The document outlines an educational project focused on creating geographic and thematic map projections, requiring students to generate a reference map featuring their hometown along with a thematic map based on poverty rates in a selected country. It involves understanding and comparing different coordinate systems (geographic, UTM, state plane), documenting map projections and their properties, and submitting a comprehensive report with visuals. The project emphasizes accuracy, proper citation, and a detailed understanding of cartographic techniques to meet assignment criteria.

1. Project 1: Plotting Coordinates and Projections
[Your Name]
Part A: Reference Map Projection
[Your first map image(s) should include a descriptive caption
with appropriate source citation.]
[Replace the example map shown above with one you create
using the Interactive Album of Map Projections. Like the
sample map, yours should highlight the location of your home
town. Generate at least on map projection that is different than
the one above and that is suited to a reference map focused on
the part of the glob you chose to depict (your map does not need
to cover the entire world). Feel free to include distortion
ellipses if you wish. After you've replaced the sample map,
replace this text with your own description of the map
projection you created. State which geometric properties of the
globe (i.e., sizes, shapes, distances, and directions) that your
projection preserves, and which it distorts. (One way to earn
“above and beyond” points is to explain the distortion pattern
represented in the ellipses.) If you choose to show only a
portion of the globe that frames your particular country or
region of interest, specify the bounding coordinates used.]
Geographic Coordinates
The place name shown on the map above represents the location
of my hometown. The geographic coordinates of my home town
are:
Latitude: _____° _____' _____" N, Longitude: _____° _____'
_____" W
[Describe the geographic coordinate system in your own words.
Why are latitude and longitude coordinates expressed in degrees

2. rather than distance units? Are latitude and longitude
coordinates projected? If so, how? How does the concept of a
"horizontal datum" relate to the geographic coordinate system?]
UTM Coordinates
The UTM coordinates (NAD83 or NAD27) of my hometown are:
Easting: _____________ meters, Northing: _____________
meters, Zone: __________
[Describe the UTM coordinate system in your own words. Why
are eastings and northings expressed in meters rather than
degrees? Are UTM coordinates projected? How? Do the UTM
coordinates cover the entire globe? Are there any disadvantages
to using the UTM coordinate system?]
State Plane Coordinates
The State Plane coordinates of my hometown are:
Easting: _____________ meters, Northing: _____________
meters, Zone: __________
[Describe the State Plane Coordinate system (or your national
or local coordinate system) in your own words. Why are
eastings and northings expressed in meters rather than degrees?
Are SPC coordinates projected? How? How do State Plane
Coordinate systems’ projections differ among the 50 US States?
Why?]
Comparison
[Finally, compare and contrast the three coordinate systems in
your own words—consider appropriate usage, accuracy, and
ease of calculation. Why are some coordinates projected and
others not? What geometric property is preserved in projected
coordinate systems, and why? Explain the difference between
NAD83 and NAD27. Why are different horizontal datums in

3. use?]
Part B: Thematic Map Projection
[Next, you will select and generate a map projection that would
be a good choice as a base for a thematic map (of poverty
rate/10,000 people) in any country in the world other than the
U.S. First, select and name a country to pick a map projection
for].
The map in this part of the report is generated for use as a base
to represent [list the country]
[Next use the Interactive Album of Map Projections tool to
create a base map centered on the country you selected and
using a map projection that would be appropriate as a base to
generate a poverty map. Focus the map you generate on the
country you are focused on. It is OK to include some
surrounding context, but do not use a map of the entire world.
As above, copy and save at least one screen capture that shows
the map you generated.]
[Insert the screen capture(s) into your report and add an
appropriate caption(s).]
[Create a short report on the projection (e.g., what is its central
meridian, what are its lat-long bounds, were any specific
parameters applied (other than the central meridian). Then,
explain in your own words why the projection generated and
illustrated would be particularly good as the base of a poverty
map for your country of choice. Which properties does the
projection have and why are they important for this thematic
map? Which properties does the projection not have and why is
it OK that they are not present for this thematic map?]
Sources [Edit as appropriate]

