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Located on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, Price Lab - NU High School is a PK-12 school serving the state of Iowa.
This blog houses reflections of and resources for students as they journey to an understanding of Geospatial Technologies.
Price Laboratory School - NU High School
Located on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, Price Lab - NU High School is a PK-12 school serving the state of Iowa.
Journey
GIS Links
Assigned Reading Articles
Data Sources
- U.S. Census Data
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Imagery and Aerial Photos
- America View (Imagery and Aerial Photos)
- National Atlas of the United States
- Geospatial One-Stop (National - Federal)
- ESRI Data
- Black Hawk County
- UNI GeoTREE
- Iowa Geographic Map Server
- Iowa DNR GIS (State)
- Iowa Geospatial Data Clearinghouse (State)
10 comments:
Posted by Kasha
GPS How It All Started
After 9/11 the country needed newer and better ways to be connected and learn about the world. Because of this GPS a tracking tool was invented. But the idea of GPS was started much earlier by Ivan Getting the Vice President of the Raytheon Corporation and a three-dimensional, time-difference-of-arrival position-finding system. Getting worked for many years with this idea and using satellites and finally in 1993 GPS was declared by the military to be a fully operational world utility. Over the years the methods of GPS were updated through Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and many scientists so that there are now 24 satellites circling the earth to pinpoint exact locations on earth with the help of a GPS device.
9/11 may have brought out the big demand for GPS and pinpointing a certain location, but it is interesting to think that it was a science that in America at least has been being perfected for over half a century. Yet common knowledge of this information database about the world did not happen until there was a large and overwhelming public need for it. I remember back in 6th grade my teacher telling us about this system, and the use of it wasn’t for mapping purposes it was for war. The way this system was first explained to me involved missiles, I don’t know if we were suppose to be scared by it or not. But what I was told is, using the satellites and this technology if some one wanted to bomb Yankee Stadium they could, but not only that, if they wanted the missile to land on 2nd base, this technology could get the missile there with in a few feet.
Even at the young age that I learned about it I had to admit this technology is impressive but that fact that $400 million a year is required to monitor these 24 satellites is quite a staggering amount. With today’s National debt being so great I have to wonder what else the government’s money is being spent on.
I never really heard about GPS till after I 9/11 and I came into my teenage years. But I do remember watching the movie October Skies and its reference to Sputnik. But I didn’t know that the United States Navy was actually running another program besides Sputnik that is said to be GPS's predecessor. This program was called Transit and was developed by Richard Kirschner in 1964. Different than the GPS Program run today this one had seven satellites, and it relied on radio signals.
In all honest I had never made the connection that the GPS units I use to get out of Wyoming every year had anything to do with Sputnik or Transit. I also did not know that the basic ideas behind the technology had been invented almost a hundred years ago.
The connection between GPS and maps became more apparent by reading this article since the basic behind the technology for the device came from a new idea to create maps and better understand the landscape around us.
In reality the article stretches the use of GPS back to biblical times. Though back then, they didn’t use the ideas directly for the creation of maps. Instead of satellites they used stars to guide their way and help them know where in the world they are.
The new technology of GPS is almost sad in a way; every time something new is invented something old becomes obsolete. An example of this could be the new Pledge and Swifer cleaners, since they have been invented some old house hold cleaning implements such as feather dusters, mops and brooms are being used less and less in the average home. In some ways the use of GPS could do something similar. People now no longer need to know about the stars for instance, and the use of paper maps is not needed anymore.
With the GPS technology getting more and more advanced, people now have the use of this program in their cars and cell phones. Because of this it is becoming less important for people to know where they actually are or where they are going. While GPS devices may give us a better understanding of where we are, it is possible that after a while we will no longer use the device to give us knowledge of where we are, but simply use it as a tool to help us get places, while having no actual concept of the layout of the land around us. While this technology may enhance our spatial knowledge of the area around us, in time in may actually inhibit our thinking.
This technology could also infringe upon a person’s freedom. Parents may have the GPS in their children’s phones so they know where their kids are. While this is a safety precaution, it could go to the extreme of having the actual device inside of a person, which would infringe on their freedom. This technology has many possibilities to be used for the good, but for the future I think its use should be handled with caution.
