I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Maps and Places
2. Course Prefix & Number:
GEOG 1410
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
Basic geographic literacy is essential for the modern world citizen. We study the world's regions, countries, capitals, mountains and rivers so we know where places are. We also study and make many types of maps to see the ways they can be used, the kinds of information they can convey and the best maps for given purposes.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
GEOG 1410 - Maps and Places
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
GEOG 1410 - Maps and Places
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
|
Name of Institution |
Course Number and Title |
Credits |
|
St. Cloud State University |
GEOG 216 Principles of Geographic Information Science |
3 |
III. Course Purpose
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate written communication skills |
Write essays to explain the process of making a particular map and to explain in words the visual content contained in the map |
| Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations |
Map data and draw conclusions from spatial relationships |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
|
Expected Outcome |
MnTC
Goal Area |
|
Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition |
5 |
|
Use and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories |
5 |
|
Develop and communicate alternative explanations or solutions for contemporary social issues |
5 |
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
Cartographic topics
1. Thinking Geographically
- Spatial thinking
- Regional concepts
- Mapping
2. Introduction to Maps and Concepts: navigation
- Longitude and Latitude
- Time zones
- Earth movements
3. Map Projections
- Distortions
- Area
- Distance
- Shape
- Direction
- Projections
- Cylindrical
- Conical
- Planar
4. Mapping your place
- Concepts of place
- Map symbols
- Google maps vs. hand drawn maps
5. Psychogeography
- Mapping consciousness
- Other mapping strategies
6. Map Scale and Measurement
- Using map scale
- Measuring distance and routes
7. Surveying and Land division
- Survey techniques
- Understanding land measurement
- Township and range system
8. Topographic Features
- Understanding topography
- Interpreting topographic maps
9. Terrain and Contour
- Drawing contour
- Imagining terrain
- Slope and drainage patterns
10. USGS topographic maps
- Using topographic maps
- Map symbols
- Landscape understanding
11. Getting your bearings
12. How to Lie with Maps
- Map misinterpretation
- Misleading symbols
- Misleading quantities
- Emotional content
13. Cartograms and Choropleth maps
- Understanding quantitative information
- Grouping data
- Color in cartography
14. Cartograms and Choropleth maps
- Mapping data
- Interpreting spatial relationships from choropleth maps
- Inferring causal relationships
15. Geographic Information Systems
- Use of computers in geography
- Accessing geographic information
- Managing GIS data
- Careers in GIS
- Mapping the World by Region
- Minnesota
- Canada
- United States
- Middle America
- South America
- Europe physical features
- Europe political
- Russia & the CIS
- Africa physical features
- Africa political
- Southwest Asia (Middle East)
- South Asia
- Southeast Asia
- East Asia & Oceania