SOC128 Fall 2013

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/map_projections.png

Learning Goals

To pass this course you must be able to

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of GIS, cartography, and computers vocabulary and concepts
  2. Demonstrate cartographic knowledge of the world, the US, California, and Oakland
  3. Use a map. Read a map. Interpret a map. Assess the quality of a map and make suggestions for improvement
  4. Find and obtain and manipulate geographic data and maps
  5. Use four map products to produce a requested map (including obtaining and preparing data). Make maps that use point, line, and polygon data
  6. Use maps to tell a data story.
Demonstrate knowledge of GIS, cartography, and computers vocabulary and concepts
  1. scale, resolution, simplification/abstraction, representation
  2. point, line, area, volume
  3. types of maps: topographic, thematic, schematic, choropleth, isopleth, political, mental maps, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Political Map, Physical Map, Topographic Map, Climate Map, Economic or Resource Map, Road Map, Thematic Map, star charts, nautical charts, bathymetric chart, aeronautical chart, cadastral map, plat, isochrone map, topological map
  4. important maps: Sanborn, London Underground, Peters Projection, Booth map of London poverty (1885), Snow's cholera map (1854)
  5. Longitude, latitude, parallels, meridians
  6. Projections: cylindrical, conical, azimuthal; conformal, equal-area; shape, area, distance, direction; datum, false northing/easting
  7. Visual variables: color, intensity, texture, size, contrast, hierarchy,
  8. 1+1=3: optical illusions, texture vibration, unintended information
  9. graphical elements of a map: border, legend, scalebar, north arrow, author, date, projection, coordinates, data source, data date, title, body of map
  10. Information transformations: Data collection, Selection, Classification, Simplification, Exaggeration, Symbolization, Use of map
  11. triangulated irregular network (TIN), interpolation, heat maps,
  12. https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog486/l6_p6.html (https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog486/home.html)
Demonstrate cartographic knowledge of the world, the US, California, and Oakland
Find and Obtain Geographic Data and Maps
  1. Oakland data sources and maps
  2. California data sources and maps
  3. US Census data and maps
  4. Open Street Map
  5. Google maps/earth, etc.
Use a map.  Read a map.  Interpret a map.  Assess the quality of a map and make suggestions for improvement
  1. Find one's way using a map.
  2. Orienting a map.
  3. Translate thematic map into alternative qualitative and quantitative descriptions
Use four map products to produce a requested map (including obtaining and preparing data).  Make maps that use point, line, and polygon data
  1. Make a map using Google maps, customize it, any tool export it as a picture, embed it in a web page, send link in an email
  2. Make athematic map using Social Explorer Contribute to OpenStreetMap
  3. Make a thematic map using QGIS
  4. Make a thematic map using ESRI online map server Leaflet and Javascript
Use maps to tell a data story.  
  1. In a Word document, a PowerPoint presentation, a video, a poster.  
  2. Write around maps.  
  3. Be honest with a map.  
  4. Move back and forth between other kinds of data visualization and a map.