Bluetooth GPS Receiver
ABSTRACT: This article explains what exactly a Bluetooth GPS receiver is. Let’s say you’re in a hurry to get some place and you need to no the fastest way to get there. Bluetooth GPS receiver will give you the fastest way. The fastest way will always be from point A to B. These Bluetooth GPS receivers are also very handy and easy to carry, and usually portable. This is also known as a GPS or Global Positioning System. This Bluetooth GPS receiver makes the overall system of GPS a lot better. You can use this system in many different ways. It can also be a radio. This only weighs 65 gms. This article also mentions you must be smart when purchasing one of these Bluetooth GPS receivers. On the internet, you can be scammed. You should check to see the reliability of the company you are purchasing it from. It should have a good battery. If you do purchase a good quality Bluetooth GPS receiver, you will be satisfied with your product.
This system is beneficial to almost everyone. If you need directions this is the thing to use. It not only gives directions but the best and fastest directions. This spectacular device also provides you with 30 radio channels. This device you can carry almost anywhere. It weighs only 65 gms. This GPS receiver is wireless satellite position system, which works on the GPS communications technology. With this system, you can convert this to your smart phone or PDA and navigate it into a satellite navigation tool.
Buying this navigation requires a little thinking. If you purchase this off the internet, you must do research and get the best Bluetooth GPS receiver possible. Some may not have a good battery, which could cause major problems. Lets say you don’t use your Bluetooth much and you get lost and need it really bad. The one time you need the battery is dead. You also want to get a low price tag. You do not want to get overwhelmed and pay too much just because you believe the product is a life-changing product. If you do choose a good Bluetooth GPS receiver, it will help you a lot.
The Bluetooth works in all sorts of weather conditions. It is GPS so rain, snow, tornadoes, hurricanes, avalanches, storms does not affect it. Lets say you get caught up in a bad storm, you can use the Bluetooth to find your way out. If you are traveling with this and you are bored, you can also turn the radio on. As I mentioned before this Bluetooth receives 30 different channels. If you purchase this Bluetooth GPS receiver and you travel far distance this will work. It has satellites all over the world. There is no specific range for this Bluetooth GPS receiver. I find that very nice because I love to travel. When I travel I always seem to pack a lot of stuff, and with this Bluetooth GPS receiver you can always find room for it. It is so little and weighs so less that you can just keep it in your pocket. The great thing about this product is no matter where you are it will always work. It works of all different altitudes and different types of weather and any place in the world. If you purchase this Bluetooth GPS receiver, it will benefit you plenty. I would not regret purchasing a Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Parents Using GPS to Keep Tabs on Teens
ABSTRACT: This article first explains what a Global Positioning System or GIS is. It can be used to help navigate in many different settings, such as planes, trains, and cars. A GPS can be found on a cell phone or a handheld device. Parents of teenagers think that using GPS to track their children is a valuable tool to help the parents know where their children are at all times. If the children say that they are going somewhere when they leave the house, the GPS will be feeding information to the parent’s computer to tell where their child is. The author thinks that this is an overall good tool to install in teenagers’ cars for many reasons. One is that if the child gets in a car accident, the parents would be able to find the car easily because they have a tracking device in it. Also, if the car of the teen is stolen, the car will be able to be tracked using the GPS. Some parents are saying that this is an invasion of a child’s privacy. Some teenagers are saying this also. However, the author of the article disagrees. He thinks that GPS in cars is a great idea to keep teens safe. Also, the author thinks that it will make the lives of teens easier by putting this navigation system in their vehicles. The author thinks that parents don’t always have control over their children, but this may be a way of putting them back in control.
The points in this article definitely impact my life. I think that this would be a good idea to install a GPS in teenager’s cars that the parents don’t trust. Teenagers could be going anywhere in their cars, and some places that they go could be dangerous. This would be a great way for parents to know what their kids are really up to when they leave the house. Also, some teens aren’t very careful when driving, and because of this, accidents may occur. If an accident occurs, the parents need to be able to find the car that the teen has crashed. With a GPS, a parent can sometimes figure out the location of the car, and this is good because the child may not be able to contact the parents to say that they are in trouble, and tell them where they are.
As a teenager, I really wouldn’t mind having my parents put a GPS in my car, because it would probably be a good way to insure my safety on the road. If something were to happen to me when I am driving, it would be helpful to have a system in my car that tells my parents my location so that they can get help. Also, if my car got stolen, the GPS may be able to track the location of my car, and I would be able to get my car back, and be the person that stole it could be caught. This would be a positive situation for me because it may be very hard to recover a stolen car.
Also, I think that this is a good idea for the teenagers’ safety. If a teenager gets into an accident, the parents can immediately find out where their teen is. If they don’t have a GPS in their car, the child may not be able to get to a phone, and they might not have any way of contacting anyone, and their parents couldn’t find where they were and where the accident happened.
