1. Introduction to GPS/GIS Ag Applications
GPS Exercises
Introduction to GPS/GIS Ag Applications
This project is partly funded by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions expressed within are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.

2. Location Exercise Objectives: Materials: Assignment
Basic use of GPS receiver - setup
Awareness of coordinate systems
Materials:
Worksheet
GPS receiver
Assignment
Select and record the coordinates of a series of objects
Record the coordinates of the objects using different coordinate systems
Save coordinates as waypoints

3. Garmin Etrex Page – switches between screen “pages”
Zoom Out or Up arrow
Zoom In or Down arrow
Power
Enter – select menu items

4. Location Exercise Any object of students choice Coordinates
Developing spatial awareness
Coordinates
DD – Decimal Degrees °
DM – Degrees Minutes 42° ’
DMS – Degrees, Minutes, Seconds 42° 34’ 23.5”
UTM – Northing

5. Location Exercise Setup of Coordinate Format Use of input buttons
Setup/menu page
Units
Format
Use of input buttons
Arrows to move around screen
Enter to select highlighted option
Page to exit screen after selecting

6. Navigation Materials Assignment Worksheet GPS Receiver
Use waypoints saved from Location exercise or enter waypoints into receiver
Start and use navigation page
Follow navigation instructions to waypoint

7. Navigation What value does this have in agriculture?
Find soil sample location assuring random or statistically correct sampling
Find abnormal conditions in field
Finding a previous treatment area for comparison

8. Datalogging Materials: Assignment: Worksheet GPS Receiver
record coordinates for three of the same type of object
Determine two attributes to be collected for each object
record data values for each attribute on each object

9. Datalogging What value does this have in agriculture?
Yield monitoring/mapping
Crop scouting/pest mapping
Recording of characteristics and conditions
Placement of crop inputs

10. Applications Exercise
Research ways in which GPS is used
Write one paragraph summary and present to class
Weirdest use of GPS
Best use of GPS

11. Expanding exercises Other teachers that would be interested
Other disciplines that have applications
Use of other equipment

12. Building spreadsheet of data
ArcView
ArcCatalog – start new table
Add fields for attributes
Add spatial reference
Add data to attribute fields
Save edits