OBJECTIVE

The objective of this lesson is to expose you to some of the tools used by geographers, and to gain some experience using these tools. By the end of this lesson you should know:

• how to distinguish small scale maps (or photos) from large scale maps (or photos);
• what a descriptive statistic is and some examples of descriptive statistics;
• how to use latitude and longitude.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Please read Dr. Ritter's Tools of the Geographer. A separate window will open with the readings in it. THIS window, with these instructions, will still be open in the background. There are 7 sections to read:
   
   
   • Maps
   • Map Scale (do NOT submit the self assessment!)
   • Locational Systems: Latitude and Longitude
   • Aerial Photographs and Remote Sensing
   • Geographic Information Systems
   • Models in Geography
   • Graphs and Statistics

 

2. Once you have finished reading the Tools of the Geographer come back to this page and answer the questions below. Type your answers into the text fields (boxes) below. When you are finished, click on the "submit" button to send your answers to your instructor.

Map Scale

1. Are the maps of climate, soils and biomes in your textbook examples of large or small scale maps?

2. If you wanted more detailed information on one of these three topics (climate, soils or biomes), would it be best to use a larger scale map, or a smaller scale map than the one in your textbook? Why?

3. Go to Microsoft's TerraServer database of air photographs. In the upper left hand corner of the TerraServer home page you'll find a search box. Type "Stevens Point" without the quotes for the city, and "Wisconsin" for the state. Select the Stevens Point air photo to bring up a photo of Stevens Point. Click on the bridge over the Wisconsin River on the left hand side of the photo to zoom in. Continue clicking on the bridge until you've zoomed in as close as possible. Measure the length of the bridge and use the scale at the bottom of the photo to determine the approximate real world distance in feet.
   
   

   Bridge length in feet

   
   Does the photo you took your bridge measurement from have a larger or a smaller scale than the initial photo of Stevens Point? If you're not sure, you can always zoom back out to the original photo.

Statistics

4. Climate reports often cite the average annual temperature of cities. For example, the average annual temperature in Las Vegas, Nevada is 67 degrees Fahrenheit (19.5 degrees Celsius).
   
   
1. What type of statistic is the average annual temperature an example of?

2. Is this statistic alone sufficient to characterize the temperatures that a person would experience throughout the year in Las Vegas? Why or why not?

Latitude and Longitude

5. Estimate the latitude and longitude of these 2 cities to the nearest half degree. Do not try to include the degree sign in your answer, but make sure you indicate the direction (N, S, E, W).
   

1. Stevens Point, Wisconsin

2. Phoenix, Arizona

6. Using the MapQuest Atlas, what major U.S. cities are located approximately at the following positions? Note that in the MapQuest Atlas, you can click on an individual state for a closer, more detailed view.
   
   
1. 30^oN, 90^oW

2. 39^oN, 77^oW

3. 45^oN, 123^oW

7. If you were half way between the Equator and the North Pole, and one quarter of the way around the earth to the west of the Prime Meridian, what would be your latitude and longitude? (Do not include the degree sign, but do include the direction.)

8. If you were a third of the way from the Equator to the South Pole, and half way around the earth to the east of the Prime Meridian, what would be your latitude and longitude?