I think that some parents reading this article would think that this is too much like spying on your child, and not giving them enough personal space. Parents also might think this because their kids complain about this feature in their car. These teenagers are probably the ones that go to places that they shouldn’t, and maybe don’t drive as safe as their parents would like.
I disagree with the parents and kids who think that this is an invasion of privacy because it would keep kids safer on the road, and everywhere they go in their car without their parents. Also, it would help them out. By having a navigation system in their car, it would provide them an easier way to get to their destination, without having to use mapping programs like MapQuest, and the GPS might keep them safe in certain situations.
Crowell, Hunter Parents using gps to keep tabs on teens.
Elizabeth Hoffman
What A GPS Can Do For You
ABSTRACT: Global Positioning System (GPS) is a gadget that is available to almost everyone and can be bought almost any place, such as Wal-Mart. This gadget is an extremely useful tool for many people. However, some people do not fully understand all its uses. For almost every person there is a different usage for a GPS. If you’re grandma needs directions to the local mall she can be told where and when to turn. Hunters and fishermen also can use GPS in many ways. For example, if there is a specific place where there are many fish or type of game, the hunter can easily find it for future use without having to guess the location. GPS can also give you directions with the estimated time it will take you to get somewhere as well as the distance. This can help prepare travelers when planning trips. It can also be used for not only planning ahead but for tracking something you did such as how far you walked or ran for exercise that day. Teachers can also use GPS in their classrooms for teaching geography, maps, and navigation. Most of these examples given are examples of uses for normal everyday life of an average person. However, GPS can be used for seriously problems as well. For example, On-Star in some cars can save lives by showing where an accident has happened. GPS is also a useful to help locate missing persons. The military and pilots use GPS when visibility is low and at night so they know where they are exactly and where their target destination is.
The article “What A GPS Can Do For You” brought about many good points and reasons for why a GPS should and can be a part of the average person’s everyday life. I felt the article was very informative and full of useful information. It demonstrated with specific examples of how GPS is an important tool in people’s lives and made me realize how a GPS system could be incorporated in my life as well. This past week, spring break, I indirectly came in contact with GPS system. I had to take several flights to get to my destinations where the pilots used GPS systems to navigate the way of plane I was on. There have also been many times when I have been with friends who use GPS systems to find their way because they get lost easily. This article could impact the lives of the people who read it because there are many examples of how a GPS system could be used. Since everyone likes to do different activities a GPS purpose for one person might be different than the uses of another person. For example, in the article there were examples given for teachers, hunters, fishermen, travelers, and many others. For each of these examples given the reader might get a new idea of how to use a GPS. A teacher can use GPS in their classrooms for teaching geography, maps, and navigation. They could create a lesson where students could use GPS systems to navigate a scavenger hunt, or to demonstrate how far away something is. Fishermen can use GPS systems if they are in a large body of water such as the ocean where there are no landmarks to help them navigate their direction. They can do this by using latitude and longitude. However, not only fishermen in large bodies of water can use a GPS system to navigate their location. If a recreational fisherman wanted to find a specific spot that had large amounts of fish in it year after year he could always find it using a GPS. When driving on a vacation, travelers don’t always know where they are going. Or it might be that they have an idea of the final destination but ca not find the exact location. This is where a GPS system would become useful. GPS systems can also give an approximate length in both distance and time for when people are traveling or commuting from work. Another major use of GPS systems is in the military and flight industries. Pilots are constantly using GPS systems to navigate their way through the air since landmarks are nearly impossible to use while flying at high altitudes.
If everyone started using GPS systems maps and mapping websites such as googlemaps.com or mapquest.com might become obsolete. People could just as easily and more effectively use GPS systems with out having to print out directions. GPS systems can also locate your exact location even if a road is closed and from there can redirect you to the best route. This could affect many different industries either directly or indirectly in either a positive or negative fashion.
By No Means Will You Be Lost Again
By Sandra Stammberger
Reviewed By Nate Smith
G.P.S. is a very useful tool for driving. The article that I read details the many uses of Vehicle G.P.S. G.P.S. can be used to give directions. Many come with voice recognition so you can easily input commands on the go. G.P.S. devices can also be used to search for things like stores or restaurants in a certain area. It also talks some about the criteria that you can use to evaluate various G.P.S. programs to find the best one. Some of the positive things that a G.P.S. device can have are accessibility, efficiency, appearance, and other special features. Negative things are high prices and unnecessarily complicated software.
