Name: Ricky Kirk___________________________________________Date:______________________Pd:__________

Maps in the News Comparative Study

Background: In Reading Maps and Facing Threats, de Blij speaks at length regarding the many ways maps
can be wrong. While many of these reasons are intentional, he also argues that many maps we see every
day do not follow best cartographic practice despite the lack of malicious intent. Of particular note to de Blij is
the tendency of news agencies to rely on the use of artists for their maps, rather than people trained in
cartographic standards.
Purpose: Your purpose in this assignment is to analyze and evaluate two different maps found within recent
(after 1 September 2017) news stories, and to successfully argue why one map is superior to the other. You
may use any means youd like to make this argument (TODALSIGS, qualifications from de Blij such as intent,
etc.).
Objective: Your objective is to craft a well-supported argument as to which of two maps is superior.
Remember, any argument is valid IF IT IS SUPPORTED. This means you need to provide evidence to support
your choice.
Methodology: You will research and choose two maps from a recent news story using publicly available news
sources. A list of suggested sites is included in this document. You may choose any maps linked to any news
story. Your maps DO NOT have to both be from the same news source (ex. You may have one map from CNN
and one map from Fox News). However, be careful that your maps are not cartograms (see Ms. Chase if you
arent sure), nor are they maps associated with a weather story. After you have chosen your maps, analyze
each map using TODALSIGS and any other analytical unit you prefer (visually appealing, simplicity of design,
etc). Then, you will create a well-crafted argument consisting of a thesis (your argument), at least five pieces
of evidence (some from the map you have chosen as superior, and ALSO evidence as to why your inferior map
doesnt meet your standards). Analysis must also be present. Think to answer questions such as the following
to help you analyze: Why does this map lack a source? Why is the map used outdated?
Product: Your final assignment submission will include a visual of the maps you are using. You may copy and
paste your map into this document or physically cut and glue a map from a newspaper or news magazine. It
does NOT need to be in color. You can print in the library or come see me during lunch if you do not have
access to a printer. You will also need to have proper citations from both articles (for now, do not worry about
citing the maps themselves). You may use either MLA format, Chicago, or Turabian (we will discuss these in
class briefly). Purdue University has an excellent citation website that I highly recommend:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/ You will also need to show evidence of analysis by completing
the TODALSIGS chart and documenting any other means of analysis you choose to employ as a form of pre-
writing. In addition, you will provide a well-developed written argument as to your choice of superior map.
This will probably be in the range of 3-4 short paragraphs if you separate your introduction/thesis. If you
include a summary you may wish to think about 4 paragraphs (intro, 2 body paragraphs, summary).
Scoring: This is a summative grade. You will be assessed on your final written product, as well as your evidence
of analysis and citations. A rubric is attached. ALL submissions will be turned into me by FRIDAY 6 October,
2017 regardless of whether you have class with me that day. You may bring in hard copies at any time next
week before 3:45pm Friday, or you may email your submission to me by 11:59pm Friday, 6 Oct 2017. NO LATE
WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
News Source Suggestions: The following is a list of suggested sources to consider. It is not exhaustive by any
means, and you may find other places from which to get your maps. Many of these are considered more
reliable than others. This is all okay. The goal is to get you to analyze maps, and sometimes less reliable
sources provide a better means of analysis. As long as it is a relatively widely known news source, regardless of
perceived bias, you will be fine. If you arent sure, ask Ms. Chase (jchase3@houstonisd.org)!

The Washington Post

The New York Times
CNN
MSNBC
FoxNews
The BBC
The Guardian
The Atlantic Monthly
Time Magazine
US News and World Report
The Economist (Ms. Chases favorite )
Christian Science Monitor
The Houston Chronicle
NPR
The Wall Street Journal
The New Yorker
Bloomberg
Mother Jones
The Huffington Post
Name:_______________________________________________________________Date:_______________ Pd:_______

Rubric
Citations 3 2 1 0

Map A Citation is correct for use Citation is mostly correct Citation is incomplete or No attempt at citations
of style, style is consistent with 1-2 errors, style is has more than 3 errors, ,
with Map B consistent with Map B and/or style is
inconsistent with Map B
Map B Citation is correct for use Citation is mostly correct Citation is incomplete or No attempt at citations
of style with 1-2 errors, style is has more than 3 errors, ,
consistent with Map and/or style is
A inconsistent with Map A

Citation Total __________

Evidence of Analysis 3 2 1 0

Map A TODALSIGS used as well as TODALSIGS used only TODALSIGS used, not No evidence of analysis
one original unit of applied correctly
analysis (eg. visual appeal,
effectiveness)
Map B TODALSIGS used as well as TODALSIGS used only TODALSIGS used, not No evidence of analysis
one original unit of applied correctly
analysis (eg. visual appeal,
effectiveness)

