Unit 2: Living in our world Theme A: People and where they live Section 1: Population growth, change and structure Part 2: Use an appropriate GIS to investigate the scale and origins of in-migration to a region within an MEDC, for example NI

Concentration of People Born Outside the British Isles

% Change in numbers of people born outside the UK

What is GIS? A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. A GIS helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. Source (

What is GIS? 2 GIS (Geographic Information System) is an exciting technology which allows students to visualise, explore, question and make sense of the world around them. A GIS comprises a computer, GIS computer software (such as DigitalWorlds or ArcView) and geographic information stored in a database. It provides a powerful set of tools to answer questions about different locations: not only “where”, but “why”, “how” and “what if?” Complex geographic information can be represented as maps or graphs, allowing students to analyse the information, and see patterns and trends quickly and easily. Students can explore and investigate the relationships between places and different sets of information.

What is GIS? 3 In a GIS, layers of information about places are stored in the database and can be displayed as a map. Multiple layers, representing different themes (such as aerial photography or historic maps), can be overlaid, creating a stack of layers, each of which can be turned on or off, or peeled back. Within the classroom this allows students to see how, for example, a place has changed over time. Peeling back the layers of current and historic maps, students can see how towns have developed or the coastline has eroded. Or, using data they have collected in the field, students can create their own databases, edit their own maps and analyse the results. A wide range of enquiry is possible, both geographic and for any subject where place or location plays a part.

What can you do with GIS? Map Where Things Are Mapping where things are lets you find places that have the features you're looking for, and to see where to take action. Find a feature—People use maps to see where or what an individual feature is. Finding patterns—Looking at the distribution of features on the map instead of just an individual feature, you can see patterns emerge.

Map Quantities People map quantities, like where the most and least are, to find places that meet their criteria and take action, or to see the relationships between places. This gives an additional level of information beyond simply mapping the locations of features

What is your definition of GIS? GIS is.....

Using NINIS A GIS to interpret and describe Data

Maps for printing