2026 Learning Objects

GIS: Mapping 101

Davaajav, Saka

This teaching material was developed as part of a pedagogy internship through the Digital Internships Program at Columbia University Libraries.

This introductory, hands-on workshop teaches the fundamentals of GIS using ArcGIS Online. The workshop provides students with the opportunity to develop their own heat vulnerability map for New York City, while emphasizing the importance of choosing the most suitable data for specific research needs and applying it appropriately.

During the workshop, participants explore datasets and layers available within the Living Atlas, ArcGIS Online, and NYC Emergency Management demographic and vulnerability data. Through a series of guided exercises, students build a basic web map and StoryMaps to explore how heat exposure, social vulnerability, and access to resources intersect.
The workshop illustrates how GIS supports both research and decision-making by enabling users to combine multiple data sources in meaningful ways, ask better questions, and gain deeper insight into spatial relationships.

Keywords: GIS, Pedagogy, arcgis, arcgis online, web map, geographic information system, nyc heat vulnerability, mapping, workshop