Topic #1: Welcome, introductions, syllabus, Brandon's GES2050 website, Canvas
Topic #2: About GES: Faculty, programs, website highlights
Topic #3: Course objective: To provide an introduction to key geographic / spatial information technologies in exciting ways
Topic #4: Setting the stage for DE: Computing and Windows basics: File Explorer, directory structures, file and folder naming conventions, copy / paste, NotePad, MS 'snipping' tool, more...
Topic #5: Finish Exercise One (linked under 'Labs'), your class website BEFORE LEAVING CLASS TODAY. You'll use PuTTY, MS Expression Web 4 (EW4), Snipping Tool, Filezilla
Due by 5pm Sun., Feb. 3: A perfectly-functioning GES2050 class website

Week 3: Feb 5

Topic #1: Geospatial jobs in our region
Topic #2: Evolution of DE idea
Topic #3: Brief history of geospatial technologies
Topic #4: USGS GNIS
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB ONE - ASKING QUESTIONS OF MAPS - INTERACTING WITH THE 'THIS DYNAMIC PLANET' MAP
Due by 5pm Sun., Feb. 10: Lab One (posted to your class website)

Week 4: Feb 12

Topic #1: Cartographic basics
Topic #2: Virtual Globes (VGs)
Topic #3: Google Earth Pro demo (incl. how to save a .kmz file to your z drive)
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB TWO - DOCUMENTING THE VARIETY OF CULTURAL / PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY IN EL PASO COUNTY, COLORADO USING THE VG GOOGLE EARTH
Due by 5pm Sun., Feb. 17: Lab Two (posted to your class website)

Week 5: Feb 19 (campus closed due to snow)

Week 6: Feb 26

Topic #1: Data models - raster and vector
Topic #2: Common geospatial data file types (e.g., DOQ, DRG, DLG, DEM, TIN, GeoPDF, SHP, TIGER SHP, KML, plus GOES and Landsat)
Topic #3: Online government and commercial data delivery portals (e.g., Geocomm.com, US Census Bureau, NationalAtlas.gov, Center for LiDAR Information Coordination and Knowledge (CLICK), Landsat Global Informatiion Viewer (GLOVIS), NOAA Satellite and Information Service
Topic #4: Primary and secondary data
Topic #5: Demo - ArcMap 10.6 interface, important components, common tasks
Topic #6: Hand out 'ArcMap Basics' homework assignment (hard copy provided in class). THIS WILL COUNT AS LAB THREE. POST ANSWERS ON LAB THREE WEB PAGE.
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB THREE - ArcMap Basics
Due by 5:00 pm Sunday, Mar. 3: ArcMap basics homework (10 questions / answers) posted to your Lab Three web page

Week 7: Mar 5 (DRESS FOR THE WEATHER)!

~~Topic #1: Primary and secondary data~~
Topic #1: GPS background / theory
~~Topic #3: Demo - ArcMap 10.6 interface, important components, common tasks~~
~~Topic #5: Hand out 'ArcMap Basics' homework assignment (hard copy provided in class)~~
Topic #2: Configure Garmin eTrex 20x GPS receiver as per in-class handout
Topic #3: Practice with GPS receiver > collect ONE waypoint at fire hydrant, return to classroom, write lat. / long. on board
Topic #4: Group field work: WITH PROPERLY CONFIGURED GPS RECEIVER, collect 10 waypoints across campus using a hard-copy of large scale (i.e., zoomed-in) GE image of UCCS campus as a guide. Take handout with you.
Topic #5: Via USB cable, transfer waypoints from GPS receiver into Garmin BaseCamp software. Export to .csv format. Clean up Excel file as per handout.
- BEFORE THIS FRIDAY, MAR 8: Email (from UCCS account) Brandon your group's Excel file for review - ALL GROUP members Cced (included) on email.
Topic #6: In-class Q/A for next week's TEST ONE
NO LAB DUE NEXT WEEK
TEST ONE IS NEXT WEEK - STUDY

