Geography

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Geog. 100: Elements of Geography, Spring 2023

                                                                             

Application Assignment #2: Landform Concept Mapping ExerciseOR Assessing Hurricane Maria Damage through Web-based Interactive Mapping

 

  • One page minimum required for this assignment, no upper page limit. Feel free to go beyond two pages if you want.
  • The assignment in itself and particularly the written part of the assignment needs to be in 11-point font (Times New Roman or Arial font), double-spaced, one inch margin on both sides.

 

What to do: CHOOSE ONE OF THE TWO OPTIONS BELOW, BASED ON YOUR INTEREST.

 

OPTION A: Landform Concept Mapping

 

Step 1: You are required to draw a concept map if you choose option 1. Before you start, check out below what a concept map is.

 

What is Concept Mapping?:A concept map is a visual organizer or flowchart that can enriches understanding of a new concepts. Concept maps are visual diagrams that outline the relationship between ideas and concepts. They include a 1) a focus question, 2) topics or concepts in boxes or circles, and 3) linking words to connect concepts. They usually include concepts enclosed in a circle or box, cross-linked to show relationships with other concepts. Most concept maps organize concepts in hierarchical order, with the most general or over-reaching concepts near the top, and more specific concepts subsumed near the bottom. This type of concept map is frequently used to organize knowledge by showing the relationship between concepts. Most commonly known concept maps are:flowcharts or process flow diagrams and hierarchical tree diagrams.

 

Example of a concept map: (an example is also provided for “Rock Cycle” in Chapter 3_Physical Landforms, page 49). Another very simple example is the diagram below:

 

 

Step 2: Draw a concept map to explain a concept of landform from Chapter 3 of your textbook.

 

  • Based on an understanding of what a concept map is as indicated in Step 1, draw a concept map to explain a conceptas mentioned below, from Chapter 3. You need to study the chapter well and check out the lecture slides to understand the concept you are trying to explain by diagrams. Choose one of the following three topicsto explain the concept and the various processes/components that makes the concept as explained in Chapter 3:

 

  • Movements of the Continents from Chapter 3: Page 49-53.
  • Tectonic Forces from Chapter 3: Page 53-56.
  • Erosional Agents and Deposition from Chapter 3: 60-71 (If you have chosen this concept then, choose any oneof the five agents to draw your concept map. The agents are: 1) running water, 2) ground water, 3) glacier, 4) waves, currents, and coastal landforms, 5) wind).

 

Step 3: Once you have decided on a topic from the three options provided, you need to draw your concept map. You can be creative and add diagrams/photos from the internet to add to your concept. You can draw this in two ways:

 

  • One: open up a blank Microsoft word document. Click on the Insert tab and click on the Shapes or Smart Art tabs (in red circles on left image below). Click the drop-down menu to select your desired shapes and draw a concept map like a flow chart or a hierarchical tree as shown in the image on the right below. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can draw this using other drawing tools that are equivalent to those found in Microsoft Word on your computer.

 

 

 

  • Two: if you are finding it hard to draw your concept map digitally, you can manually/free hand draw it on a piece of paper (with a black/blue/red/multicolored pencil or pen, SEE IMAGE BELOW) and take a picture/snapshot like an image. Upload the image to your computerand copy paste it on the Word Document you will be submitting for this assignment.

 

 

*IMPORTANT:  If you are going to draw your concept mapfree hand, as shown above in the image, make sure you draw out a carefully considered, well explained and neat/clear diagram.

 

Step 3: Explain your diagram and the concept as you have drawn it explaining the steps or processes that are part of the conceptin half a page write-up following the requirements mentioned in page 1.

 

*GRADING CRITERIA:A good grade for this exercise will depend on

  • How well you are able to graphically display your thought process as you are trying to understand a concept.
  • Your diagram whether computer drawn, or hand drawn should be neat, detailedand elaborate of the various steps in the concept you are trying to explain.
  • Explain the steps of the concept well in your write up.DO NOT FORGET STEP 3 (Write up) or else you will miss those points.

 

 

 

OPTION B: Assessing Damage of Hurricane Maria through Interactive Web-based Mapping.

 

*Option B is for those of you who have an interest in understanding how to check weather related changes on landscapes usingremotely sensed satellite images and web-based interactive GIS mapping. This exercise needs patience and time to complete as well as a number of trial runs to understand how the steps will work and whether you are able to see the expected outcomes in each step.

 

*You should attempt this option only if you have started this exercise sufficiently ahead of the submission deadline.

 

* Disclaimer: based on software requirement for this exercise, this may or may not work on your computer and you may not be able to attempt this exercise.

 

*If you are unable to attempt this exercise because of software or other technical incompatibility or this exercise is too complex for you, please select Option 1 (concept mapping) as mentioned above.

 

What to do?:

 

Part 1:This is an exercise drawn from National Geographic and ESRI Landsat Explorer.Just follow the link and the steps asked to complete the exercise:https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/assessing-hurricane-maria-damage/.

 

Part 2: Two things to do as you do and after you complete the exercise:

 

  • Include screen shots of your images (as many as you can) in your Word Document as you progress through the steps mentioned in the exercise.
  • Write down what you found after competing each step as responses to the three questions asked in the exercise in half a page or so. Your responses to these three questions will be the based on what you could understand after completing the exercise. It needn’t be perfect but should be close to the expected answers.
  • Configure Time Before and After the Hurricane
    1. What are your observations about the before and after Maria images?
  • Change Band Display to Vegetation Index
    1. Comparison of the two images
  • Color Infrared
    1. Comparison of the two images
  • Additionally, write an impression of this exercise and what you learned in your own words in a short paragraph/half page. DO NOT SKIP THIS PART AS IT HAS POINTS.
  • Keep in mind the assignment requirements mentioned in Page 1 while writing down these responses.

 

*GRADING CRITERIA:A good assignment for Option 2 will have the following:

 

  • All steps carefully completed.
  • Screenshots for steps added to the Word Document as much as possible.
  • A carefully considered and well reflected write up of your impression of this exercise.