It's the Final Countdown (GIS 3015/3015L- Cartographic Skills)

Well we've made it, the final! Wrapping up the course, we were assigned the option of creating a map with provided SAT score information or research our own. In this case, I chose the former. Our objective was to create a map as if we worked for the U.S. Department of Education and this was to be sent to the Washington Post for publication.

As can be seen in the map, the focus is on national SAT scores along with the participation rates of high school graduates for said test. The test is broken down into three sections, math, reading, and writing. The given tabular data displayed the mean score for each section along with the participation rate for each state. I chose to utilize the choropleth and range-graded dot methods to display this information. The mean scores for each section were added to create a composite mean. Six classes were created under the Natural Breaks method for the choropleth portion. This method was chosen since it more accurately displayed the variation in scores. The number of classes, six, was to allow for greater variation. By range-grading the dots, it allowed for a range of values in each class, in this case five. The colors chosen for the gradient and for the dots allow for contrast along with drop shadow which creates greater visual hierarchy for the user. The colors chosen for the legend and description are more neutral, although the information contained is still important.

In order to utilize map space, the Pacific States are placed in the Northwest and Southwest corners, respectively. This was to allow for appropriate scale in their respective boxes. The inset map helped to represent the District of Columbia since it would be impossible to comprehend given the current scale of the contiguous US. The contiguous US is broken up into four sections, Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. With this, the correlation between the participation rates and mean composite scores is further clarified. The correlation appears to be that although many the states in the Midwest and some in the South had low participation rates, their composite score is higher. But there is a limitation to this information. It is unknown whether students in those states were better prepared for the test or because of the lower participation rate, there were fewer scores to dilute the composite score.

It's astonishing how quickly this semester flew by. But during this time I've certainly learned much and have grown in my GIS knowledge. It'll be interesting to see how I will have grown even further as I continue through the certificate. Exciting times ahead, no doubt. See you in the next one!