Using high performance GIS software to visualize data: a hands-on software demonstration

Since 1995 Wheat Ridge High School (WRHS) students have participated in a mapping project involving local open space, in conjunction with NASA. Students have learned to use Idrisi, a Geographical Imaging Systems (GIS) software, as well as other GIS programs Arc View and Multispec, to plan the location of a trail along Colorado's front range.As this project has progressed, students have learned the GIS technology as well as many science issues related to trail mapping. Similar initiatives can be started in schools nation-wide to increase student knowledge and with local government participation create such trails.Just as in the classroom, this workshop will include sample classroom assignments, finding and downloading map images, converting files to GIS format, attaching latitudes and longitudes, finding and downloading Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and classifying regions of images according to the ground cover.