Maine GIS Championship Poster Competition, 2006

Rules and Guidelines

Rules for poster entrants

• Entries may come from teams or individuals at Maine schools, youth
organizations or home schools.
• The projects can be done by teams or individuals, which will have separate
categories in the competitions.
• The poster presented must represent the work of one or more students—teachers,
parents and group leaders may help, but students must do the work.
• Poster topics may be any geographic question in any discipline (Not sure if your
topic is appropriate? It probably is appropriate, but contact event organizers to
discuss your idea!).
• A PDF file of the poster on a CD or via online upload must be provided along
with the hard copy (entrants in the virtual competition will receive instructions for
uploading their poster PDF). Posters will be exhibited on the competition website.
• Student entrants (at least one per poster entered) must attend the poster session
and be prepared to stand by their poster to discuss their project with judges and
the general public. Entrants in the virtual competition will be required to hold a
conference call or teleconference with judges to discuss their work.
• Student entrants must be in 6th grade through 12th during 2008-2009 school year.
Grades 6 through 8 will be entered in the middle school categories; and grades 9
through 12 will be entered in the high school categories.
• There will be one winner for each category in each regional competition and the
virtual competition.
• Entrants may present other media in their poster area (video, costumes, audio,
etc.), but judges will assess only the posters themselves in the judging.
• A student may enter only one poster in the individual category and may also be
part of one team project. Other students may be part of up to two team projects.
Each poster must be presented by a separate individual during the poster session.
In other words, the same student cannot present two posters in the poster session.
• Parents or guardians of students under 18 years of age are asked to sign a photo
permission slip allowing the Maine Community College System and the
University of Maine System to use images of students in documentation and
promotional materials. Teachers and group leaders, please inform event
organizers if permission has not been obtained for any students.
• Posters will be judged by a panel of GIS professionals on a point system. In the
event of a tie, judges will consult to choose the champions.
• Regional champions may revise and reprint their posters prior to the state
competition, however, the poster submitted for the final competition must cover
the same project as the poster entered in the regional competition.

Poster Guidelines
• Poster must be 48” x 48” or smaller.
• Poster must include text, maps, images, and (if applicable) diagrams
 • The poster must include at least one map made by any GIS software
• Required text content is listed below. Text must be 12 point or larger, though we
encourage you to use larger font and ensure your poster can be read from at least
four feet away. Keep written portions short and concise.
• We encourage you to include pictures of students doing their work in the field or
on the computer (please make sure photo release forms are on file for pictured
students)
• We encourage you to print your poster on a large-format color printer. If you don't
have access to a large-format printer, please contact event organizers in advance
for help finding a place to print your poster.

Poster text must include the following (derived from work by Molly Schaffer and
Margaret Chernosky):

