ArcSchool Reader: K–12 Education
Welcome to ArcSchool Reader, a periodic e-newsletter from the ESRI education team. Each issue provides
a quick glimpse of software news; user stories; reminders; and hints about tools, data, and support covering
the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology in primary and secondary schools (K-12 education).
In This Issue
Software News
Service
Packs for ArcGIS 9.1 and 9.2
Many schools and educators have recently upgraded to Microsoft® Internet Explorer 7 or upgraded their operating
system to Windows Vista, which includes Internet Explorer 7. For these users, it's imperative to get the latest
service pack for ArcGIS products. For other users as well, service packs include important little tweaks that improve
the user experience. ArcGIS users (even those with evaluation software) should be sure to install ArcGIS 9.1 Service
Pack 2 or ArcGIS 9.2 Service Pack 2. If you are using ArcGIS Desktop but are not sure which software version or service
pack you are running, engage the Desktop Administrator and find the information on the right-hand pane of the opening
screen. Download
service packs.
ArcGIS for AutoCAD
Many districts with ArcGIS also have AutoCAD. ArcGIS for AutoCAD is a free application that installs on top of
AutoCAD 2007 and provides access to the results of all GIS mapping and geoprocessing capabilities performed by
ArcGIS in the form of map service images. This application accesses dynamic georeferenced ArcGIS Server map
services and displays them in the AutoCAD drafting environment. GIS datasets being displayed via ArcGIS Server
can thus be made available for a new community of users.
Read more.
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Data News
ESRI Data & Maps 2006
The latest collection of ESRI Data & Maps includes the most detailed worldwide elevation data ever made available to
the public. The digital elevation model (DEM) data was collected during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in
2000. The shuttle Endeavour collected data for 80 percent of the earth's landmass including most of the area
between 60 degrees north and 56 degrees south. This data, stored on DVD in the ArcGIS 9.2 package, provides the
opportunity for local studies of significant areas both within and outside the United States.
Learn more.
Tracking Coyotes in Rhode Island
The Narragansett Bay Coyote Study is providing local residents with a fascinating look at the population and activities
of coyotes in an urbanized environment. Students and teachers in other areas can look at this study as an excellent model
for bringing together important resources from nonprofit organizations, state agencies, and citizens to do powerful research
and educate young and old alike. Shapefile data for the whereabouts of coyotes is online along with maps showing living patterns
for several individuals. Read the stories, see the maps, and download
data.
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Support News
New ArcLessons
Powerful new lessons have been added recently to the ArcLessons repository. For explorers seeking introductory activities that
require nothing more than a Web browser, new lessons take users to online mapping engines to look at a range of topics in earth
science, cultural geography, and local events. Math teachers can break out their GPS units and calculate the circumference of
the earth. Fans of ArcExplorer-Java Edition for Education will see new explorations including hurricanes and Mark Twain. See
all the recent additions by going to www.esri.com/arclessons
and clicking New Lessons.
Digital Worlds
A developer in the United Kingdom has teamed with ESRI (UK) Ltd. to create Digital Worlds GIS 2, a customized version of ArcGIS.
When demonstrated at the recent National Science Teachers Association conference in the United States, teachers responded very
positively to the focused set of capacities, simplified interface, and ease of use. Because it is based on ArcGIS, Digital Worlds
can share projects with ArcView 9.2. Educators who want to explore this tool can go to the Web site to request a demo CD. See full
description at www.digitalworlds.co.uk.
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User News
ESRI Community Atlas
ESRI's U.S. Community Atlas is a project in which students or youth groups define the nature of their community and post
descriptions and maps about it. These small presentations (10-20 original maps, 1,000-2,500 original words) are combined
then posted on the Web and can be explored for similarities and differences. The Web site contains full guidelines and
templates, pointers to free data and mapping options, plus model projects from each year. In addition to getting their
community's description publicly posted, K-12 schools contributing a project that meets the guidelines earn software or
other educational resources. The deadline for submissions is May 25, 2007. Read more at
www.esri.com/communityatlas.
2007 ESRI Education User Conference
The Education User Conference (EdUC) is coming June 16-19, 2007, in San Diego, California. Curt Sumner, executive director of
the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), will give
the Keynote Address. ACSM is an educational organization advancing the sciences of surveying, mapping, and related fields.
Sumner will explore surveying and mapping in all levels of classroom instruction, types of curricular materials available and
needed, and some key higher education programs. He will introduce the audience to an ACSM exhibit currently housed at the Library
of Congress and available for exploration online: Maps in
Our Lives! See full details.
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Calendar: Key Events
Local GIS User Group Meetings
GIS Day
Children, Youth, and Families at Risk
May 2-4, 2007
Chicago, IL
ESRI Community Atlas
Deadline is May 25, 2007.
ESRI Education User Conference
June 16-19, 2007
San Diego, CA
ESRI International User Conference
June 18-22, 2007
San Diego, CA
State Educational Technology Directors Association
June 22-24, 2007
Atlanta, GA
National Educational Computing Conference
June 24-27, 2007
Atlanta, GA
National Center for Education Statistics
July 23-27, 2007
Washington, DC
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