Please submit a formal essay based on the data you gather on the worksheet below.
The purpose of this exercise is to examine the limitations of map communication.
A non-computer version of this assignment is on reserve in the Library.

You will choose a map of a country in your region from a paper map or atlas to compare to other maps of the same place on the internet. Try to find a varitey of thematic maps, general reference maps, and satellite photographs to compare. Write the map title, URL, and full citation for each map.

map:______________________________ Paper map

map:______________________________ Online Atlases and Map Collections

map:______________________________ Earth Viewer (satellite photos), Remote Sensing

map:______________________________ World Atlas Matt Rosenberg

ESSAY: You have examined four maps of the same place. Why is each map so different from the others? Summarize the different impressions you get of the region from these maps focusing on the following criteria:

• purpose: What is the main theme? What is the map intended to communicate? What is the cartographer focused on and what is left ignored?
• scale: Is the scale appropriate for the purpose? Does scale impose limitations? Can you see small details or the big picture?
• methods: What kind of information is in the map and how was it gathered? How is the information categorized and presented? What symbolization is used?
• limits: Is the map focused on a single narrow theme? What did the cartographer omit and why? Why can't all information be presented at once?
• accuracy: Is the information accurate as presented? Is accuracy sacrificed for graphic or artistic reasons? What impression does the map give the person reading it?

Consult an atlas and the websites below for information on how maps are made.
Assignment A - Making a Map
Cartographic Communication - U. of Texas, Austin
Cartography and Understanding Maps - Matt Rosenberg
Color Use Guidelines - Cynthia A. Brewer

Use the following worksheet to gather ideas for your essay. This worksheet is for your own analysis, but will NOT be turned in. Submit as an individual essay for credit.
Don't forget to include full citations and a bibliography to tell me where you got your maps and other information.

Map 1_________________________

purpose:

scale:

methods:

limits:

accuracy:
 
 

Map 2_________________________

purpose:

scale:

methods:

limits:

accuracy:
 
 

Map 3_________________________

purpose:

scale:

methods:

limits:

accuracy:
 
 

Map 4_________________________

purpose:

scale:

methods:

limits:

accuracy: