Redlands, California – Treasure hunts, pond hockey, dogsledding, and soaring in the clouds are just some of many fun things you can do with the miracle of modern technology known as GPS. Now, a new book from ESRI Press explores the unlimited possibilities of using global positioning system (GPS) technology for education, recreation, and entertainment. Fun with GPS includes maps, photographs, and activities that help readers enjoy and get the most out of their personal GPS devices. For as little as $100, these high- tech gadgets let you map just about any activity you can think of, from tracking where your cat prowls at night to creating a corn maze for summer fun. The book also offers tips on incorporating GPS technology into the classroom to reinforce science, math, and geography curricula; provide groundwork for project-based learning; and enhance the importance of schoolwork to students.
Fun with GPS begins with an introduction to the technology that includes everything from why GPS works and how to accurately set it up to how to double its accuracy and what defines confluence points. The book illustrates an assortment of uses for GPS through real-world examples and describes how to set up the GPS track log, obtain and use software that can retrieve stored coordinates, and obtain and use ESRI’s ArcExplorer mapping software. Many Web sites are listed that contain more information and support for the described activity.
After the introduction and basic overview, the book delves into the world of GPS on snow and ice, in the animal kingdom, on the road, on water, airborne, and in schools and communities. Each section contains detailed examples of how GPS can be used to engage in activities that are not only fun, but help users learn. The real-world examples follow the process of using the GPS, describing common problems many people encounter, and giving suggestions for how to avoid them. Detailed pictures illustrate the overall outcome of the projects and give readers a reference to follow with their own projects. The schools and the community section of the book gives educators and students comprehensive activities and ideas to incorporate the fun of GPS into their subject’s curriculum.
Book author Donald Cooke is the founder of Geographic Data Technology, Inc., recently acquired by Tele Atlas. He is coauthor of The History of Geographic Information Systems and is a past member of the National Academy of Sciences Mapping Science Committee and a member of the National Consortium on Remote Sensing in Transportation steering committee. Cooke played a central role in the creation of TIGER, the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing database of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Fun with GPS (ISBN 1-58948-087-2, 152 pages, $19.95) is available at better bookstores and online retailers worldwide or can be purchased at www.esri.com/esripress or by calling 1-800-447-9778. From outside the United States, you may also contact your local ESRI distributor; see www.esri.com/international for a current distributor list. Books published by ESRI Press are distributed to the trade by Independent Publishers Group (tel.: 1-800-888-4741, Web: www.ipgbook.com).
About ESRI Press
ESRI Press publishes award-winning books about GIS applications, science, and technology. The complete selection of GIS titles from ESRI Press can be found on the Web at www.esri.com/esripress.
About ESRI
Founded in 1969, ESRI is the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI software is used in all 200 of the largest cities in the United States and in more than 60 percent of counties and municipalities nationwide. Headquartered in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,700 business partners. ESRI’s goal is to develop comprehensive tools that enable users to efficiently manage, use, and serve geographic information to make a difference in the world around them. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com.