Mapping Our World: GIS Lessons for Educators, ArcGIS® Desktop Edition is the complete resource for any teacher seeking to bring geographic information system (GIS) technology into the middle- or high-school classroom. This book updates the original Mapping Our World for use with the latest GIS software, ArcGIS 9 Desktop. In addition to nineteen complete GIS lesson plans, Mapping Our World: GIS Lessons for Educators, ArcGIS Desktop Edition includes a one-year license of ArcView® 9 software, geographic data for all of the lessons, and a companion Web site. This comprehensive educational resource gives novice GIS educators all the tools they need to begin teaching with GIS. Educators with more GIS experience will find the lessons and data ideal points of departure for more complex and extended inquiries.

The book's seven modules are built around different geographic themes. Students can investigate each theme on three different levels.

• The global perspective lesson targets first-time GIS students and gives them the opportunity to explore real data from around the world, create maps, and ask essential questions.
• The regional case study lesson targets students with slightly more ArcGIS experience, and focuses on a particular area of the world, allowing students to access regional information and data and to analyze regional issues.
• The advanced investigation lesson targets experienced ArcGIS users, requiring significant independent work, self-motivation, and sophisticated problem-solving skills.

Each GIS investigation has been developed according to National Geography standards. Detailed step-by-step instructions for the student, well-placed screen captures, and questions that help students acquire broad-based problem-solving skills accompany every lesson.

Required software: The Single-use ArcGIS Demo Edition software on the CD in this edition requires the Microsoft Windows 2000®, Windows XP®, Windows NT® (Service Pack 6a) operating system.
Hardware requirements: Minimum 800 MHz processing speed; 256 MB RAM; 800 MB hard-disk space, including 50 MB on the operating system drive; an additional 340 MB hard-disk space is required for the exercise data.

About the authors:

Anita M. Palmer is an educational technology consultant based in Texas. She is the co-author of Mapping Our World: GIS Lessons for Educators and Community Geography: GIS in Action Teacher's Guide.

Christine L. Voigt is a technology coordinator in Texas. She is the co-author of Mapping Our World: GIS Lessons for Educators and Community Geography: GIS in Action Teacher's Guide.

Lyn Malone is a consultant specializing in the educational application of spatial technologies. She is based in Rhode Island. She is the co-author of Mapping Our World: GIS Lessons for Educators and Community Geography: GIS in Action Teacher's Guide.

Eileen Napoleon is a GIS education specialist at ESRI and co-author of the best-selling books Getting to Know ArcView GIS, and Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop.

Laura Feaster is a geographer and education specialist with ESRI Educational Products. She co-authored Community Geography: GIS in Action and Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop.