NR 218 Project 1: Mapping

Learning Goals

  • Understand geographic concepts
  • Start working with geographic data
  • Make your first map!
  • Start working with map attributes and styling

Written Responses (3 pts)

Provide written responses to the following Questions:

  1. Map Scale Analysis: Determine and discuss the most appropriate (approximate) representative fractions for the following verbal map scale descriptions: (a) individual person, (b) neighborhood, (c) urban, (d) regional, (e) national, and (f) global.

  2. Map Projections Research: Go to the National Atlas website and read about map projections (archived link). Define the following terms:

    1. datum
    2. developable surface
    3. secant
    4. azimuth
    5. rhumb line
    6. zenithal

  3. Projection Properties: Describe the general properties of the following projections:

    1. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
    2. State plane system
    3. Robinson projection

  4. USGS Topographic Maps:

    • Download a map for your place of residence from: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/
    • What are the scale, projection, and contour interval of the USGS topographic map that you downloaded for your place of residence?

  5. Coordinate Systems: Find the latitude and longitude of your hometown. Explain how you can convert the coordinates from DD to DMS or vice versa.

Tutorial Assignments (3 pts)

  1. Complete the following tutorials and submit screenshots of the final product:

Project Work (4 pts)

Setup (Optional)

[Optional] Carefully follow the instructions to install QGIS on your personal computer - if you are not comfortable using your own machine, skip this step and use the machines in the classroom. Allow 5-10 mins to download and install, depending on your internet connection: https://courses.spatialthoughts.com/install-qgis-ltr.html

Make your first (production quality) map! - Look through the Making a Map tutorial - Use what you have learned in lecture and the previous tutorials to make you first map + Use the SPR_data.zip from the files section of Canvas (we already used it in class) + Make a map showing either vegetation type, soil type, timber type, or or land use + Be sure to include standard elements such as scale and north arrow.
+ Decisions about what style and elements will best convey the information are up to you - Submit a PDF image of the final map you created at the end of the tutorial

Submission Requirements

Submit the following items:

  1. Written Responses: Answers to Questions 1-6 above

  2. [Optional] A screenshot showing that you successfully installed QGIS (include the time and date in the screenshot)

  3. First Map: An image of your first map (.tiff, .jpeg, .png, or .pdf format) created from Tutorial 1

    • Be sure to include all the necessary elements required for a high quality map (i.e. scale bar, north arrow, legend, gridlines, coordinate labels)

  4. Tutorial Screenshots: Screenshots of the final outputs and processing steps of the (1) Working With Attributes Tutorial, (2) Basic Vector Styling Tutorial, and (3) Calculating Line Lengths and Statistics Tutorial