50-215: Map Reading and Analysis
Spring 2014
University Studies Program (USP) Explore Course
Class Sessions: Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 8:00-9:00 AM in Sage 4212
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Readings:
Kazimierz J. Zaniewski; Office: Sage 4465; Telephone: 920-424-7112; E-mail: [email protected]
Monday (9:10-10:10 AM; 1:50-2:50 PM); Tuesday (8:00-9:30 AM); Wednesday (9:10-10:10 AM; 12:40-2:50 PM);
Thursday (8:00-9:30 AM); Friday (9:10-10:10 AM)
Kimerling, A. J. et al. (2012). Map Use: Reading, Analysis, Interpretation. ESRI Press [recommended].
Course Description
Geography 215 is a three-credit course, and class activities will be devoted to learning basic principles of cartography related to map
reading, analysis, and interpretation. The first few lectures will be devoted to the classification of maps and history of cartography.
Students will learn about reference, thematic, and special purpose maps as well as selected old maps such as medieval T-O maps or
Renaissance Portolan charts. The next major lecture topic will deal with the size and shape of the earth, map scale and projections,
grid coordinate and land partitioning systems. Changing ideas about the earth shape (spheroid, ellipsoid, geoid) through history, the
concept of map scale, a variety of map projections, and major locational reference (Universal Transverse Mercator and State Plane
Coordinate) and land partitioning (US Public Land Survey) systems will be discussed next. We will also explore several methods of
showing landform configuration (relief) on maps (contours, hypsometric tinting, relief shading). About half of the semester will be
devoted to the above topics.
In the second half of semester attention will focus on visualization of qualitative and quantitative information and thematic
mapping. First, students will be introduced to various ways of map data symbolization for point, line, and area features and graphing
of quantitative information (e.g. bar and line graphs, pie and scatter charts). Second, the instructor will discuss several thematic
mapping techniques (e.g. choropleth, dot density, proportional symbol, pie/bar graph, cartograms) and their appropriateness for
displaying different types of information. Finally, one or two lectures will be devoted to selected maps and atlases from around the
world to show students how different cartographic schools show the same or similar information on maps.
EXPLORE Courses and a Liberal Education
This course is an EXPLORE course for the University Studies Program (USP). The EXPLORE classes are designed to provide a solid
foundation for the rest of your education here, no matter which major you choose. For further information about the unique general
education at UW Oshkosh and the other USP courses that are available, visit the University Studies Program website.
At UW Oshkosh, the foundation to your learning is a liberal education. Liberal Education is an approach to learning that empowers
individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the
wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps
students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as
communication, analytical and problem solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real world settings.
[AC&U; http://www.aacu.org/leap/What_is_liberal_education.cfm]
Liberal education is neither liberal nor conservative in a political sense. The word liberal is derived from Latin, and it means “free” or
“unrestricted.” It is an education emphasizing the development of intellectual abilities, and it prepares students to work in a variety
of jobs, is appealing to employers because of its emphasis on written and verbal communication skills and the ability to solve
complex problems and work well with others, provides an excellent foundation for graduate studies in many fields, and creates
graduates equipped with the skills to become valuable community members (www.iseek.org/education/liberalarts.html).
How does that definition connect to this course? Maps are basic tools in geography and other natural and social sciences and
graphical means of communication. By studying various maps, students will develop (improve) skills in map reading, analysis and
interpretation as well as in graphical presentation (visualization) of quantitative information. They will also be acquainted with basic
principles of cartographic ethics and, hopefully, use the acquired knowledge and skills adequately and responsibly in private,
professional, and public life.
