What is GIS?

In preparation for this assignment, you will learn about one of the main tools that geographers use in representing spatial relationships. First, read the appendix to WRGC (pages A-1 through A-10). Then, view the following short videos:

1) “What is GIS?”:2) “Why all world maps are wrong”:

One interesting way that people are beginning to use GIS is through the form of the “story map.” (Some of you, if you have experience with this already, may be producing story maps for your final projects.) To get an idea of what a story map looks like, browse Esri’s Story Map Gallery he

and here:

For this short assignment, you will choose one of the story maps that you find in this “gallery” to respond to and analyze. In your assignment, answer the following:

1) Include a link to the story map that you have chosen.

2) In your own words, what is the story map about and who is its audience?

3) What do you think is most interesting about the way that the story map is set up? What are the strengths of this story map? What did you learn from this story map?

4) Analyze the story map. Do you have critiques of the particular story map? For example, questions you might consider include: Is it told from a certain perspective that leaves other perspectives out? Is there data or information that you wish it had that it doesn’t have? What do you think is missing from the story map? (What would you add?)

5) Include any other reflections/responses you have to the story map you chose, or to the form of story maps in general.