The Geographer's Craft, Fall
1995
Preliminary Schedule (Subject to Change)
Click here to view the index of lecture and discussion notes or a list of
warmup exercises and
assignments .
August 30: Introduction
Topics and tasks: Introduction to course. DOS/Windows quiz. Complete final enrollment.
Overview of laboratory resources, access, and use. Purchase of supplies.
September 4: Research Concepts and Internet and Library
Resources
Topics and tasks: Consider the revolution in information technology and the way it is changing
research methodologies in the sciences and geography. Introduce the idea of the electronic classroom
including the Internet, Worldwide Web, Mosaic and library resources. Consider the issue of research
methodology and various models of analytic and scientific reasoning. Introduce electronic mail and the
telnet and ftp commands. Demonstrate how to access and use on-line class materials. Establish IF
accounts. Assign accounts and electronic mail addresses. No class Monday on Labor
Day.
Required Reading:
September 11: Mining the Internet
Topics and tasks: Further practice with Internet resources (gopher, veronica, etc.). Seminar at
library. Create on-line student directory. Practice with file use, transfer, conversion, compression, and
decompression. Discuss problems involved in navigating the Internet. Web search due. Digital
aerobics complete.
Required Reading:
Supplemental Reading:
September 18: Overview of GIS as an Integrating Technology in
Geography
Topics and tasks: Overview of categories of application software used in geography and the social
and natural sciences. Introduction to GIS and comparison to other systems. Introduction to basic GIS
concepts and definitions. The idea of GIS as a model or representation of reality. Overview of
applications. Introduction to the first GIS warm-up exercises.
Required Reading:
- Study GIS as an
Integrating Technology .
- Antenucci, John C; Brown, Kay; Croswell, Peter L.; Kevany, Michael J.; and Archer, Hugh N. 1991.
"Introduction" and "Evolution of the Technology." Chaps. 1 and 2 in Geographic Information
Systems: A Guide to the Technology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
September 25: GIS and Archeology: The Metaponto Project
Topics and tasks: Overview of recent developments in GIS and archeology. Overview of Greek
settlement of Mediterranean territories and the colonization of Metaponto. Issues to be explored in first
two warm-up exercises. Introduction to Atlas*GIS for Windows. Acquiring files through anonymous ftp
and decompression. First Metaponto warm-up exercise due on Wednesday.
Required Reading:
October 2: Cartographic Communication
Topics and tasks: Introduction to thematic cartography applied to first maps. Overview of
cartography as a form of visual communication. Definition of audience and theme. Overview of general
principles, composition of map elements, and visual hierarchy. Experiments with point symbols and
color. Problems of realizing goals with automated systems: "Never Trust Defaults." Second
Metaponto warm-up exercise due on Friday.
Required Reading:
October 9: Texas Campaign Strategy
Topics and tasks: Introduction to Texas electoral and demographic dynamics and Clinton campaign
strategy. Explore ways in which the Clinton strategy can be applied to Texas. Develop strategy based
upon recent electoral returns and demographic data from Texas counties. Overview of advanced
Atlas*GIS data handling and analysis functions. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of
cartographic versus database solutions.
Required Reading: Overview of Texas Campaign
Strategy .
October 16: Issues in Demographic Mapping
Topics and tasks: Overview of issues relating to demographic mapping: statistical generalization,
classification, and symbolization. Overview of problems of data classification and of strengths and
weaknesses of various methods. Perform experiments with area patterns and further tests with layout and
color. Introduce new issues relating to verbal content and lettering. Review of descriptive statistics.
Required Reading: Study Section 6 of Cartographic Communication .
Supplemental Reading:
- Coulson, Michael R.C. 1987. In the matter of class intervals for choropleth maps: With particular
reference to the work of George F. Jenks. Cartographica 24 (2): 16-39.
- Jenks, George F. 1963. Generalization in statistical mapping. Annals of the Association of
American Geographers 53: 15-26.
- Evans, Ian S. 1977. The selection of class intervals. Transactions of the Institute of British
Geographers New Series 2: 98-124.
October 23: Introduction to Web Publishing and HTML
Topics and tasks: Finish Texas campaign project. Overview of the HTML and the basics
of Web publishing. Design first homepage for final Web project. No Class on Wednesday due to
workshop for annual meeting of National Council for Geographic Education.
Required Reading: Dougherty and Koman, Mosaic Handbook, Chapter 7
Supplemental Reading: You may wish to purchase one of the commercially available guides to HTML,
but everything you really need to know is on-line .
October 30: The Resurgence of Cholera in Peru
Topics and tasks: Introduce geography's spatial and ecological contributions to the study of disease.
Consider the history of cholera in the 19th and 20th centuries. Examine the resurgence of cholera in
Latin America. Raise questions of where and why. Begin to devise plan for studying the resurgence of
cholera in Peru. Begin to gather sources. Begin digitizing warm-up exercise with Atlas*GIS.
Required Reading: TBA.
Supplemental Reading: TBA.
November 6: Project Planning and Database Design I
Topics and tasks: Develop plan for cholera study. Consider map and data sources and decide how
these will be used. Address difficulties of gathering information from varied sources and of data quality.
Develop scheme for organizing and coding data. Begin digitizing map coverages.
Required Reading:
- Skim Data
Sources for GIS .
- Skim Internet
Resources for Geographers .
- Antenucci, John C; Brown, Kay; Croswell, Peter L.; Kevany, Michael J.; and Archer, Hugh N. 1991.
"Data Types." Chap. 6 in Geographic Information Systems: A Guide to the Technology. New
York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
November 13: Project Planning and Database Design II
Topics and tasks: Consider more general issues of project planning. Examine how databases model
real-world phenomena and processes. Organize attribute information. Develop scheme for analyzing and
symbolizing relationships. Map coverages completed.
Required Reading: Antenucci, John C; Brown, Kay; Croswell, Peter L.; Kevany, Michael J.; and Archer,
Hugh N. 1991. "Data Base Concepts." Chap. 5 in Geographic Information Systems: A Guide to the
Technology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
November 20: Coordinate Systems
Topics and tasks: Raise issue of establishing and measuring location. Address issue of how and why
coordinate systems differ. Survey major issues and terms. Introduce principle land survey and coordinate
systems employed in Texas. Raise issues of accuracy and precision. Raise further issues in cartographic
design and composition. No Class on Friday for Thanksgiving break.
Required Reading: Study the Coordinate Systems
Overview .
Supplemental Reading: Muehrcke, P.C. 1986. "Locational Reference Systems." Chap. 7 in Map Use:
Reading-Analysis-Interpretation, 2d ed. Madison, WI: J.P. Publications.
November 27: Map Projections
Topics and tasks: Overview basic issue of map projections and compromises involved. Introduce
basic terminology. Consider widely used methods and why and when they are applied. Cholera
project due.
Required Reading: Study the Map Projections Overview
. Also see Notes on Map Projections by Keith Clarke at Hunter College.
Supplemental Reading: Robinson, A.H., R.D. Sale, J.L. Morrison, and P.C. Muehrcke. 1984. "The
Spheroid, Map Scale, Coordinate Systems, and Reckoning" and "Map Projections." Chaps. 4 and 5 in
Elements of Cartography, 5th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
December 4: GPS and Advanced HTML Concepts
Topics and tasks: Introduce the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the ways it can be employed.
Address strengths and limitations of various techniques. Address some of the technical issues relating to
map projections and coordinate systems including datum use. Consider further issues in Web publishing
relating to final project.
Required Reading:
Web Project Complete and On-line by Time of Final Exam: 13 December,
10 PM
Last revised 27 August 1995. KEF.