1. Title: Eye-catching and informative titles are specific and should characterize the
main theme of your project.
2. Introduction & Motivation: Set the stage for the questions you are asking and give
an overview of why you are doing this research. Describe the context of your project
(i.e. observations that led you to the project or other relevant information) and present
general description of your site. List your objectives, which may be educational or
scientific or a combination.
3. Geographic Questions & Goals: State the specific geographic question you tried to
answer in your project, and what you did with this information?
4. Methods: Describe specifically what you did to accomplish your research goals. List
the specific tools, software, the analysis methods and other relevant information.
5. Results: Show what you came up with. This is most effectively done using maps,
tables and graphics, with brief summaries in text. Don’t explain or interpret anything
here, just show what happened in a way that can be read easily. For figures and maps,
use the form (Fig. 3) or (Map 3) to refer to and label maps, graphs, photos, and any
non-tabular graphic. Use (Table x) for tables. All figures and tables should have a
caption that makes the figure self-explanatory.
6. Discussion: What do your results say in terms of your original questions? How
confident are you in your findings? What are some possible explanations for results
that didn’t come out as you expected? Were there any surprises?
7. Implications, conclusions and possible future work: What implications do these
findings have in terms of your objectives? What new questions do they raise? What
could be tried next? What is the social, cultural, scientific or educational relevance of
your findings?
8. Literature review and citations: If any of your methods are drawn from prior work,
published protocols or instructions, you should cite the sources in MLA format
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/).
9. Credits: List the names of all student participants, teacher/leader,
school/organization, date, and name of service client (if applicable). It's a good idea to
include the names and logos of any sponsors and a note of thanks to anyone who
helped you.
 GIS Championship Poster Rubric
Geography/ GIS Analysis Criteria: Five Steps of Geographic Inquiry (Adapted from EDGES, Steven Moore)
Exemplary (4pts) Mastery Introductory Does Not Meet
Requirements
The Student Poses a research question Poses a research question Poses a research Does not pose a research
Asks based on a sophisticated that requires a time-series question question or poses a
Geographic understanding of GIS and/or and/or geographic analysis. that has a geographic research
Questions GPS technology. component. question that does not
involve geographic
thinking.
The Student Acquires GIS data from Acquires GIS data provided Acquires some of the Does not successfully
Acquires professional sources, collects by the instructor and/or field data provided by acquire any GIS data or
Geographic georeferenced collects georeferenced field the instructor and/or gather georeferenced
Resources field data, and/or prepares the data in a manner prescribed collects a small amount field data.
data by doing procedures such by the instructor. of georeferenced data.
as converting formats or
reprojecting map layers
The Student Creates a complex GIS project Creates a GIS project with a Creates a GIS map with Does not create a GIS
Explores with numerous data layers and small number of layers and one or two layers. project or map.
Geographic types of data. one or two data types.
Data
The Student Conducts a GIS analysis that Conducts a GIS analysis that Conducts a GIS analysis Does not use a GIS to
Analyzes involves conducting queries, involves procedures such as that involves qualitative analyze mapped data.
Geographic summarizing results, measuring conducting queries, creating comparisons between Does not develop
Information distances or areas, computing buffers, and measuring linear map layers or an conclusions about an
correlations between map distances on maps. Reviews examination of a single analysis conducted with
layers, and/or other the results of the GIS map. Reviews the mapped data.
sophisticated analysis analysis to make conclusions results of the GIS
procedures. Reviews the results about the research question. analysis to make
of the GIS analysis to make conclusions about the
conclusions about the research research question and
question. answers questions posed
by the instructor.
The Student Reports the project results and Reports the project results Reports the project Does not present project
Acts Upon conclusions in a research and conclusions in a results and conclusions results and conclusions
Geographic report, journal article, research report or in a report to the to anyone.
Knowledge community presentation, presentation to the school instructor or
website, or other method of community. presentation to the
communication that reaches class.
beyond the school community.
Teaches others how to do what
he or she did.
General Criteria
Significance of Addresses an entirely new Addresses a new question or Addresses a common Does not address a
Project question to fulfill an important fulfills an important or question to fulfill a geographic question or
and uncommon need uncommon need common need fulfill a need
Visual Impact Exhibits highly refined map Exhibits refined map design Exhibits maps with basic Does not exhibit balance
of Map Design design balancing color, text, balancing color, text, balance of color, text, of color, text,
composition & texture composition & texture composition & texture composition & texture

Visual Impact Exhibits highly refined poster
of Poster design balancing color, text,
Design composition & texture
Interview Articulates a complete and
nuanced understanding of the
project and its implications
Exhibits refined poster Exhibits poster design Does not exhibit poster
design balancing color, text, with basic balance with balance of color,
composition & texture color, text, composition text, composition &
& texture texture
Articulates a complete Articulates a general Does not articulate an
understanding of the project understanding of the understanding of the
and its implications project and its project and its
implications implications
 GIS Championships 2008 Judge's Scoring Sheet

Judge: Poster Number:

Event: No. Reg.  So. Reg.  E. Reg.  Central Reg.  Virtual  Finals 

Category: HS Individual  HS Group  MS Individual  MS Group 

Poster Checklist Geographic Inquiry General Criteria

Title &
Introduction 1 Asks Geographic Questions 3 Significance of Project 3
Acquires Geographic Visual Impact: Map
Question/ Goals 1 Resources 3 Design 3
Visual Impact: Poster
Methods 1 Explores Geographic Data 3 Design 3
Analyzes Geographic
Results 1 Information 3 Interview 6
Acts Upon Geographic
Discussion 1 Knowledge 3 General Criteria Total 15

Conclusions 1 Geographic Inquiry Total 15

Citations 1 Comments:

Credits 1
Spell & Typo
Check 1

Maps & Pics 1

Checklist Total 10 Total Score 40