Science, like math, is a subject with many different forms. Examples of this are biology, chemistry and GIS. GIS technically counts as Earth Science level two, but it’s taught in a very different way.

“GIS is Geospatial Information Systems, so it’s the science of ware,” Taryn Langmead, a GIS teacher, said. “It’s taking data and finding patterns and solving problems, but also being able to communicate it in a way that’s accessible for everybody.”

The class sets up the basis for analysis and mapping that’s used within the scientific field. It’s a class aimed at anyone who’s planning to have a career involving data analysis or engineering. 

“It’s a great skill for many careers, and also it really develops critical and spatial thinking,” Jesse Sheehan, who assists with teaching GIS, said. 

GIS has caught the eye of students who are interested in its content and alternative way to learn science.

“I joined GIS because I thought it was really interesting, just the creation of maps and the using surveys to kind of see the connections between certain locations,” junior Alex Abell said.

GIS may be a good class for any student interested in capturing data, mapping and geographic information or any student who may want to learn science in a different way. 

“I’d recommend GIS because it has been scientifically proven as one of the best ways to develop your critical thinking capacity very quickly,” Sheehan said. “There are many opportunities to investigate things you’re interested in because it’s wide open to almost anything you can think of.”