=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1557/paper5
|storemode=property
|title=Teaching the Complexities of Map Boundaries
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1557/paper5.pdf
|volume=Vol-1557
|authors=Michael N. DeMers
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/cosit/DeMers15
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==Teaching the Complexities of Map Boundaries==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1557/paper5.pdf
Teaching the Complexities of Map Boundaries
Michael N. DeMers (demers01@gmail.com)
New Mexico State University
Department of Geography,
Las Cruces, NM 88003
Abstract. The authoritarian perception of categorical boundary lines on maps
tends to leave students with the false impression that all categorical map
boundaries are more-or-less immutable. Additionally learners often perceive
that such lines are based on a single, easy-to-define, geographical phenomenon
and that the exact spatial location of that phenomenon is both known and
recordable. Among the more important geospatial concepts geography students
must learn however is that the definition of these zones of inclusion as
“regions” is often based on multiple interacting phenomena requiring a
geographer’s skill at both delineation and perhaps more importantly integration
of often subtle but important geospatial phenomena. Regional geographers
would argue that this latter skill is a hallmark of the geographer’s craft. This
talk provides examples of field and discussion-based exercises from
biogeography, census geography, climatology, and cultural geography that
expose students to the problems, solutions, and implications of categorical
boundary determination.
1 Introduction
Spatial thinking is considered a critical skill of a well-educated geographer and is
therefore a component, although more often an implicit rather than explicit
component, of much of geographic education, yet research shows it can be learned
(Gersmehl and Gersmehl 2007) and should be included as part of a modern geography
education (Bearman, et. al. 2016). The term spatial thinking however as it is
applied in the field of geography is markedly different and contains far more meaning
than that of being able to recognize a 3-D form from a 2-D diagram. Employing
instead the term “geospatial thinking,” the patterns, boundaries, arrangements and
juxtapositions of earth’s features as observed on imagery or stylized on cartographic
products carry with them cause and effect relationships that are often at the heart of
geographic inquiry. I will restrict my talk to that of categorical map boundaries as
they are conceived of and abstracted to represent internal regional uniformity.
Geography students, especially those who are relatively new to the discipline, are
often unaware of the complexity of categorical boundaries – often accepting soils and
vegetation categories found in textbooks and distribution maps in atlases as absolute
and the internal content as uniform. Perhaps more importantly these novices
infrequently consider the implications of both the category boundaries and the
assumptions about their internal content. While these concepts are often implicit in
a full program of study, students often miss the subtleties because of the intrinsic and
extraneous cognitive load inherent in every learning experience. Rather than relying
on incidental or situated learning for these concepts, I provide a few simple exercises
whose intended learning objectives are specifically related to regional classification.
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2 Exercises
The following exercises provide a cross section of possible approaches to teaching
about regional boundaries with intended learning objectives. The examples are not
meant to be comprehensive nor are they intended to necessarily be used as is, but
rather modified to adjust for setting, course, or faculty uniqueness.
2.1 Vegetation Map Exercise
Vegetation maps are common in general physical geography texts and as separate
maps and supplements. But do introductory physical geography students really
know what they represent? Here is a quick exercise to get them thinking.
Learning objectives:
1. Identify what is actually being mapped in a number of different maps.
2. Recognize that there are different criteria used for different vegetation maps.
3. Define plant communities. Explain how different vegetation communities
might be classified – what criteria are being used?
4. Define ecoregions. Explain the differences and similarities of methods of
ecoregions mapping approaches, especially concentrating on the US EPA
system and the USDA Forest Service method.
5. Explain why you might choose vegetation structure, versus floristics, versus a
combination in mapping vegetation.
Assignment: Materials: Selected large and small scale vegetation maps. Ask the
students to read Kuchler (1956) and DeMers (1991). They will then perform web
quests for questions whose answers they are unclear of, and then describe the
following for each map in a discussion channel of their class LMS or Blog: What is
actually being mapped? Are these maps of tulips, roses, or other specific species, or
is the cartographer mapping other things? What is a plant community? An
ecoregion? How are these determined? Why would you choose to map vegetation
composition (floristics) versus structure versus some combination? Does scale affect
your decision? How about the potential uses? How might this affect research?
2.2 Census Exercise
The US Census Bureau organizes geographic space into geographic areas: in fact it
is one of their primary research areas (https://www.census.gov/geo/research/ ) [last
visited May 17, 2015]. They also conduct research on how data are to be collected
to allow them to detect changes in geographic boundaries. Here is an easy field
example to allow students to conduct their own similar investigations.