4. Getty Research Institute (2000). Getty Thesaurus of Geographic
Names. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from
http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/index.html
[Use this to find geographic coordinates for international
locations.]
National Geodetic Survey (no date) NADCON - North American
Datum Conversion Utility. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/TOOLS/Nadcon/Nadcon.html
National Geodetic Survey (2004). SPC Utilities. Retrieved
July 7, 2007, from http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/TOOLS/spc.html
National Geodetic Survey (2004). UTM Utilities. Retrieved
July 7, 2007, from http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/TOOLS/utm.html
Penn State Online GIS Education (2005). Interactive Album of
Map Projections. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from
http://projections.mgis.psu.edu
United States Geological Survey (2006). Geographic Names
Information System. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from
http://geonames.usgs.gov [Use this to find geographic
coordinates for U.S. locations.]
United States Geological Survey (2006). Map Projections
Poster. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from
http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/MapProjections/projections.html
[More information about projections here.]
This document is published in fulfillment of an assignment by a
student enrolled in an educational offering of The Pennsylvania
State University. The student, named above, retains all rights to
the document and responsibility for its accuracy and originality.
Project 1: Plotting Coordinates and Projections
Original version by David DiBiase and Hank Rademacher,

5. revised by Wes Stroh and by Rui Li
Interactive Album of Map Projections developed by Ryan
Baxter
This version adapted by Alan MacEachren, Raechel Bianchetti,
Donna Peuquet, and Ryan Baxter
© 1999-2014 The Pennsylvania State University
Overview
Educational Objectives
This project requires you to prepare an illustrated report
involving basic concepts covered in Chapter 2 of the Mapping
our Changing World online text including georeferenced
coordinate systems, map projections, and datums. In the process
of producing the report, you will demonstrate your ability to:
1. Specify locations with geographic, UTM, and State Plane
coordinates;
2. Utilize geographic coordinates in both degrees-minutes-
seconds and decimal degree formats;
3. Produce two map projections suited to a reference and a
thematic map using specialized Web mapping software;
4. Document your chosen projection by name and describes its
characteristics;
5. Save two graphics files in a format compatible with
publishing in a written report (e.g. PNG); and
6. Create and submit a written report that includes your graphics
showing the projections you created as well as citations and
references.
Deliverables
Your complete project report, submitted to the Project 1
Dropbox by 11:55 p.m. on September 22, 2015.

6. Evaluation Criteria
Project 1 is worth 100 points. Evaluation criteria include:
· Quality: 50 points. Map projection properties should be
clearly described in your own words. Data and metadata should
be correct. Text drawn from other sources should be properly
paraphrased and/or cited and referenced. Project reports should
include at least two in-line citations. Citation and reference
guidelines are published in the “Academic Integrity” section of
“Resources” in the course text. The project should also be
submitted by the due date.
· Completeness: 40 points. Map projection should appear. All
required text elements should be present.
· Above and beyond: 10 points. At Penn State, the course grade
“A” (which corresponds to at least 90 percent of possible points
in this course) denotes “exceptional achievement.” In this
course, project reports that fulfill all core requirements well
earn a score of 126 out of 140 points. Up to 14 additional points
are awarded for report elements that clearly exceed
requirements.
Rubric
A rubric is a guide used to evaluate assignments. Your
instructors will consult the Project 1 rubric as they score your
assignment. Take a moment to review the rubric which follows.
PROJECT 1 REPORT ELEMENTS
Points
TIMELINESS POINTS
Was the assignment turned in prior to the deadline (Quality)
5

7. GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATE SYSTEM
Geographic coordinates of named location specified
(Completeness)
5
Geographic coordinate system adequately described (Quality)
5
UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR
UTM coordinates of named location specified (Completeness)
5
UTM coordinate system adequately described: poles (1pt),
zones (2pts), eastings (2pts), northings (2pts) (Quality)
5
STATE PLANE COORDINATES
SPC coordinates of named location specified (Completeness)
5
SPC coordinate system adequately described: zones (1pt),
county boundaries (1pt), dimensions of states (1pts), eastings
(2pts) northings (2pts) (Quality)
7
COMPARISONS

8. Three coordinate systems adequately compared in terms of
accuracy (2pts), ease of calculations (2pts), and uses (3 pts)
(Quality)
7
MAP PROJECTION
Two maps created by student using Interactive Album of Map
Projections appear in project report; one appropriate for small
scale thematic mapping and one that is a different category
(Completeness, 3.5pts each)
7
Map one includes place name and point symbol marking student
location; map two is centered appropriately and includes the
territory for the proposed thematic map to be based upon it
(Completeness, 3.5pts each)
7
Map projection identified (Completeness, 3.5 pts. each)
7
Properties that are distorted accurately identified, among the
following: size, shape, distance, and direction. (Completeness,
3.5 pts). Overview description of projection, including most
suitable uses (Quality, 3.5 pts)
7
OVERALL
Source material properly paraphrased and/or cited and

