This document provides instructions for a lab assignment analyzing US Census data on poverty. Students are asked to map poverty rates for adults aged 18-64 in 1999 using different classification schemes, including quantile, equal interval, and Jenks Natural Breaks. They are to choose one scheme they feel best illustrates the spatial distribution of poverty. The document describes the steps to access the data through Social Explorer, experiment with different schemes, select a classification and map style, and submit their work.

1. Geog 1502: Mapping Our World | 1
Lab 4: Simplification
Overview. This lab asks you to analyze data from the US
Census relating to poverty. We will
map these data to better understand how simplification via
classification and generalization
changes the meaning of maps. Poverty is the proportion of
people who meet the census
definition of poverty. In 2015, for example, this was $12,082
for one person and $ 24,257 for a
family of four. Over 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty in
2013. See the Moodle section for
this lab for the link US Census Poverty Information to read
about how the Census defines and
measures poverty. You will draw on this information in your
deliverable.
Procedure
1. Social Explorer. Return to Social Explorer via the following
URL. Recall that if you are off

2. campus, you may need to sign in using your x.500 account to
gain access. Also note that you
must allow pop-ups for the site in your browser.
► http://www.lib.umn.edu/get/14592
2. Explore Data. We will use the mapping interface. Click on
the Maps tab at the top of the
page. Click the link for Start Now under the U.S. Demography
section.
We are going to explore the number of adults (age 18-64)
reported to be living in poverty in
1999. Under Change Data, select Census 2000. Under the
category Poverty and then scroll
down to the subheading Poverty Status in 1999 for Population
Age 18 to 64, select Living
in Poverty (see Figure 1 below). Show data by Automatic.
Figure 1. Poverty Menu Selection
http://www.lib.umn.edu/get/14592
Geog 1502: Mapping Our World | 2

3. Now you are going to explore differences in classification
systems by creating three separate
maps. Using the same poverty data for adults that you selected
above, click on the Cut-
Points button in the drop down menu on the upper right hand
column (per the figure below,
click on the arrow at the upper right-hand corner of the map and
choose “Cutpoints” from the
drop down menu). The default screens should look something
like Figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Cutpoints
Experiment with the different classification schemes that we
read about and discussed in class:
Quantile, Equal Interval, and Jenks Natural Breaks (found under
the Classification Method
drop down menu shown in Figure 2). Examine these maps by
zooming into specific regions to
see how the maps differ due to the classification scheme. Look
at the differences and similarities
in these maps, and keep them in mind when you complete the
lab deliverable. Figure 3 below

4. shows approximately what your maps could look like.
Geog 1502: Mapping Our World | 3
3. Map Data. Choose a classification scheme that you feel is
best suited to your data – one that
you feel most clearly illustrates the spatial distribution of
poverty in the US. Using the
buttons for Colors and Number of Classes (see Figure 2 above),
choose a color scheme you
feel is suited to your data and select the number of classes you
feel are appropriate. Feel free
to experiment a bit here, making sure you get a sense of how
changing hue and value affects
what the map tells you, as well as the apparent impacts of
varying the number of classes.
Make sure your map has a legend by taking a screen shot of the
legend from the drop down
menu in the top right corner. Also add a Title, Data Source, and

5. any other applicable
information. Refer to the instructions for Lab 1 and the Maps in
Assignment document for
more detailed information on how to do this.
Note: You are encouraged to draw upon course readings in your
answers.
the author (for general ideas)
and page number (for specific statements), such as “(Manson:
12).”
they are the PDFs of chapters
or articles, or the website readings.
course readings.
page and link are sufficient for an online
source not part of course
readings.
– whether a course reading or an
external source – constitutes
plagiarism.
Finishing Your Lab
There are four steps to finishing this lab:

6. 1. Answer the questions posed in the separate lab deliverable
document, which is available
in MS Word format via the Lab 4: Deliverable link on Moodle.
2. Complete this deliverable document in MS Word.
3. Save or print the deliverable as a PDF file with the title,
“Lastname_lab4”. Jill Smith, for
example, would title her file in Word as Smith_lab4.pdf.
4. Submit your document to Moodle via the Lab 4: Submission
link. Your lab will be
submitted via Moodle’s TurnItIn function.
Figure 3. From left to right: Quantile, Equal Interval, and Jenks
Natural Breaks
♯ ♯ ♯
Lab 4: Deliverable
Name: Type your name here
1.
Recall that you read information about the Census description
of poverty given in the lab instructions. If you have not already,
read about how poverty is defined and measured.
Based on the information you read, describe in your own words
what is meant by the term “poverty universe” and name one
group of people that is excluded from it.
Type your answer here
2.
You examined a variety of classification schemes and ultimately

7. chose one for your map. The questions below ask you to justify
this decision. When answering, look at the map that you’ve
inserted for Question 3 below, and discuss the spatial
distribution of poverty that you can see in your map. You may
wish to use close-up screenshots to draw particular attention to
specific areas and locations. One final hint: this may be a good
time to draw upon the readings. Be sure to use proper citations!
Which of the classification schemes did you choose for your
map, and why do you feel that this scheme works best to
represent the distribution of poverty in the US?
Type your answer here
Choose one of the two classification schemes that you did not
use and explain why you feel it would have been a poor choice
to represent the distribution of poverty in the US.
Type your answer here
3.
Insert the figure of your map below.
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]
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