web page for GIS project

WOODROW WILSON TORCH INSTITUTE: GIS & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC
SUMMER 1999

The English River Watershed Project-
                           Christopher Soldat
                        Mid-Prairie Middle School
                            Kalona, Iowa
                            email-csoldat@mid-prairie.k12.ia.us

Introduction: The U.S. EPA defines a watershed as "a geographic area in which water, sediments, and dissolved materials drain into a common outlet" - a stream, lake, estuary, aquifer, or ocean. This area is also called the drainage basin, drainage area, or catchment of the receiving water body. Sometimes the word watershed is used to refer to a watershed boundary, or dividing line. In this sense, for example, the North American Continental Divide - the boundary between all waters flowing to the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean - can be called a watershed.

The English River Watershed Project (ERWP) began as a part of the Iowa Rivers Project. Each of the participating schools share curriculum and water quality data for their particular river system.

Students study the history of the area and the impact of the river or stream on the development of the local life, culture and economy. They monitor the water quality and attempt to identify current and potential environmental problems. They become actively involved in the life of the community through various forms of investigation into its life and through an understanding of its governance and future. They learn to value its art, history and mores and desire to preserve the best of the past and present as well as to improve the quality of life for the future. As environmental issues surface they work together to develop possible solutions to the identified problems.

The English River Watershed in Iowa (map based on data from the Iowa Geological Survey Bureau)

The English River Watershed Project is located within the Mid-Prairie Community School District. It is an interdisciplinary project which includes the academic core subjects of science, math, language arts and social studies. Students involved in the year-long project are working with the Search, Solve and Create (SSC) model of project-based learning. Within this model, students gather information about our watershed and develop their own inquiry projects (search). In the solve phase, students develop their own methods for gathering and researching information. In the end students create a format to share what they have learned. Project questions may be interdisciplinary or they may be focused in any of their academic subject areas.

Students have many parameters to consider. They will consider air, water, wildlife and soil properties existing with out school district. They will examine human impact in each of these areas and relate them to the English River Watershed. From this vantage point, students will be expected to develop researchable questions. These authentic experiences will direct students towards learning which has relevance in their lives. Past projects have included student research in hog confinement, water quality indices, immigrants which have settled the area, oral history, stream flow analysis and others.

GIS and the English River Watershed
Students will learn about GIS and its power as a mapping tool in learning about the ERW. Mid-Prairie students will begin to understand the power of GIS through ArcVoyager software. They will explore through four levels, as they become more comfortable with the tools of GIS.

Level One is called Exploring Key Concepts: Teach Me. This level helps students to understand some of the critical issues they will face later: scale, projection, data, classification and so on.
Level Two is called Viewing World Snapshots: Show Me. Students will learn about working with layers of information, zooming in and out, and using an Identify tool.
Level Three is called Designing Global Adventures: Point Me. Students will explore through data sets in an open architecture environment. New data sets can be brought in.
Level Four is called Creating New Worlds: Turn Me Loose. Students will have power to bring in data sets, such as those from the Iowa Geological Survey Bureau, and to save their own projects.

In the process of working with data sets from our watershed students from Mid-Prairie Middle School will:

create and add their own data to existing map displays
capture photographic images and embed them into projects
use mapping tools
produce electronic publications and multimedia presentations incorporating personal maps and charts
retrieve and use data sets from the Web that are in compressed, text, and other formats
share data and images as well as projects with teachers and students in other locations

(map based on data from the Iowa Geological Survey Bureau)

Using ArcView software and Iowa GIS data from the Natural Resources Geographic Information System, students will be able to:

1. Mapping

learn how to identify geographic features
zoom in and out
change the classification scheme for a given set of data
create standard choropleth ("area value") maps of graduated colors, or dot maps with graduated symbols
choose the best symbols and colors when integrating multiple layers

2. Manipulating Tables

sort a table according to a value
query a table
limit the visible fields in a table
change the visible names of fields
join external tables to an existing map layer

3. Working with Charts and Graphs

choose the best chart type for a given data set
select appropriate numeric scales for axes in charts
modify labels used in a chart

4. Layouts

combine the appropriate maps, tables, graphs and text
incorporate helpful cartographic elements (scale, legend, north arrow, text, etc.)

Washington County, IA (based on GIS data from the Iowa Geological Survey Bureau)
Students will use GIS data and the maps they help create to:

think about the English River Watershed
make their own maps incorporating student data tables into georeferenced maps:

population
wildlife
land use
physical features
water quality

identify the patterns that result
modify the data used
create new maps
share their results

Watershed Links

Watershed Resources