Student Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, students should:
 Be able to describe the value of a Liberal Education and its connections to this course
 Become familiar with the expectations of a college-level education, the UW Oshkosh Essential Learning Outcomes, and the
University Studies Program
 Continue their acculturation to life at this university, developing familiarity with the academic resources and community
engagement opportunities at UW Oshkosh
 Be more familiar with the discipline of cartography and maps as graphical means of communication through working on various
cartographic projects
 Develop/improve their skills in quantitative literacy by working on projects dealing with visualization of quantitative information
 Demonstrate personal responsibility for their intellectual development by archiving and reflecting upon learning artifacts using
the D2L ePortfolio tool
More specifically, students, after completing the course, should also be familiar with:
 Several types of maps (reference, thematic, special purpose)
 Locational reference (latitude and longitude) and major grid coordinate and land partitioning systems
 Basic map projection types and their suitability for mapping various parts of the world
 Major terrain surface presentation techniques
 Various types of qualitative and quantitative thematic maps and graphing techniques of data presentation
Students should also acquire several skills related to map reading and analysis, including
 Map scale calculation and conversion
 Cartographic spatial pattern and association analysis
 Presentation and interpretation of quantitative information in graphical form
Early Alert
Early Alert is a process that provides students with an Early Grade Report from instructors. Early Grade Reports indicate if students
have academic performance or attendance issues and provide specific steps they can take and resources available to help them
improve. It is common for students to be unaware of or over-estimate their academic performance in classes. Early Alert helps raise
students’ awareness early of their progress and provide strategies for academic success. Early Alert is part of our effort to further
fuel students’ academic success by acculturating students to their higher education journeys; increasing their self-awareness and
responsibility; and connecting them to various campus resources as early as possible. Early Alert is a standard procedure for all
University Studies Program courses.
After the third week of class, you will receive a grade for your overall progress in this course and each of the courses you are taking
in your first semester. You will receive this information in an email during the 5th week of classes. Early Alert is designed to help you
evaluate your study skills and your class attendance so that you know if you are on the right track. If you need to make some
changes, there are resources available to support your academic success. These Early Alert grades are not permanent and will not
appear on your transcript. Your early alert grade in this class will reflect the grade from the first exam and the first two projects.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to be present for each scheduled class session, and attendance in this class is mandatory. In this course,
reading assignments and lectures are intended to complement, not duplicate, one another. Therefore, it is very important that the
student maintain a good attendance record. The instructor will monitor attendance at most class sessions. In all cases of absence,
the student is responsible for completing missed work; additionally, he/she will have to submit a small project assigned by the
instructor. Students may only attend courses/sections for which they are registered. It is the responsibility of the student to know
the attendance policy of the instructor.
Date
February 3 (M)
February 5 (W)
February 7 (F)
February 10 (M)
February 12 (W)
February 14 (F)
February 17 (M)
February 19 (W)
February 21 (F)
February 24 (M)
February 26 (W)
February 28 (F)
March 3 (M)
March 5 (W)
March 7 (F)
March 10 (M)
March 12 (W)
March 14 (F)
March 17 (M)
March 19 (W)
March 21 (F)
March 31 (M)
April 2 (W)
April 4 (F)
April 7 (M)
April 9 (W)
April 11 (F)
April 14 (M)
April 16 (W)
April 18 (F)
April 21 (M)
April 23 (W)
April 25 (F)
April 28 (M)
April 30 (W)
May 2 (F)
May 5 (M)
May 7 (W)
May 9 (F)
May 12 (M)
May 14 (W)
May 16 (F)
Major Topic
Introduction
The Earth and Earth
Coordinates
Map Scale
Map Projections
Grid Coordinate and Land
Partitioning Systems
Relief Maps
Qualitative Thematic
Maps
Visualization of
Quantitative Data
Quantitative Thematic
Maps
Cartographic Production
Course Outline
Specific Topic
Introduction to the course and cartography
Mental and cartographic maps