G.P.S. devices could affect our world greatly in the near future. The article that I read focused specifically on cars. These vehicle G.P.S. devices can be used to save time, and increase efficiency in travel.
One important effect that G.P.S. devices could have is on the environment. A device of this nature can tell you the shortest and most efficient route to a location. This would save you from driving around looking for something, or even tell you a better route to a place that you go to every day. This will save gas which will help the environment and it will save you money.
Another important use of Vehicle G.P.S. is the ability to search for locations in a certain area. Many allow you to search for things like gas stations, restaurants, and hotels within a 50 mile radius of your current location. I can think of many situations where this would be useful. For example, imagine you were driving in an unfamiliar city and were almost out of gas. If you had a G.P.S. device in your car, you could search for the nearest gas station. This would prevent you from driving around looking, and potentially running out of gas.
If you vehicle did not come with a G.P.S. device, you may want to buy one. If you decide to buy one, you should evaluate all of the options that you have. It is important to know what you are looking for and what tasks you need the device to be able to do. If you do a lot of cross country or foreign travel, you will probably want to get a more advanced device. You will also want to make sure that the device has the data for locations that you might use it in.
Some people do not need an extremely large amount of data or all the advanced features that some of these devices offer. Perhaps they are more interested in the visual appeal of it. For these people there are G.P.S. devices that can have the screen installed in the dashboard and have all of the computer equipment hidden from view. There are also many good options for devices that look modern and to not take up a lot of space in the car.
On of the most important qualities that a good G.P.S. device will have is ease of use. If I was looking for a vehicle G.P.S. device, this would be the first thing I would want to know. Because of the nature of driving, it is beneficial to have this device be very easy to operate while you are focused on other things. Voice controlled devices are ideal because of this.
Even voice controlled devices can be a big problem if the software is more complicated than you can figure out. Most people would probably have trouble operating some of the more advanced devices even when they were not driving. It is important to consider your technological literacy before you purchase this new gadget.
After reading this article, I think that sometime in the future, all people will use G.P.S. for navigating in their vehicles. Perhaps new technology will be developed that will allow cars to drive themselves using information gathered from G. P.S. No matter how you look at it, G.P.S. navigation is an exciting and useful innovation that will be around for many years to come.
Maps maybe helpful and are easy to use, but they can be unreliable. If you are using a map, take a wrong and don’t look at the map after the wrong turn you will end up lost. This is where Global Positioning System (GPS) comes in and helps. The GPS will help you get back to where you want to go or are going. GPS systems use satellites and triangulation to help determine where you are. The systems send signals to satellites in return triangulate your position and can even show you where your destination is. GPS systems have been becoming even more advanced with being able to tell you the fast and shortest route to your destination also altering that route will driving. GPS was developed and originally used by the military in the late 1980s. But it eventually made its way to the public and now it is widely used among the public. Most cars today come equipped with a GPS system. There are a lot of hand held GPS systems on the market to for hikers and wilderness explorers. But remember it’s good to keep a good map with you because GPS systems have their limitations. There are many things that make the GPS systems useless mainly not being able to get a signal with the satellites. For example like trees, mountains, or other obstacles blocking the signal from reaching the satellites. Also it is very possible the hand help ones or one the ones you put in the car that aren’t built in can run out of batteries. So that’s why the GPS wont get ride of the map, but replace how much the map is used with the GPS systems. Also with how public GPS system have become people are starting to use them for entertainment use. The most popular way is geocatching. One person goes out and hides an object, then pairs of people each pair with a GPS system and map try to find the object. Geocatching has become very popular lately with the increase of GPS systems all around.
