Cartography 3540 is an introduction to basic cartographic methods
and design. The course utilizes principles taught in both Geog
3530 and 3540. The concepts are utilized through the collection
and abstraction of data which is then used to create maps using
Adobe Illustrator.
The first project that is assigned familiarizes students with
using Adobe Illustrator in creating a map with information about
the U.S. Public Land Survey System.
The second project works with map scale, feature selection,
scale/data density relationships, scale manipulation, scale construction,{Do
you get the idea that scale is important in this project?} data
capture and freehand drawing using Adobe Illustrator. The student
chooses a state and county from that state and scans it into Adobe
Illustrator. It is up to the student what features to choose to
include in their map.
The third project works with data representation and symbolization.
The subject of the map is leading causes of death in Nebraska
cites with populations over 10,000. The data collected is then
integrated into proportionally segmented circles to represent
the cities and overlain on a map of Nebraska.
This page is designed as a broad overview to students planning on taking this class. It in no way represents the number of hours of work you will spend working on these seemingly simple projects. The projects that are shown here represent how I chose to do them. There are many ways to create these same maps and they should not be used as a template for future cartography student projects{You don't know what kind of grades I got on them!}.