Map popularity and functions of map
History of cartography
The Earth as a sphere (graticule)
The Earth as an ellipsoid
The Earth as a geoid
Map scale
Map scale
Map scale; GEO-Eval1
Map projection families
Map projection parameters
Commonly used map projections
Exam 1
Grid coordinates (UTM, UPS, SPC)
Grid coordinate determination on maps
Grid coordinate determination on maps
Land partitioning systems (US PLSS)
Land partitioning systems (US PLSS)
Absolute relief mapping methods
Relative relief mapping methods
Digital elevation model data
Qualitative thematic information (point, line, area)
Qualitative thematic maps
Qualitative thematic maps
Qualitative thematic maps
Exam 2
Visualization patterns/trends (bar/line graphs)
Visualization of proportions (pie/bar graphs)
Visualization of relationships (scatter/bubble graphs)
Visualization of differences (star/ternary graphs)
Graphing in Excel and PowerPoint
Quantitative thematic information (point, line, area)
Quantitative thematic maps (choropleth)
Quantitative thematic maps (proportional symbol)
Quantitative thematic maps (pie/bar graph, dot)
Quantitative thematic maps (flow/prism)
Multivariate thematic maps
Cartograms
Examples of maps and atlases
Examples of maps and atlases
Exam 3
Readings (pages)
Introduction (xv-xviii)
Chapter 1 (5-20)
Chapter 2 (23-33)
Chapter 3 (35-60)
Chapter 4 (63-80)
Chapter 5 (83-99)
Chapter 6 (101-125)
Chapter 7 (127-144)
D2L Materials
Chapter 8 (147-182)
D2L Materials
Student Requirements
Regular attendance and timely completion of assignments are essential to successful performance in this course. Reading
assignments must be read before the lecture on each topic. Without adequate preparation on the part of the student, some parts of
the lecture may be unclear.
Each student will have to prepare ten (10) projects. These projects will be practical exercises dealing with cartographic concepts
learned in class and will consist of various types of questions (short answer, fill-in-the-blank), simple calculations, map analysis and
interpretation activities, and visualization (graphing) of quantitative information. Handouts and additional information on each
project will be found in D2L. More information about the projects will be provided in class. Each project assignment will be due
within one week.
Map Projects
Due Date
February 21 (F)
February 28 (F)
March 7 (F)
March 17 (M)
March 31 (M)
April 14 (M)
April 21 (M)
April 28 (M)
May 5 (M)
May 14 (W)
Topic
Project 1: The earth and earth coordinates
Project 2: Map scale
Project 3: Map projections
Project 4: Grid coordinate systems
Project 5: Land partitioning systems
Project 6: Qualitative thematic maps
Project 7: Visualization of quantitative information (bar/line graphs)
Project 8: Visualization of quantitative information (scatter/bubble graphs)
Project 9: Quantitative thematic maps (choropleth/proportional symbol)
Project 10: Quantitative thematic maps (pie chart/bar graph)
ePortfolio (Electronic Portfolio)
To paraphrase a Wikipedia’s definition, ePortfolio is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a student, and it
can be considered a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. As you move through your courses at UW
Oshkosh, you will archive your learning in an ePortfolio. The ePortfolio can be found in D2L. The ePortfolio will help you keep track
of papers, speeches, reports, projects, and other assignments in your Quest and Explore courses, so that you can see your progress
and connect ideas across different classes. You can continue to use this portfolio in your major classes, so that you are ready for your
Capstone course or experience as you near graduation. You can even use the ePortfolio after you graduate to show evidence of your
learning to employers or graduate schools. In this course (and in all your USP courses), a specific assignment has been designated to
be uploaded to your ePortfolio. In this course, at least one of your ten projects has to be included in the ePortfolio. Projects 6
through 10, which require some writing and/or analysis of quantitative information are particularly well suited for your ePortfolio.
Reflection Essays
Within the University Studies Program each course has a key assignment and a reflection to become part of a student’s ePortfolio.
The purpose of the reflection component is to: (1) help students to place this course into a bigger picture of geography, their degree
(major), and the idea of a liberal education; and (2) to contribute to the student’s process of understanding their studies, abilities,
approaches to learning, and being able to see progression in these areas over time. When reflecting on a particular assignment or
the entire course, you may consider arranging your reflection essay around five components:
Remembering
 What did I accomplish?
