplorer/phtml/BrowserTest.phtml.
GIS is Providing a New Medium for Understanding - an article in ESRI's Winter 2006/2007 ArcNews Issue. A good graphic image depicting various forms of communication across the globe.
GPS Visualizer - a free, easy-to-use online utility that creates maps and profiles from GPS data (tracks and waypoints, including GPX files), street addresses, or simple coordinates. Use it to see where you've been, plan where you're going, or visualize geographic data (business locations, scientific observations, events, customers, real estate, geotagged photos,GPS drawing...).
Indiana: Digitized Textile Collection from Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement - The IUPUI Digital Library Team digitized part of the textile collection from Conner Prairie. The images provide a clue as to the history of textiles and the value textiles had. A brief description accompanies each image along with up-close details. A lesson plan about quilts may be utilized to introduce students to textiles.
Earthquake! Indiana Shaking at USGS (from April, 2008 archives)
Information Age Publishing (IAP) - Geospatial Technologies in the Social Studies Classroom - Provides a review and analysis of the theory, research, and practice related to geospatial technologies in social studies education. ISBN pk 978-1-59311-672-9.
Journey North, a product of Annenberg Media, has available an on-line tracking maps of Monarch butterfly and whooping crane migrations south for the winter. Also, information about tulip bulb seasons/maps. Lots of other resources are available, too.
National Geographic VIDEO provides a very good explanation of GIS in "A GIS Journey". Video courtesy of ESRI. Approximately 9 minutes long. Visit the following web site http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/science/technology-sci/gis_journey.html
Topozone – http://www.topozone.com – access topographic maps, shaded relief maps and aerialphotographs of the region under study.
United States Geological Survey - National Map Corps: Put Your Town on the Map! Web-based data collection procedure presents an opportunity for citizens to contribute specific geographic knowledge to the USGS'S mapping program.
U.S. Census Bureau – http://www.census.gov – for population statistics, maps and other information.
The World Bank – http://www.worldbank.org – for population statistics and world development indicators and additional information regarding large-scale, global prioritization for development.