Geography 2100: MAPS & GRAPHS

Department of Geography & Earth Sciences
University of North Carolina - Charlotte

Taught by: Laurie A. B. Garo, Fall Semester, 2002


Introduction:

This course is designed to introduce the basic concepts and techniques involved in the graphic and cartographic representation of geographic information. There are four main components to the course: Large Scale Mapping, Small Scale Thematic Mapping, Graphic Publication on the Web, and Graphing. The course emphasizes theory and concepts. Hands-on mapping, graphing, and web page design are carried out  in Geog. 2101: Cartography Lab. Note that each student is required to be enrolled simultaneously in Geography 2100 and 2101, as the 2101 lab work will reinforce the 2100 lectures and exercises.

The primary objectives of the course are for the student to be able to:

Topics to be covered for achieving the above objectives are listed in the course outline below.

Lecturer: Laurie Garo

Office Number/ Phone: McEniry 441; ph. 687-4263

Email: lagaro@email.uncc.edu

Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays: 9:00-11:00 am, Mondays, 2:30-4:00 pm, and  Thursdays 2:30-3:30 p.m. or by appointment.

Class Period: Tuesday & Thursday: 8:00 - 9:20 am (ugh!!!)

Venue: McEniry Room 401

Assessment:
 
Class Exercises 25% 
Midterm Examination 20%
Final Examination 40%
Presentations/Participation 10%
Class Attendance 5%

Late Policy: Ten percent will be automatically deducted from all exercises that are handed in after the stated deadline. Any project handed in more than 2 weeks late will NOT be accepted.

Course Web Page: http://www.uncc.edu/lagaro/2100/index.html

Web Sites:
1. http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/coordsys/coordsys.html
2. http://www.geosys.com/cgi-bin/genobject/mapskills_scale/tigdd27
3. http://info.er.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/map-scales/index.html
4. http://www.uncc.edu/lagaro/cwg/mapproj/intro_mp.html
5. http://hum.amu.edu.pl/~zbzw/glob/glob1.htm
6. http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/mapproj.html
7. http://everest.hunter.cuny.edu/mp/
8. http://lorenz.mur.csu.edu.au/cgi-bin/gis/Map
9 .http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/cartocom/cartocom.html
10. http://maps.unomaha.edu/NACIS/paper.html
11. http://www.cgrer.uiowa.edu/servers/servers_references.html
12. http://cartouch.geog.hawaii.edu/seminar/IACart/animations/GenAnim.mov
13. http://www.cc.ukans.edu/cwis/untis/IPPBR/ksdata/ksah/javamap.htm
14. http://gis.mit.edu/projects
15. http://yerkes.mit.edu/ncpc96/home.html

Textbook: Dent, Borden: Cartography, Thematic Map Design, Fifth Edition, Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA, 1999

Note: You will also need to purchase the 2101 Course Pack which contains the lab and class exercises for Maps & Graphs and the Cartography Lab, as well as lecture notes and handouts for Maps & Graphs. The course pack is only available at Grays Bookstore.

Student Academic Integrity:   All students are required to abide by the rules set out in the document entitled: Student Guidelines to the UNC Charlotte code of Student Academic Integrity.

Presentations: Each student is required to participate in one presentation project on a selected thematic map type. The project will include research, class presentation and written summary of the presentation. Topics will be selected following the midterm. Instructions will be given at that time. Presentations will account for 10% of the total course grade.



Course Outline:

August 20
Introduction; Overview of Syllabus; Maps vs. Graphics; Map Appreciation.
Readings: Handout on Map Appreciation; Dent: 1-6;

August 22
Types of Maps; Overview of the Large Scale Cartographic Process.
Readings: Dent: 6-11; 17-18; 58-61; 324; 340-353; 399-402; 408-409.

