GIS Survey Class
Assignment 1: Electronic Atlas work

(update 1/8/2009)

Explore an electronic atlas on the internet (some suggestions at page bottom) and create Two maps comparing some trend across space. Could be based on two different variables in the same mapped area (poverty and minority groups), or the same variable in two different mapped areas (Japanese Americans in Seattle and Los Angeles).

 

First a quick review of the steps:

Explorer Part (method illustrated in class)

  1. Use Windows NT Explorer to build a subdirectory under the Temp subdirectory with your name
  2. Use Explorer or such to search for (Google is a recommended search engine) an electronic atlas on the web such as William Bowen's Electronic Atlas or other web pages (list of possible sites at bottom of sheet).
  3. Go to a map that you like in Explorer, using the Ctrl and Print Screen keys capture an image of your computer screen (also can use Shift and Print Screen, this is called a Screen Dump).
  4. From your Programs click and open MSPowerPoint.
  5. Open a blank template.
  6. Paste the screen captured image to your Power Point slide.  Click on your picture then use the arrow key to move the image about and shrink or expand it to the correct size.  Also, use the Cropping Tool to cut off anything extra.
  7. Next do the same for text (title) and legend or other important information from the map that you wish to include in your final cartographic product.
  8. You may also add other image data that has been saved as a file by using Insert / Picture  or additional text information using  Insert / Text Box
  9. You can then improve the emphasis on your map by using the default rectangle box or oval with no fill (as demonstrated in class), or for the clever few draw on the map directly by first going to slide show, then using the right mouse button to activate the pointer options.
  10. Save your work and print the results.
  11. Make a jpeg of your Powerpoint slide
    a.  click Save As
    b.  In the Save as Type pick window scroll down to "JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpeg)
    c.  save this file using the following file name:  Egeo250-you last name- first initial-Asgn-1  (the jpeg extension will automatically be added to the end of this file name)
    d.  save this somewhere in your own "u drive" or on a thumb drive and also at J:\saldata\SAL_temp\Egeo250\Assignment 1\  (this way I will be able to view your final map in color and post some of them).

Write up Format (kindly follow this order and title each step as you deal with it):

Assignment 1 Report

Please TITLE each section and type this in a word processor.

1. Describe: First describe the web site that you explored by answering the following:

2. Goal: Then in a couple of sentences, describe the Goal of your own Map study (the two map comparison-- what are you trying to learn and why is this useful?),

3. Results Discussion: Discuss the results of your work as seen on the two or more maps. Do each of the following:  First describe important results, then discuss them and your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with them. Last, can you think of further work you would suggest?

 

4. PRINT-OUTS (of your maps):  Next, add the black and white maps that you printed-out.. The print-out(s) should have a series of two or more maps and/or insets (maps can be on the same page or separate pages), a title, a legend (if possible), and a box indicating " metadata" that is your name, date, and source of cartographic data (include brief title and url) also save a copy of the jpeg(s) of your map(s) using the following file name:  Egeo250-you last name- first initial-Asgn-1 to  J:\saldata\SAL_temp\Egeo250\Assignment 1\

5. Name Page: Put your name on the back of the last sheet facing outwards. Include on this page your name, assignment number and title, and date.

Note that late assignments lose points in an exponential fashion, and none are accepted after being more than one week late.

Good luck. Expect your map(s) and written report.

 

A number of sites worth looking at:

Atlas of Canada, Natural Resources of Canada

http://atlas.gc.ca/site/index.html

 

Silk Road Seattle

http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/index.html

 

DIGITAL ATLAS OF CALIFORNIA

http://130.166.124.2/CApage1.html

 

The Map Room, San Francisco, California

http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/maproom.html

 

Up-to-the-minute Southern California Earthquake Map

http://www.crustal.ucsb.edu/scec/webquakes/

 

The John R. Borchert Map Library
 

http://map.lib.umn.edu/index.html