I believe this paper makes some good points about GPS systems. It really informs how good it is to have a GPS system. The advance of technology is helping people staying found and not getting lost while on trips. GPS systems do provide a good sense of security such as really not having to worry about getting lost. Most car companies are combining their GPS system with maps. Cars today have the mini television screen next to the driver that shows the map of the area you are in. The GPS system triangulates your position on that map, your direction you are heading, where you want to go next, and so on. Also if you are already out driving and you do end up getting lost the GPS is right there to help you get back to where you want to go. The GPS is what is really keeping you found. It makes sure that you do stay on the right course and if you make a wrong turn it tell you how to fix it. The map is just there so you can see it in visual aspect. This is nice because it’s a lot easier to understand from a map point of view then having the directions read to you. So that is how the GPS won’t drive the map out of use. The GPS combined with map provides that best way to direct people. And I think that’s because people have grown up using maps. So it’s a lot easier for most people to take the directions from the map point of view. GPS systems are not only for traveling. A lot outdoor equipment companies have been coming out with hand help GPS systems for hiking. The hikers use the hand help system to go into the wood off the trails and remain found. So GPS systems are allowing for the public to become a little more adventurous outdoors and not having to worry about getting lost. That is not all that came with the increase of GPS systems. The new popular activity geocatching has become a new way entertainment. It is where one person goes and hides an object somewhere in previously set area. Then the rest of the group of people divides up into equal but small pairs. Each pair of people is given a hand held GPS system and a map. Then their races to see who can find the object first with the use of the GPS system, map, and the clues that were left behind by the person who hid the object. So its shows that GPS system are only for staying found. People are finding ways to use them for entertainment. And I believe this won’t be the last of the games to appear that you use a GPS system. Also with the advancement of the GPS systems to come, the use of actual maps will be some much less. Because the system will become so advanced that they will be able to get a signal with the satellites, extremely long lasting batteries, and which will allow people never having to worry about their GPS system not working. Also if be some chance that you do get lost with your GPS system, that they will be able to send a distress signal that rescue parties will be able to us to find the lost people.
GPS How it all started
Abstract: This article describes how GPS evolved from the work of Dr. Ivan Getting and his colleagues from the Raytheon corporation which was a three dimensional time-difference of arrival position finding system and became one of the stepping stones to what GPS is today. Dr. Getting directed aerospace engineers and scientists to evaluate satellite use, which eventually led to the concept utilized for the design of GPS. In 1993 the military declared that GPS was now a fully operational world utility-an essential component for navigation. By the year 2000 GPS became more accurate and more advanced than ever. The origins of GPS can be traced all back to the 1960’s during the launch of Sputnik.
This article affects me in a lot of ways. One reason is that it makes me feel more secure and the security of our entire country. GPS is a very sophisticated technology that many countries don’t have especially in the Middle Eastern countries. This technology is very useful for the Military because you can get so much information on locations with GPS. One of the biggest impacts GPS is having on me right now is cars having route navigation system that uses GPS technology in order for it work. It is a very useful tool and wouldn’t be surprised if almost every car would have this in the next 5 to 10 years.
I was kind of surprised at how new GPS technology is, at least in the private sector. The military was the first to use GPS and it uses the best technology even today. GPS has really taken just in this decade, before I never even heard about it, but today it is found in many of our electronical devices. GPS is found in the I-Phone as well as the Bluetooth GPS receiver that is available on certain cell phones.
I think the twelve billion dollars that the government spent for GPS has been worth every cent and it was a wise investment. It has given us a technological edge in the military and has been very useful in emergency situations such as people who are lost in remote areas or people who need help in areas that they can’t get cell phone service. GPS is starting to take off in the free market and I expect that to continue on into the future.
The Department of Defense was very wise for developing GPS in the military. After 9/11 GPS has become a very important in protecting our borders from possible terrorist attacks. Without GPS technology the chance of an attack happening would certainly be greater. GPS also greatly helps the navy, coast guard and the Air Force because of its abilities to pinpoint locations.
Our ability to know where we are has grown drastically over the years. Two-Hundred years ago we had to use the stars in order to navigate to certain places, now we know exactly where we are as well as the exact distance of our destination all in one system. For reasons of national security, the system used by the public is not as accurate as the one used by the military.
GPS connects people from far away better than ever. They can know exactly where they are and where they are going. GPS is also useful in finding important information as well as objects. Geo- catching is an activity that is done for fun or for competition. There is a lot of ways you can use GPS to find things. I have not used a lot of GPS so I don’t know very much about it, but I think it very important into the future. I think in the future I will GPS in some part of my life.
Without Ivan Getting GPS might not be where it is today. He was the innovator who started the idea that would become GPS.
I read Will's article on GPS. I agree that the global positioning systems are really helpful. They are helpful for safety, and convienence. I think that they should be put into all cars these days to keep everyone safe and always knowing where they are going. I agree also that they would be good for people if they get lost because they can be able to be found with the GPS that they have with them.
I read Paul's article. I was really surprised on how new GPS technology was. I agree with him in the fact that GPS has become a great tool not only for the military but in everyday lives as well. GPS will also become more and more important in the future and might and most likely will develop new uses.
After reading Brad's article about GPS devices, I realized that they could be very important and even save your life. No one thinks that they will ever be stuck in a snowstorm or lost in an unfamiliar place. A GPS device could help you get out alive.
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