 What steps did I take to complete this work?
Understanding
 What new insights did I develop as a result of doing this work?
 How has my perspective changed after doing this assignment?
Analyzing
 What challenges to my current thinking did this work present?
 How does work in this course connect with work in another course?
Evaluating
 What did I do well? What areas do I still need to work on?
 What would I do differently if I did it again?
Creating
 What next steps do I want to take as a result of this learning experience?
 What should I do next to achieve my goals?
Meet Your Professor
All students, especially those taking Explore courses, are encouraged to meet with their instructors at least once during the
semester. You are very welcome to stop by in my office at any time during my office hours (or any other time) and talk to me about
this class, assignments, exams, or anything else that is on your mind.
Exams, Projects and Grading Policy
The final grade in the course will be determined on the basis of the student’s performance on three exams and ten projects. The
significance of each activity in assigning the final grade is as follows:
Activity
Examinations (3)
Projects (10)
TOTAL
Maximum number of points for each
activity
50
15
-
Total maximum number of points for
each activity
150
150
300
Three equally weighted exams are scheduled in this course. The exams are non-comprehensive and will cover material in the
proceeding unit of study. The exams will be based on material presented in lecture, lab assignments, and assigned readings. The
examinations will consist of multiple-choice, fill in the blank, short answer, identification, and matching questions. The number of
questions in particular categories may vary on each exam. The instructor will provide a study guide for each exam.
If the student has a valid excuse for missing exam then taking a makeup is permitted. However, the student must notify the
instructor no later than the next class day to explain his/her absence and schedule a make-up exam. Failure to promptly and
adequately explain the student's absence will result in receiving zero points from the missed exam. Students must bring their
student I.D. cards with them to all exams. To receive a passing grade, the student must take all three exams and submit twelve
projects. Failure to do so, regardless of the total score, will result in an “F” grade for the course.
The following scale will be used in determining the final grade:
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Points
282-300
270-281
258-269
246-257
234-245
222-233
210-221
198-209
186-197
174-185
162-173
0-161
Percentage
>94
>90
>86
>82
>78
>74
>70
>66
>62
>58
>54
Below 54
Campus Resources
In the University Studies Program, we want you to be successful. Please visit this resource page (or the D2L course page) to read
about all the campus services available to support your success (http://www.uwosh.edu/home/resources).
Center for Academic Resources: The Center for Academic Resources (CAR) provides free, confidential tutoring for students in most
undergraduate classes on campus. CAR is located in the Student Success Center, Suite 102. Check the Tutor List page on CAR’s
website (www.uwosh.edu/car) for a list of tutors. If your course is not listed, click on a link to request one, stop by SSC 102 or call
424-2290. To schedule a tutoring session, simply email the tutor, let him/her know what class you are seeking assistance in, and
schedule a time to meet.
Writing Center: The Writing Center helps students of all ability levels improve their writing. Trained peer consultants help writers
understand an assignment, envision possibilities for a draft, and improve their writing process. They even help writers learn to
identify their own proofreading errors. Students can make a free appointment or stop by to see whether a consultant is available.
For more information, view their website (http://www.uwosh.edu/wcenter), call 920-424-1152, email [email protected], or visit
them in Suite 102 of the Student Success Center.
Reading Study Center: The Reading Study Center is an all-university service whose mission is to facilitate the development of
efficient college-level learning strategies in students of all abilities. The center offers strategies for improved textbook study, time
management, note-taking, test preparation, and test-taking. For more information, email [email protected], view the
website (http://www.uwosh.edu/readingstudycenter), visit them in Nursing Ed Room 201, or call 424-1031.
Polk Library/Information Literacy: Polk Library offers many professional librarians who can help you find library resources for your
research. Specifically, Ted Mulvey, the Information Literacy Librarian, is available to assist you as you access, evaluate, and use
information in University Studies Program classes. Phone: 920-424-7329; email: [email protected]. You may also set up a
research advisory session with a librarian at: [email protected].