Welcome to the educational portal for information and resources related to GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in WV. Geospatial technologies are one of the currently fastest growing technology fields (Source: U.S. Department of Labor). To introduce students to the geospatial tools and skills that will be required for many high-demand jobs of the future, West Virginia has developed relationships with generous partners, such as ESRI, to bring industry-standard software and resources to WV teachers and students.
Student/Teacher Access
All students and educators have an account at WV’s own mapping website http://wvstudentmaps.maps.arcgis.com/.
- To activate the account, simply visit the site above.
- Click Sign In (upper right).
- Sign in by clicking WVDE WEBTOP SSO.
- Log in with your Office 365 email and password.
- Your account is now created.
This account is used to login to the WV Student Maps site, as well as ESRI training, and Survey123. Before accessing these additional sites, however, the account must first be activated at WV Student Maps.
Note: Many schools already have their own mapping website for student and teacher use. WV Student Maps is available if you do not want to set up your own mapping website. Information on requesting a mapping website for your school can be found on the StoryMaps website.
Educator Resources
GeoInquiries
Link to lessons: https://bit.ly/3pKc3UC
Link to student version: https://esriurl.com/geoInquiryWorkSheets
GeoInquiries are designed as 15-minute lecture replacements, allowing educators to incorporate real world data into classroom instruction.
Teach with GIS
Link: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/educators/
This implementation guide includes a collection of online lessons designed for educators to use to teach more of the theory and practice of GIS, but again through content.
Learn ArcGIS
Link: http://learn.arcgis.com/en/
These lessons are designed to teach individuals how to use the ArcGIS software, but each lesson includes content applicable to many of the areas WV educators teach in their classrooms.
Supplemental Instructional Resources
Link: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/education/schools/instructional-resources
ESRI provides instructional resources using the ArcGIS Online platform. Mapping Our World, Thinking Spatially Using GIS, and The ArcGIS Book each contain rich lessons for teaching content, in context, through GIS.
Training
ESRI training
Training is available using the account created at WV Student Maps. When accessing the training site, login with your WV Student Maps login (your Office 365 login). This account allows free access to many of the online training courses and learning paths. It is recommended that you begin by following the learning path “Getting Started in GIS for Educators” found here.
WV Learns Training
Training is available for WV Educators through WV Learns. The course, Computer Science – Introduction to GIS is designed for those teaching the course with the same name described in WV Policy 2520.14 (West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Technology and Computer Science). This WV Learns course provides a solid foundation for any educator seeking instruction in teaching with GIS. Instructions for registering for a WV Learns course can be found here.
A guidance document for educators teaching Computer Science – Introduction to GIS is available. It contains activities tied to each of the CS standards for this course, along with ideas for teaching students GIS skills. Computer Science – Introduction to GIS Guidance Document
ESRI Community
With an account at WV Student Maps or another organizational account, educators can join the ESRI education community through GeoNet. That specific community can be found here: https://community.esri.com/community/education
WV GIS Listserv
The WV GIS in K12 Listserv is used to distribute information and resources to teachers learning how to use GIS in their classrooms. To subscribe to the WV GIS in K12 Education listserv, send an e-mail to: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.WVNET.EDU with no subject and the following in the body (not subject) of the message (Make sure you put your first and last name as specified):
subscribe WVGIS-K12-L FirstName LastName
Story Map Contest
WV Story Map Contest for Middle (4-8) and High School (9-12) Students
The WV Story Map contest challenges students to tell a story of their choosing and asks students to create a story map using maps, images, videos, and text. The stories must have a geographic focus in WV, but can tell the story of a historical event; give a tour of a location; recount a trip across the state; or profile a West Virginian! Be creative.
What stories need told?