Intro to GIS/Enviro Analysis - Fall 26 Morning
Section outline
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Introduction to GIS for Social and Environmental Analysis
FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Instructor: Dirk KinseyE-mail: dkinsey@brynmawr.edu
Tuesday and Thursday: 10:10AM - 11:30AM
Office Hours: Monday 12:00-1:00PM, Wednesday 12:00-1:00PM, Old Library (238)
TA: Augusta Clusen Moses aclusenmos@brynmawr.edu
TA Hours: Monday 4-6pm
Welcome! This course is designed to introduce the foundations of GIS with emphasis on applications for social and environmental analysis. It deals with basic principles of GIS and its use in spatial analysis and information management. This course is intended as a hands-on introduction to vector GIS using ArcGIS 10 software. Vector GIS data are appropriate for modeling geographic objects, such as bounded areas (census tracts or service districts), specific locations (buildings or events such as crimes), and networks (streets). Students will develop skills necessary for carrying out basic GIS projects and for advanced GIS coursework. We will focus on ways that GIS is and could be applied to urban and environmental research, planning and policy. The class also aims to help students develop an understanding of what is spatial, when GIS is appropriate for answering question, and to develop an awareness of the power issues involved in map-making. By the end of this course, you should be familiar enough with ArcGIS Pro to find, map, and analyze data using basic GIS tools and be able to teach yourself additional GIS skills using the help files, online materials, and software manuals.
Course Description
We will meet in-person (unless otherwise notified) twice a week for 80 minutes. During this time, we will engage in lectures, activities, discussions of course readings, and an introduction to the weekly homework assignment. During our course meetings, the instructor will be available to help walk you through the weekly homework assignment and troubleshoot any issues. This is the best time to ask questions and receive homework help. You are encouraged to help or receive help from your peers, but all submitted work must be your own.
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WEEK 1
9/2-9/4
· Intro to Course & GIS
· Read Bolstad, Chapter 1
· Excel mini lab (Optional)
WEEK 2
9/9-9/11
· Principles of Mapping & Representation
· Read Bolstad, Chapter 4 (focus on Building a GIS Database [pp. 147-156] & Output: Maps, Data, and Metadata [181-190])
· Lab 1: Getting Oriented in ArcGIS
WEEK 3
9/16-9/18
· Projections & Coordinate Systems
· Lab 2: Projections, Choropleth Maps, Layouts
WEEK 4
9/23-9/25
· Attribute Tables and Working With Census Data
· Lab 3: Attribute Data
WEEK 5
9/30-10/2
· GIS for Environmental Research Topics and Vector Data Models
· Lab 4: Spatial Attribute Sums
WEEK 6
10/7-10/9
· Lab 5: Vector Models
FALL
BREAK
WEEK 7
10/21-10/23
· Feminist GIS and Vector Operations 2
· Lab 6: Census Data Join
WEEK 8
10/28-10/30
· Vector Operations 3
WEEK 9
11/4-11/6
· Raster Data Model
· Lab 7: Raster Analysis
WEEK 10
11/11-11/13
· Geospatial Technologies and Carceral Geographies
· Read Predictable Policing: Jefferson (2018)“Predictive Crime Mapping and Geographies of Policing and Race”
· Lab 8 – Choose your own adventure!
WEEK 11
11/18-11/20
· GIS Day 11/19
· Lab
WEEK 12
11/24
· Lab Session
WEEK 13
12/2-12/4
· GIS Ethics
· Read More than Arrows, James Chesire
WEEK 14
12/2-12/4
· Final Lab “Presentations”
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10.4 MB · Uploaded 08/31/26, 11:12
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3.4 MB · Uploaded 08/31/26, 11:12
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This geodatabase includes shapefiles that have already been joined with the median household income and/or population. Note that the population density has not been calculated yet.
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This geodatabase includes shapefiles that have already been joined with the median household income and/or population. Note that the population density has not been calculated yet.
1.8 MB · Uploaded 08/31/26, 13:08
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Opened: Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 10:00 AMDue: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Friday, April 24, 2026, 12:00 PMDue: Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Thursday, December 11, 2025, 9:00 AMDue: Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Thursday, May 21, 2026, 12:00 PMDue: Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Monday, June 1, 2026, 12:00 AMDue: Thursday, June 4, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 12:00 AMDue: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Monday, June 22, 2026, 1:59 AMDue: Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM
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Opened: Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 2:00 AMDue: Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 12:59 PM
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Opened: Thursday, July 9, 2026, 11:00 AMDue: Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12:59 AM
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Week 1 To-Do List
Tuesday
- DO Excel minilab activity if you are new to Excel
Thursday- Getting Oriented to ArcGIS minilab activity - start in class on TH, finish before class next T
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Week 2 To-Do List
●Read Bolstad, Chapter 4○(focus on pp. 147-156 & 181-190)●Start Lab 1 – due 11:59pm, Thursday 9/17 -
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