TITLE: MAKING A CARTOGRAM
AUTHOR: Chuck Dwelley- Fortuna Elementary School- Fortuna, CA
GRADE LEVEL: 4th through 12th grade
OVERVIEW: Cartograms are visual ways of displaying statistical
geographic information. They are a hybrid-cross between a graph
and a map. Because of their visual nature these charts are easier
for students to absorb and remember statistical geographical data.
PURPOSE: This activity connects statistical information with a
geographic location. It can be used to connect the theme of
location to movement, place, region, and/or human environmental
interaction, depending on the statistics used. These relationships
become readily apparent to the viewer with "ah ha" clarity.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
TO MAKE A CARTOGRAM OF THE UNITED STATES BY POPULATION
(You may use any data you like.)
1. Cartograms are chart maps that present statistical information.
On a cartogram, sizes of geographic areas are changed to show the
statistical information. For example, on a cartogram about rainfall,
an area that gets more rain would be bigger than one that gets less rain.
2. Obtain a listing of the data to be displayed.
Can use data from 1980 census for an example:
By state rounded to the nearer 500,000
AL 4(millions) GA 5.5 MD 4 NJ 7.5 SC 3
AK .5 HI 1 MA 6 NM 1.5 SD .5
AZ 3 ID 1 MI 10 NY 18 TN 4.5
AR 2.5 IL 11.5 MN 4 NC 6 TX 14
CA 23.5 IN 5.5 MS 2.5 ND .5 UT 1.5
CO 3 IA 3 MO 5 OH 11 VT .5
CT 3 KS 2.5 MT 1 OK 3 VA 5.5
DE .5 KY 3.5 NE 1.5 OR 2.5 WA 4
DC .5 LA 4 NV 1 PA 12 WV 2
FL 9.5 ME 1 NH 1 RI 1 WI 4.5
WY .5
Source: "1989 World Almanac"
3. Determine a scale. In the example above one can use one square unit
of area per million population.
4. Cut out state areas from grid paper. (Graph paper, a hundreds chart,
etc. work well for this purpose.)
5. Keep states in their approximate locations, making a map showing
the data graphically. The distortions will demonstrate the data. (Each
individual state's shape can be cut and pasted in its relative location to
reflect its identity more clearly while altering its area. Different colors
can help represent each state.)
Example: California will be cut from 23.5 square units
Nevada will be cut from 1 square unit.
6. When more than one map is made of the same location, using various
data, relationships between the various maps show relationships between
the data. ( eg. maps showing arable land and agricultural production
correlate nicely.)
7. After making a variety of cartogram, students can use a variety of
higher level thinking skills to analyze the relationships they see in
comparing the various charts.
8. To make wider use of cartograms, a teacher needs only colored pens,
scissors, an Almanac, graph paper and an appropriate map to be in
business.
An excellent source of cartograms are found in "The New State of the
World Atlas", by Kidron and Segal.
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