August 27
Map Coordinate Systems
Readings: Dent: 25-35; W: 1  (W refers to web site as per above list)

August 29
Map Scale: Description & Uses; Types of Scale Representation.
Readings: Dent: 11-12; 36-37; 240; Handout on Map Scale; W: 2, W: 3 (Note: Bring Calculator and Ruler to Class)

Exercise 1: Map Scale Calculations & Conversions

September 3
Map Scale: Area Coverage & Detail; Measurements & Measurement Accuracy
Readings: Dent: 33-35; Handout on Map Scale;  W: 2, W: 3 (Note: Bring Calculator and Ruler to Class)

Exercise 2: Spherical Scale; Determination of Area Coverage

September 5
Cartographic Generalization;
Surveying and Mapping (in class and field)
Readings: Dent: 15-17; 58-60

September 10
Exercise 3a: Surveying (in the field)

September 12
Large Scale Map Compilation:
Exercise 3b: Plotting the Survey
Readings: Dent: 47-49; 58-64. Bring Calculator, Ruler, and Protractor to Class

September 17
Introduction to Map Projections
Readings: Dent: 35-46; Handout - Map Projection Properties; W: 4, W: 5, W: 6, W: 7, W: 8

September 19
Map Projections: Projection Properties; Types of Projections
Readings: Dent: 49-58; 65; 343-344; Handout - Map Projection Properties; W: 4, W: 5, W: 6, W: 7, W: 8

September 24
Map Projections: Selecting Appropriate Projections for Mapping
Readings: Dent: 50-61; Handout - Map Projection Properties; W: 4, W: 5, W: 6, W: 7, W: 8

Give Handout on Scale Revision

September 26
Map Projections: Selecting Appropriate Projections for Mapping
Readings: Dent: 50-61; Handout - Map Projection Properties; W: 4, W: 5, W: 6, W: 7, W: 8

October 1
GPS Surveying (class and field)
Readings: Dent: 31-33.

October 3
Exam Review; Review of Scale Revision Questions
Handout and discussion on Presentations

October 8
MIDTERM EXAMINATION

October 10
Types of Thematic Maps; Overview - Thematic Map Production Process; Selection of Presentation Topics.
Readings: Dent: 6-11; 16-17; 258-261. W: 9;  Handout on Presentations.

October 15
Introductory (Carto) Graphic Design; Cartographic Symbolization & Visual Variables for Symbol Design
Readings: Dent: 73-79; 83; 236-264; 268-285; Handout - Cartographic Design & Symbolization; W: 9

October 17
Geographic Data Types; Data Classification
Readings: Dent: 67-76; 79-86; 90-99; 106-107; 143-147; 151

Exercise 4: Choropleth Data Classification

October 22
Data Classification, continued
Readings: Dent: 67-76; 79-86; 90-99; 106-107; 143-147; 151

Exercise 4: Choropleth Data Classification, continued

October 24
Student Presentation: Choropleth Mapping
Readings: Dent: 138-158

October 29
Student Presentations: Isarithmic Mapping & Statistical Surfaces
Readings: Dent: 189-205

Exercise 5: Isoline Interpolation

October 31
Student Presentations: Dot Mapping; Flow Line Mapping
Readings: Dent:  161-172; 221-234

November 5
Student Presentation: Proportional Symbol Mapping
Readings: Dent: 173-187; Handout - Circle Scaling

Exercise 6: Symbol Scaling for Proportional Symbol Maps

November 7
Student Presentations: Cartograms; Tactual Mapping; Multivariate Statistical Mapping.
Readings: Dent: 207-219; 103-106; Handout.

November 12
Student Presentations: Animation & Multimedia
Video from National Spatial Data Infrastructure
Readings: W: 10, W: 11,W:12

Also: Thematic Map Design & Symbolization: Summary and Review, In Class Exercise

November 14
Preparing a Cartographic Portfolio

November 19
Web Page Design; Publishing Maps/Graphics on the Web

November 21
Introduction to Graphing; Types of Graphs; Data Classification for Graphing
Readings: Dent: 357-367; Handout on Graphing

November 26-28
NO CLASS; HAPPY THANKSGIVING - BON APETIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 3
Graphing, Continued: Design, Construction and Appropriate Uses for Line, Bar and Pie Graphs
Readings: Dent: 367-384.

Exercise 7: Selection of Graphing Methods

December 5
Complete graphing exercise; Exam Review

December 10 (Tues.)
FINAL EXAMINATION -- 8:00 to 11:00 am, McEniry 401


Back up to: Introduction or Web Sites or Course Outline

Created by Laurie A. B. Garo. Last Revised 8/19/02 by lg.