Aims

  • To explore online tools that will support students when they are mapping, visualizing and interpreting data for their IB DP Geography Internal Assessment.
  • To explore Swiss data layers that may be useful for IB DP Geography students completing their Internal Assessments.

Journey

  • Tool Number 1 > map.geo.admin.ch
    • Available in English, French, German, Italian (and Romansh).
    • You can add layers of swiss data.
      • Add the ‘National Map 1:10000 (grey)’
      • Add the ‘Accidents involving a bicycle’
    • Layers ‘pile’ on top of each other - you can change their order and transparency in the ‘Maps displayed’ section.
      • Change the order and transparency of the layers
    • Change topic and explore the available layers
      • Each time you ‘Change topic’ you need to re-add layers
    • Easily add fieldwork sites from a .kml (Google Earth file).
    • What layers could be useful for students looking at fluvial changes with distance from source? [by holding the mouse pointer of the name of the layer it previews]
    • Draw & Measure on map
      • Use the ‘Line’ tool to highlight an area
        • Use the ‘Text’ tool to label something
      • Explore how you could ‘save’ and ‘share’ the map with these annotations.
    • Share and Print tools
      • How could these tools help students add a map to which they ‘have added value’ to their IA?

 

  • Tool Number 2 > ArcGIS Online without an account > www.arcgis.com/home
    • > Map
    • Easily add fieldwork sites from a .gpx
      • Download this file - it is in a .gpx format that is produced by most GPS units. Once you have downloaded it to your desktop just drag and drop it into an the open browser window.
      • Change symbols to make the sites clearer to view by clicking on the icon that looks like a circle, square and triangle.
    • To start working with the data - use this file - it is in a .csv format. Excel and other spreadsheet applications can save as .csv. Download it to your desktop and then just drag and drop it into an the open browser window.
      • Choose an attribute to show
      • Select a drawing style > Counts and Amounts (Size)
      • Change the base maps.
    • How would a student add a map (from this service) to which they ‘have added value’ to their IA?

 

  • Tool Number 3 > ArcGIS Online with an account > use your own or the (short-term) login provided and go to ecolint.maps.arcgis.com
    • > Map
    • Replace the fieldwork sites and fieldwork data as you did before.
    • Advantages
      • Saving maps
        • Adding layers of information
    • Adding extra layers
      • Add > Search for Layers > In ArcGIS Online
        • ‘Terrain’ > Altitude > you to need to change the transparency of the layer
        • ‘Valais’ - look at the layers available from Valais
          • Different cantons share in different ways!
      • Add > Browse Living Atlas Layers >
        • The ‘Living Atlas Layer’ is an extensive set of layers collated by Esri.
        • Share useful layer suggestions in the comment box below.
    • Add > Add Layers from Web >
      • Adding the Swiss Topological map as a base map.
      • Adding layers from https://wmts.geo.admin.ch
        • Use https://map.geo.admin.ch to find the legends of the layers you use.