9. referenced. At least two in-line citations included. Active
hyperlinks to websites included in source section. Source access
dates correct. (Quality)
8
Prose quality (complete sentences, student’s own words,
punctuation and spelling)
10
“ABOVE AND BEYOND”
Examples include adding and commenting upon distortion
ellipses, multiple projections, or other supplemental
illustrations
10
TOTAL maximum score
100
Instructions
The Project 1 Report Template includes a map of the world with
State College, Pennsylvania, labeled as the home town.
Following the map is text that you will edit, substituting
information about your own map for blanks ("___") and
instructions [in brackets]. There are three sections dealing with
the location of your home town. Then, there is a section dealing
with picking a projection for a thematic map focused on a
country other than the U.S.
Project 1 Report Template
· You should consider the Report Template a suggested guide in

10. designing the layout and structure of your own Project 1 Report.
Open the template now. Print a copy of the template to take
notes on as you work through the instructions.
· However, you should consider the template just as a starting
point—your own report should be substantially longer in terms
of text, including discussion of relevant concepts in each
section.
· Also, remember, all images you include should have a caption.
A caption briefly titles/describes the image and provides source
information. Examples of good captions containing source
information can be found in the Academic Integrity section of
the online text.
Students from outside the US or those who are from State
College
In the section where you are asked to determine State Plane
Coordinates for a location, in place of your own home, choose a
place in the US that you are interested in (other than State
College). Read through all of Part A before deciding on a
location. This requirement is imposed because State Place
Coordinates do not exist for you if your home is outside the US
and, if your home is State College we simply want to avoid
many duplicate answers.
Geographic and Plane Coordinates
Part A: Converting Geographic Coordinates
Be sure to note your geographic, UTM, and SPC coordinates on
your printed copy of the Project 1 “Report Template” so that
you can include them later in your project report.
1. Look up the geographic coordinates of your home town (or
alternative if your home town is outside of the U.S.) at the
United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names
Information System (http://geonames.usgs.gov). Instructions on
how to use this tool are available at the GNIS website. Once
you arrive at the website, you can select to search U.S. or
foreign names.

11. 2. Convert the geographic coordinates to UTM coordinates
using the National Geodetic Survey's
UTM Utilities (http://geodesy.noaa.gov/TOOLS/utm.html).
· Coordinates in the Geographic Names Information System
have been based on NAD83 since September 2005. (See
http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/faqs.htm)
· The UTM utility is very picky about how latitude and
longitude must be entered. This is useful; your successful result
demonstrates your ability to understand and manipulate such
coordinates. Although latitude and longitude coordinates shown
as example inputs are given as "N385930.99999", you can use
zero(s) for the five decimal places that the utility allows.
· Take note of the UTM Northing, Easting and Zone number for
your report.
3. Convert the geographic coordinates to State Plane
coordinates using the National Geodetic Survey's GEODETIC to
SPC Utility (http://geodesy.noaa.gov/TOOLS/spc.html).
· Take note of the SPC Northing, Easting and Zone name for
your project report. Note that the SPC utility reports both a
zone number (i.e., "1501") and a zone name (a.k.a. "area"; for
example, "KS N" means Kansas North zone).
· You can also look up your SPC zone number and name using
Rick King's list
http://home.comcast.net/~rickking04/gis/spc.htm. Be warned,
however; this site is occasionally off line.
Part B: Plotting Points and Projections
B.1: Reference Map:
Your second task is to create one or more world or regional

12. maps using map projections you choose from a list of common
projection types. The map should include a point symbol and
name of your selected town, as shown in the Project 1 Report
Template.
1. Point your browser to the Interactive Album of Map
Projections (http://projections.mgis.psu.edu).
Penn State developer Ryan Baxter created this ArcIMS
application specifically for this project. The Interactive Album
is based upon the venerable Album of Map Projections last
published in print in 1994 by projections experts John Snyder
and Phil Voxland for the U.S. Geological Survey.
2. Create a map of the world (or a selected region of the world)
highlighting your selected city/town/place.
· Choose a map projection from the pull-down menu. Pick a
projection that you feel (based on details in your text or other
sources) is particularly good for references maps that depict
locations within the U.S.
· Click the Redraw Map button to display your choice.
· Documentation is available for each map projection method
included in the Interactive Atlas. The documentation is quoted
directly (with appropriate acknowledgment) from Snyder's and
Voxland's original Album. Although you are to describe
projection characteristics in your own words in your Project 1
report, you may use this documentation as a reference. You may
wish to seek out other references as well—the source list in the
template has an excellent source from the USGS.
· Define projection parameters. Some projections allow you to
change the projection aspect by specifying a central meridian
and latitude of origin. Some also allow you to modify the
arrangement of the graticule (as well as the distribution of scale
distortion) by changing standard lines. Available parameters
vary depending on the nature of the projection formulae and the
way in which they are implemented in ArcIMS. (Remember to
click Redraw Map to display your changes.)