Learning objectives:
1. Develop ways to define a neighborhood in their local town or city.
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2. Develop methods of collecting data used to define areas that would allow the
learner to revisit the study years later and get measurable results.
Assignment: Materials: Cell phones with GPS enabled, or simply notebook and
pen. Base maps of the town/city. Ask the students to spend a week or so traveling
around their town or city (or portion of the city if it is a large city) and collect data
about what they observe (architecture, paving or curb type, vegetation types, cars,
etc.). Upon completion, have the students map what they see as neighborhoods, give
the neighborhoods descriptive names, and using the course discussion channel or
blog, begin a dialogue about what they decided and why. Make sure to ask them
what specific data elements they used and whether or not these would provide an
adequate framework for analyzing changes through time.
2.3 Climate Map Exercise
Climate change is a hot topic these days with both supporters and deniers raising
the stakes for membership in their respective camps. Although there are many social
issues behind this debate, part of the issue is a lack of understanding of what climate
is, what variables go into its description, and how they are used for classification.
Once again the importance of not just recognizing and describing climatic pattern, but
defining underlying principles behind its determination, becomes paramount in the
process of geospatial education. Without belaboring the massive data analytics the
following exercise simply forces the learner to consider general principles.
Learning objectives:
1. Identifying basic Koeppen-Geiger climate patterns and explaining
topographic, longitudinal, and coastal-interior factors patterns from its maps.
2. Listing the basic factors used in the Koeppen-Geiger climate classification
and its relationship to the Grisebach vegetation maps.
3. Recognizing and explaining the stability of Koeppen-Geiger climate maps.
4. Explain why the system stability can contribute to climate change research.
Assignment: Have your students read Peel, et al. (2007) focusing on the general
concepts rather than the quantitative techniques. Combining this with webquests
(Google searches) ask your students to answer the following questions in open
discussion via the their course LMS or blog: (1) describe how topography (especially
mountains), longitude, and coastal or interior position contribute to these climate
zones' locations, (2) list the basic factors used in developing the Koeppen-Geiger
climate classification system and describe what relationship the patterns might have
with the Griseback vegetation maps, (3) given what you have described, how do you
explain the relative stability of the Koeppen-Geiger classification system and how this
stability might contribute to climate change research.
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2.4 Land Settlement Patterns Exercise
There are some regional boundaries whose location is based on simple, easy-to-
identify criteria observed on aerial photography or other imagery yet whose
configurations tell a message of cultural or religious significance. Perhaps the most
obvious of such patterns to the experienced geographer but not necessarily to the
beginner is that of general land use patterns. Recognizing these patterns requires
little more than experience. This simple exercise gives the learner that experience.
Learning objectives:
1. Familiarize one-self with three major cultural land configurations.
2. Describe the cultural significance of pairs of different locations on the earth.
Assignment: Have students locate the following pairs of cities and towns: (1)
Phoenix, AZ and Salt Lake City Utah; (2) Pincourt, Quebec, Canada and Convent,
Louisiana, USA; (3) Santa Fe (zoom into the round building at about eye level of
14,000 feet (New Mexico Legislature building) and Mexico City, Mexico (eye
altitude about 4500 ft. Now, using your class LMS or blog answer the following
questions. How are the street patterns of Phoenix and Salt Lake City similar?
What do the two cities have in common? (Hint, think early settlement history and
religion). How would you describe the street patterns of Santa Fe, NM and Mexico
City, Mexico? What is the cultural significance of this similarity? What do the land
use patterns along the rivers in Pincourt, Quebec, Canada, and Convent, Louisiana
have in common? What does this suggest as a cultural linkage between them? What
is the underlying theme of these three comparisons? By that, what general pattern of
activity does each pair share? (Hint: consider when these locations were founded).
3 Concluding Remarks
This paper describes a small set categorical map boundary determination
exercises. While the set is only representative of even that small category of
possible exercises, it is meant to provide examples and promote both creativity and
further discussion. It would be possible to create an entire section of exercise in, for
example, a map/air photo techniques course just based on this single topic.
References
1. DeMers, M., 1991. Classification and Purpose in Automated Vegetation Maps, Geographical
Review, 81(3):267-280.
2. Gersmehl, P., and C.A. Gersmehl, 2007. Spatial Thinking by Young Children: Neurological
Evidence for Early Development and “Educability,” Journal of Geography, 106:181-191.
3. Peel, M.C., B.L. Finlayson, and T.A. McHahon, 2007. Updated World Map of the Köppen-
Geiger Climate Classification. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Science 11, 1633-1644.
4. Küchler, A.W., 1956. Classification and Purpose in Vegetation Maps. Geographical
Review 46(2), 155-167.
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