Week 8: Mar 12

Topic #1: TEST ONE
For next week: Nothing due

Week 9: Mar 19

Topic #1: Image file compression (lossy, lossless; run-length code, quadtree)
Topic #2: What is the goal of Lab Four? Georectification
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB FOUR - GPS and GIS - USING CONTROL POINTS COLLECTED IN THE FIELD TO GEOREFERENCE A .JPG OF THE UCCS CAMPUS
Due by 5pm Sun., Mar. 24: Lab Four (posted to your class website)

Mar 26 (SPRING BREAK)

Week 10: Apr 2

Topic #1: Goals of map use (cartography cubed)
Topic #2: Geovisualization theory and practice
Topic #3: Case Study: Lightning patterns across Colorado
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB FIVE - GEOVISUALIZATION AND PATTERN DISCOVERY - DRAPING GEOLOGY AND CULTURAL FEATUERS OVER TOPOGRAPHY
Due by 5pm Sun., Apr. 7: Lab Five (posted to your class website)

Week 11: Apr 9

Topic #1: Remote sensing (RS) basics - electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and the electromagnetic spectrum, platforms, RS sensor eras, DNs, geostationary vs. polar-orbiting satellites, four resolutions, active/passive RS, applications, NDVI
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB SIX - REMOTE SENSING - IDRISI: USING LANDSAT IMAGERY AND NDVI TO DISTINGUISH VEGETATION NEAR PUEBLO, COLORADO
Due by 5pm Sun., Apr.. 14: Lab Six (posted to your class website)

Week 12: Apr 16

Topic #1: Geomorphometry / Digital Terrain Modeling
Topic #2: Techniques for measuring the complexity of lines and surfaces in digital environments
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB SEVEN - MARKETING OUTDOOR RECREATION IN CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORADO THROUGH QUERIES, CLIPS, AND JOINS
Due by 5pm Sun., Apr. 21:Lab Seven (posted to your class website)

Week 13: Apr 23

Topic #1: Spatial analysis: Local (pixel) and neighborhood (roving windows) operations
IN-CLASS LAB TIME: BEGIN LAB EIGHT - SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND DEMS - MOUNTAIN GEOGRAPHY: INVESTIGATION OF COLORADO FOURTEENERS PIXEL BY PIXEL
Due by 5pm Sun., Apr. 28: Lab Eight (posted to your class website)
NOTE: BRING A LAPTOP TO CLASS NEXT WEEK

Week 14: Apr 30

Topic #1: Interpolation - a few methods
Topic #2: In class, complete one of the two exercises below - all instructions are are found in Canvas (see '4/30/2019 SfM or LiDAR Interpolation In Class Exercise Spring 2019'):
- 1. Structure from Motion (SfM) exercise: Use PhotoScan stand-alone software (get 30-day free trial) and your phone to create a 3D model of an object. Create a web page named 'sfm.html' (see handout posted in Canvas for all info.)
- 2. Interpolation of Airborne and Terrestrial Lidar Data exercise: Create a web page named 'lidar.html' (see handout posted in Canvas for all info.)
Due by 5pm Sun., May 5:Email to Brandon a link to your working web page (fully online - NOT on your z drive), which will be either ../ges2050/web/sfm.html or ../ges2050/web/lidar.html

Week 15: May 7

Topic #1: NOVA Archaeology / Landsat video
Topic #2: Four TED Talks
Topic #3: Test Two review
For next week: TEST TWO IS NEXT WEEK - STUDY

Week 16: May 14

Topic #1: TEST TWO: 10:20 AM - 12:20 PM, COH 329 (SEE SCHEDULE)

GES2050 Digital Earth

Syllabus

Student Websites

Powerpoints

Labs

Semester Schedule - NOTE: AS OF SPRING 2019, BRANDON HAS MOVED ALL COURSE MATERIALS INTO CANVAS

Week 1: Jan 22 (campus closed due to snow)

Week 2: Jan 29

Week 3: Feb 5

Week 4: Feb 12

Week 5: Feb 19 (campus closed due to snow)

Week 6: Feb 26

Week 7: Mar 5 (DRESS FOR THE WEATHER)!

Week 8: Mar 12

Week 9: Mar 19

Mar 26 (SPRING BREAK)

Week 10: Apr 2

Week 11: Apr 9

Week 12: Apr 16

Week 13: Apr 23

Week 14: Apr 30

Week 15: May 7

Week 16: May 14

Contact Brandon