13. · Define map extents to "zoom in" to a larger-scale view. Most
map projections allow you to specify extents as latitude and
longitude coordinates (in decimal degree format). Some
projections require you to define extents in terms of meters
from the projection center. (Remember to click Redraw Map to
display your changes.)
To convert from degrees minutes and seconds to decimal
degrees, refer back to Chapter 2 in your online text or search for
an online conversion utility.
· Plot a location using the geographic coordinates you recorded
earlier. Be sure to convert your coordinates to decimal degree
format before you plot them. (Remember to click Redraw Map
to display your changes.)
· Take note of your final specifications on a piece of paper (or
print the Interactive Atlas screen).
You will need to refer to the specifications to in your project
report.
· Once you have produced a satisfactory map, save it as a PNG
(Portable Network Graphics) file. (Don't save it as a bitmap
[.bmp]; such files are very large.) Place your mouse pointer
over the map in your browser, depress the right mouse button,
and save the image using the command in the popup menu.
Name the file something like "Project1map.png", then save the
file on your hard drive making note of the location. You will
insert this image in your project report.
3. Compile selected metadata for your map.
As requested in the paragraph that follows the map in the report
template, identify the map projection you selected (pick on
different from that shown in the sample report). You should
state which geometric properties of the globe (i.e., sizes,
shapes, distances, and directions) are preserved and which are
distorted. If you choose to show only a portion of the globe that
frames your particular country or region of interest, specify the
bounding coordinates used. Acknowledge the Interactive Atlas

14. (or other software you used to create any additional map
projections). For more information about map projections, see
Peter Dana's Map Projections Overview site, or the American
Congress on Surveying and Mapping's Matching the Map
Projection to the Need.
B.2: Thematic Map:
Your last task is to generate a second map projection that is
particularly suited to use as a base for a thematic map to
represent data from a single country of your choice (not the
U.S.). The goal is to pick a projection that has properties that
are appropriate to mapping area data (e.g., poverty/10,000
people) and that is relatively undistorted for the part of the
world of the country you select. As above, your report will
follow an outline detailed in the template document.
Producing the Project Report
The first part of the project involved assembling the content of
your project report. This second part involves producing the
report itself and submitting it for evaluation. This part consists
of two steps:
Step 1 – Create Your Project Report
· You may prepare your report in any of several formats:
Microsoft Word (.rtf or .doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf).
Whichever format you choose, the report should include all the
elements that appear in the Project 1 Report Template.
· Project reports should be formatted so that images are legible.
Instructors can't evaluate reports that contain blurry, shrunken
images. If necessary, change your page orientation, margin, or
size in page setup to make room for full-sized, legible images.
· Please use the following naming convention in your report file
name: “LASTnameFIRSTinitial P1”.
My name is Joe Schmoe, so my file would look something like:

15. “SchmoeJ P1.doc”. Two points will be deducted from your
score if you do not follow this file naming rule.
Step 2 – Upload your Project Report to the Project 1 Drop Box
· Return to the main Project 1 folder under the Lessons tab in
ANGEL. Click on the Project 1 Dropbox.
· Follow the instructions to upload your completed Project 1
report. Step by step instructions are located on the ANGEL
dropbox page.
Need Help?
If you feel that you've followed all the steps and checked
everything, and it still doesn't work, ask for help!
· If you don’t understand one of the steps, see if your question
has been answered in the Project 1 Discussion Forum in
ANGEL, or post your own question.
· You can also contact us regarding any question that you have.
Guidelines for Instructors/Grading Assistants
Following are the guidelines your instructors will use in grading
your project:
· Every student should receive a timely personal critique and
score in response to his or her project report. Grading assistants
will contact students via course mail within 7-10 days of the
project due date to inform students who fail to submit their
projects to the project drop box that they will receive a “0” until
the project is submitted and will deduct the appropriate
timeliness points upon submission.
· We will check project reports for originality using
Turnitin.com. Project reports that include passages drawn from
other sources but which are improperly paraphrased and/or cited
and referenced will have points deducted accordingly. Project
reports that appear to be plagiarized will be forwarded to the

16. course instructor for review and possible disciplinary action.
· Project critiques will include acknowledgement of successful
features of each report, in addition to itemized list of
shortcomings.
· Students who earn less than 90% of possible points are
encouraged to revise and resubmit project reports within one
week of date of the original evaluation email for a maximum
grade of 90% (Project 1 ONLY).