GEOG 3523, Computer Mapping Exercise #2: Choropleth Mapping, Spring 2003, NSU

GEOG 3523, Computer Cartography, NSU, Spring 2003
Computer Mapping Exercise #2: Choropleth Maps
Assigned:    February 11, 2003                    Due:   March 4, 2003 by 12:30 p.m. (Note: you have three weeks)

This exercise will reinforce class discussions, textbook readings, and the first three tutorials (up through choropleth mapping) and manipulation of databases (attribute tables).   Be sure to review the sections in the ArcView Help entitled "Overview of editing a table," "Adding and deleting fields in a table," "Calculating a field's values," and "Joining tables." Students should strive for cartographic excellence in each assignment; as new concepts are covered and new skills acquired in the course, the level of cartographic excellence will be expected to increase.
The exercise is worth fifty (50) points. You may work on the exercise with other classmates, but everyone must complete and submit her/his own version of the exercise. There will be some portions of the regular class meeting time devoted to the exercise, but much of the work will likely have to be done outside of class time.
Datasets:

Use the states.shp shapefile for this exercise; this shapefile (and its associated database and index files) come with ArcView GIS. These files can be found in the following directory: c:\esri\esridata\usa\. Any permanent changes that you make to the database file should be done on your floppy drive or your L: drive, not on the c: drive.

Each student will obtain her/his assigned variable from the American FactFinder website at the U.S. Census Bureau. Go to the Thematic Maps section; select the variable; and then download the necessary data in Microsoft Excels format.

Part A:    U.S. Base Map

Create a base map of the U.S. including the following:

All 50 states with Alaska and Hawaii shown in insets.

Assume the purpose is for presentation in on an 8.5x11-inch, black-and-white printed page to be used by high school students in learning the locations and correctly-spelled names of the states.

Put all files necessary to run the project on a 3.5-inch disk. Since you will be using the states.shp shapefile you will also need all of the other files whose filenames begin with "states." The entire set of files should require no more than a total of about 300 KB of disk space.

Save your maps, tables, and layouts (View, Table, and Layout) all in one Project file. Name your Project file: yourlastname-Exercise2-PartA.apr (for example, mine would be Ziehr-Exercise2-PartA.apr).

Write a justification for the projection used and the components that you included in your layout and for the layout/map design that you used.

Turn in a printed copy of your map, word-processed justification of your map design, and the 3.5-inch disk. Be sure the project will open properly on a lab computer logged-on under someone's userid before you turn it in.

Part B:    Choropleth Mapping of Census Data

Create two choropleth maps of the U.S. showing the data assigned below.

One map of your assigned variable (see list below), and one map of a "calculated" variable of your choosing. The calculated variable must be a mathematical transformation of at least two other variables, such as population density which is population divided by area. You may calculate a new variable using data that already exists on the states.dbf file or you may add your own variables obtained from the Census Bureau. Unless otherwise noted, the socio-economic variables in the states.dbf table are from the 1990 U.S. Census.

Assume the purpose is for presentation in an online (digital) atlas of cultural geography aimed at an adult audience.

You may add your assigned variable directly to the states.dbf table (but only on your floppy or L: drive) or you may join a dBase table (created in Excels) to the states theme table.

Create and calculate a new field in the table for the calculated variable (field) of your choice.

The variable (from the 2000 Census) assigned to each student follows:

Rhonda Baber            Percent under 18 years of age

Adam Barnes             Percent under 18 years of age who are Hispanic

Rachel Barnett           Percent under 18 years of age who are Black or African American

Kenton Brice             Percent Hispanic

Curtis Davis              Percent Black or African American (alone)

David Reed               Percent American Indian (alone)

Curtis Smith              Percent two or more races

Valorie Strange          Percent 65 years and over

Put all files necessary to run the project on a 3.5-inch disk. Since you will be using the states.shp shapefile you will also need all of the other files whose filenames begin with "states." The entire set of files should require no more than a total of about 300 KB of disk space.

Save your Views, Tables, and Layouts all in one Project file. Name (title) your Views and Layouts so that it is clear what variable is being displayed. Name your Project file: yourlastname-Exercise2-PartB.apr (for example, mine would be Ziehr-Exercise2-PartB.apr).

Write (word processed) a justification for the projection, classification method, and other features of your maps and layouts.

Turn in the 3.5-inch disk and the written justification. Be sure the project will open properly on a lab computer before you turn it in.

Created February 11, 2003.