GIS Web Gateways

GIS Data Resources
UT Austin, Community and Regional Planning Program - GIS Data Sets Available for Download – this guide focuses on data for the Austin area and for Texas, but also contains links to other national data clearinghouses
http://web.austin.utexas.edu/architecture/academic/crp/data/index.html

For searching for particular information, the Google search engine (www.google.com) does a great job – just remember to put GIS in the search, e.g., Texas ecoregions GIS

GIS Overviews
GIS.com – this site provides a good, simple, introduction to GIS with good graphics – see especially the link to What is GIS? http://www.gis.com/

K12 and GIS
USGS Education site – outstanding geography education site with lots of GIS materials, put together primarily by Joseph Kerski, the indefatigable champion of K12 education at the USGS http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/public/outreach/

ESRI – Canada K12 GIS site – teaching materials, Powerpoint presentations, lessons, and tutorials see the links along the top of the site
http://k12.esricanada.com/

ESRI US K12 site
http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/