Week 2: MAPS! - Introduction to Geography · PDF fileWeek 2: MAPS! 1 Source: Intro to Geography Lehman College GEH 101/GEH 501 Fall 2010 Keith Miyake Friday, September 9, 11

Week 2:

MAPS!

1

Source: http://xkcd.com/256/

Intro to GeographyLehman CollegeGEH 101/GEH 501Fall 2010

Keith Miyake

Friday, September 9, 11

http://xkcd.com/256/

http://xkcd.com/256/

Term Papers: IntroThe purpose of this paper is to help students relate the geographical ways of thinking introduced in the course to topics of personal interest, and in doing so, develop research, writing, and critical analytical skills.

You may work individually or in pairs

The content of the paper will be developed incrementally throughout the course through collaborative discussions during class.

Guidelines are available as a PDF on the course website

Due Dates:

March 21, 11:59pm: Description of topic, outline, bibliography

April 11, 11:59pm: Final paper due as email attachment

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Term Papers: Topics

The topic can be anything the you choose

It is your responsibility to demonstrate how geographical knowledge and analysis is useful in understanding the topic.

Possible topics...

Environmental Justice in New York

Race, space and place in the evolution of Jazz music

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Term Papers: Format and Style1,500–2,500 words, not including bibliography

12-point, Times family font, 1” margins, double line spacings

APA Style:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/

Must use in-line citations:

According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

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Term Papers: Content and Structure

Introduction and Thesis

Describe the purpose or argument contained in your paper

Very briefly (no more than 1 page) describe the topic as though it was being presented to peers who are mostly ignorant about the topic.

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Term Papers: Content and StructureBody: Use geographic analysis to critically think about one or more aspects of the topic:

How spatial variations or interactions shape the processes involved in your topic

How place-specific physical landscape, political, economic, cultural, and social variables are influential factors

How factors in one place have uneven consequences for different populations across space and time

You might use of maps/spatial analysis, quantitative data, analysis of current affairs, policy analysis, media critique, or anything else that would enable others to better understand the chosen topic.

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Term Papers: Content and Structure

Conclusion and Discussion

How the topic is relevant within contemporary society

Pose questions or topics for further research

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Term Papers: Assessment

If you struggle with writing mechanics, it is highly recommended that you visit the Academic Support Center for Excellence, have a peer proof read your paper, or meet with me individually to work on making your paper more readable and comprehensible.

Papers will be assessed based on geographic content and analysis as well as mechanics based on the rubric posted to the course website

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Sources and References

At least 4 sources of information not including data or graphics

At least 2 sources must be scholarly sources such as academic journals or books

Wikipedia is not an acceptable source...

Websites should be reputable and contain verifiable information (e.g., Huffington Post is OK, answers.yahoo.com is NOT OK)

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How to use Wikipedia

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Why Maps?

Reference

Spatial analysis

Communicating information

Synesthetic device

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Absolute Locations

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Geographic grids are coordinate systems that allow us to locate places on a map

Latitude-Longitude

40°47’49.84”N, 73°58’15.41”W

+40.872617, -73.895845

Metes and Bounds

Township and Range


Coordinate Systems

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Source: Fiona VincentFriday, September 9, 11

http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/chapter1.htm

http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/chapter1.htm

Time Zones and Longitude

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Map Projections:Flattening a

Globe

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Map Projections:Equal-area (equivalent)vs.Conformal

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Map Projections

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CoordinateSystems

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Source: USGSFriday, September 9, 11

Relative Information & Maps

Distance-relationships are never entirely accurate on flat maps because flattening a map causes linear distortion

Maps tend to be most accurate with regard to distance near the center of the projection and least accurate at the edges

Relationships between places can be expressed in different ways

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Map Symbology

Points and Lines

Isolines and Contours

Areas

Flows

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Map Symbology

Points and Lines


Areas

Flows

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Map Symbology

Points and Lines


Areas (choropleth map)

Flows

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Map SymbologyPoints and Lines


Areas

Flows

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Map Scale

Large scale: more detail

Scale ratio is larger

Small scale: less detail

Scale ratio is smaller

1:10,000,000 vs 1:10,000

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Small scale map

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Source: Third World Atlas by Alan Thomas

2000-2009 Temperature Anomaly (NASA)


Large scale map

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Source: Keith Miyake for North Star FundFriday, September 9, 11

Types of Maps: Choropleth

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Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2009/Friday, September 9, 11

http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2009/

http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2009/

Types of Maps: Area Cartogram

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Carbon Emissions by Country

Source: http://www.worldmapper.orgFriday, September 9, 11

http://www.worldmapper.org

http://www.worldmapper.org

Maps and Technology

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Sensing and imagery

GPS and locational devices

GIS and computers

The Internet

Creative uses of existing technologies

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB7t4KKV38UFriday, September 9, 11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB7t4KKV38U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB7t4KKV38U

Remote Sensing

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Remote SensingImagery of the Gulf of Mexico taken by NASA's Terra spacecraft

(left) Near true-color image of Mississippi Delta

(right) False-color image; oil is blue-black, delta waters are reddish, land is cyan

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Remote Sensing and Internet Technologies

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Geographic Information Science (GISc)and Spatial Analysis

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Spatial Analysis

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John Snow, Cholera, Epidemiology

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1800s cholera widely believed to be caused by miasma (pollution or bad air)

1849 Snow published: "On the Mode of Communication of Cholera" where he proposed that the "Cholera Poison" reproduced in the human body and was spread through contaminated food or water.

Theory unproven until London in 1854

Snow identified pattern of deaths surrounding a water pump on Broad St.

Removal of pump handle coincided with reduction in deaths


Spatial Analysis: Environmental Racism38


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How to Lie with Maps

Map standardization

Who is making the maps and why?

What social and psychological effects might standardization cause?

People trust maps!

Maps imply factuality and impartiality

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How to Lie with Maps

Scale (size of different things, relative to what?)

Omission

Distortion

Symbology

How data are represented (e.g., density vs. population vs. per capita)

Implications?

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Gallery WalkWhat is the map style or category?

What information is being conveyed?

Who is the audience?

What is the scale and scope of the map? Would the map be effective at different scales?

What layers and symbology are used?

Is the map effective?

Thinking about the range of information that can be conveyed through maps, what are some commonalities that all maps share?

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Documents

Week 2: MAPS! - Introduction to Geography · PDF fileWeek 2: MAPS! 1 Source: Intro to Geography Lehman College GEH 101/GEH 501 Fall 2010 Keith Miyake Friday, September 9, 11