Technological changes in mapping over the last 30 years more profound and fast than in any other era in history.

Map concepts and map design: have not changed nearly as much but need to be adapted to new technologies

This course: bring together more traditional cartography and cartographic design with new technologies and new kinds of maps

• WWW mapping and GIS: everyone is a cartographer!

• everyone has to know the basics of making maps in this new context

Some general goals for this course:

The Course in General

• Relation to Geography 222: The Power of Maps and GIS

• Course WWW Site

Your Instructor

• Instructor WWW Site

Introduction to and Overview of Lab Project

• Lab project: your entire grade! (individual parts of project + evaluations)

• Multiple steps building up to a major project (vs. exercises)

• Missing classes, particularly when lab exercises are explained: don't do it

• Falling behind: fatal (loose points, difficult to catch up)

  
  

• Lab Computer Skills Required: on syllabus

• If you have particular skills (html, css, etc.) and want to do more than the basic project - talk to me

• Grade based on how well your project reflects your abilities

• Grade based on creativity and working up to your ability

Basic Project: Visualizing Population Change, 1900 to 2010+

Goal: to produce a series of animated, interactive maps, for display on the WWW, which serve as a means of visualizing county level population change over time.

• akin to a 'real world' project

I. Define the Geographic Context and Mapping Method

• Topic of US population change - animated
  • Each student will chose a different state or group of states (Washington & Oregon, etc.) to focus on.

  • Smaller states: do several (avoid Alaska, Hawaii and stupid states like Virginia)

  • Gather additional information (historical, contemporary) about your state; helps to interpret the patterns you see in animation

• Next time: Decide on your State(s)

• Techie overdose: Learn HTML, blogs, map mashups, FTP.

II. Locating, Downloading, and Processing Course Data

• Locate and Obtain US State Population Data 1900-2010

• In the real world: data not just given to you that is ready to use

• Potential problems and hassles: good!

• Processing the Data: editing, cleaning up, etc. w/ Excel Spreadsheet

III. Mapping the Data

• Create "choropleth" maps of the data: ArcGIS software
  • link processed data to maps

  • calculate % change; classify data and design maps

  • document and evaluate

  • additional map types created from same data

• Result: series of different maps in ArcGIS

IV. Animating the Series of Maps

• Using software to animate the series of maps

• Animation on the WWW: GIF file animation

• Animation in Google Earth: KMZ/KML file creation

V. Placing your materials on the Web - your already created pages

• By the end of the quarter [note: this is an historical artifact from 1999; I mean semester, of course] you will have, on the WWW
  • animated population change maps: Animated GIFs and KMZ files

  • but also additional info about your project and links to additional info.

• WWW origins: sharing information among Scientists
  • continue that tradition: share your work with rest of world (and mom and pop and granny and gramps)

  • if your project stinks, everyone (your mom, aunt, siblings, friends, reality TV stars, etc.) will know.

• End of semester: present work in class

III. Some Final Comments...and things to start doing

• Attempt to have fun with the project and in the class
  • encourage creativity, moving beyond the basic project

  • use myself and other students as resources

  • don't get lazy due to the different structure and approach to the course.

  
  

• Course evolving: Making Maps book and course revisions and changes in technology

  
  

• Technology = crisis: crashes, buggy software, lost files
  • A learning process as much about computers as about mapping and GIS

  • Document problems and triumphs

  • Tradition of at least one student losing everything a few weeks from the end of the semester!

  • You are responsible for backing up your work (flash drive, Google Drive)

  • Positive outcome: increased comfort with computers and their quirks

    
    

OWU Geology & Geography Computer Lab

• regular hours: 7am-7pm M-F

• other hours: get code from instructor & use OWU card to get in building (maybe only doors on lower west side of building)

Basic rules and regulations in the Lab

• the Lab is for students enrolled in Geology/Geography courses and Geology/Geography/ES majors

• The Lab is for Mapping and GIS projects and other Geology/Geography projects

• The Lab has no full time attendant or technical staff

• Don't modify, add, or remove software: ask if you have software questions

• Projects will be discarded at end of semester (back up your work)

• Let me know, and place a note on the computer, if you notice a problem

• Food and drink policy: don't make a mess

• Relatively open and unrestrictive: don't do things which make me impose strict rules

Next meeting: initial lecture, contextualizing this course

• Choose a state(s) you are interested in and why

• Personal introductions

• Get used to using the WWW site! Go there and peruse the Syllabus and the Course Schedule

• Send me an email (jbkrygier@owu.edu) from your OWU Email account and include the following information:
  • Your Name (preferred name)

  • This course (Geography 353)

  • Major (if known)

  • Year at OWU

  • Hometown (and state or country)

  • Computer Experience

  • Other geography courses you have taken (name or number)

  • Other geography courses you have this semester (name or number)

  • Reason for taking this course

E-mail: jbkrygier@owu.edu

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