Evidence of Analysis Total __________

Image of Map 2 0

Map A Map A is present Map B is not present

Map B Map B is present Map B is not present

Image of Map Total __________

Written Argument 3 2 1 0

Thesis well-developed, includes Units of analysis not clear, No units of analysis but No thesis present or map
units of analysis, has clear has clear choice of map includes choice of map choice indentifiable
choice of superior map

Evidence 5 or more specific pieces of 4 specific pieces of 3 pieces of evidence 2 or fewer pieces of
evidence present evidence present present evidence

Analysis Strong analysis of why 3 or Analysis of why 2 or more Attempted, but No attempt of analysis
more pieces of evidence pieces of evidence exists unsuccessful analysis
exist (eg. statement
explaining why Map A or B
has a title, etc.)

Grammar and Grammar and writing Grammar and writing Grammar and writing Persistent grammar and
Writing Conventions conventions (punctuations, conventions (punctuations, conventions writing issues so
syntax, etc) followed with syntax, etc) followed with (punctuations, syntax, etc) prevalent as to provide
1-4 errors 5-9 errors followed with 10+ errors numerous distractions

Written Argument Total _________ Total Pts __________ (26 pts possible) Percent Grade _________________
Name:____________________________________________________________Date:________________Pd:__________

Map 1

Source (citation)
Routley, Nick. Infographic: A Map of Internet Censorship Around the World.
Visual Capitalist, 30 Sept. 2017, www.visualcapitalist.com/internet-censorship-
map/.
Name:____________________________________________________________Date:________________Pd:_________

Map 2

Source (citation)
Islamic State and the Crisis in Iraq and Syria in Maps. BBC News, BBC, 21 Sept.
2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034.
Name:____________________________________________________________Date:________________Pd:__________

Evidence of Analysis
Use this page to show evidence of the ways in which you analyzed your sources

Map 1 Description Map 2 Description

T Internet Censorship World Map How did IS(Islamic state) spread across Iraq and
Syria?

O Up is north, there is no compass rose or Up is north, there is no compass rose or other

other orientation symbol. orientation symbol.

D Article Published: September 30, 2017 September 18, 2017

No date on infographic

A Nick Routley, to show different levels of BBC, to show different political groups in Iraq
internet censorship in different countries. and Syria.

L Yes, there is a legend. There is a legend that shows the colors to

represent the groups.

S There is no scale, but you dont really need There is a scale, it looks roughly inch to 50
one because its a thematic map. miles.

I There is not an alphabetical list of places on There is no alphabetical list of places and no grid
the map and no grid to show them. to show them.

G There are no latitude or longitude lines. There are no intersecting lines on this map.

S The information came from many websites IHS Conflict Monitor

such as freedomhouse.org,
surveillance.rsf.org, and news sites.
Name:____________________________________________________________Date:________________Pd:__________

Evidence of Analysis, continued.

Did you use any other units of analysis (you dont have to, you can use TODALSIGS alone)? Did you analyze
maps based on their visual appeal? Effectiveness at illustrating an idea? You can use your OWN units of
analysis if you can defend them in your argument. Describe your unit/units of analysis here and your thought
process as you used them.

Units of Analysis Map 1 Description Map 2 Description

Visual Appeal The map uses simple colors The map has a wider range
and blends nicely. of colors, also has some
topographical bumps.

Readability The map is very readable, After studying it for a

but sometimes the colors while, you can understand
are too similar to make out. what it means.
Name:____________________________________________________________Date:________________Pd:__________

Written Argument
Your written argument should include a thesis (which map is superior), at least 5 pieces of evidence, and
strong analysis of at least 3 of these pieces of evidence. A suggested outline of your writing is provided below
based loosely on the AP World History writing rubric.
First Paragraph: Thesis statement, including units of analysis (how you are comparing the two)
Second Paragraph: 3 pieces of evidence to support superior map (probably three sentences)
2-3 sentences to analyze this evidence (commentary on why this evidence exists)
Third Paragraph: 2-3 pieces of evidence that provide reasons why second map is lacking
2-3 sentences to analyze possible reasons why this evidence exists
Fourth Paragraph (probably 1-2 sentences) summary
Final Draft of Written Argument:

The map of Syria and Iraq from BBC showing how the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) is superior to
the map of censorship in Asia using the units of source and readability. Using these factors, one can get a good
understanding of which map is better.
Firstly, The IS maps source is the BBC news company, and BBC has been around for almost 100 years
now. This means that BBC is a trustable news source. Also, the IS map comes from the IHS Conflict Monitor,
which is a highly established information source for Iraq and Syria. With BBC and HIS collaboration, it is most
likely a very accurate map. Furthermore, the data that the map is based off is dated September 18, 2017. This is
within the past month so it should be accurate on what is going on right now. This map comes from a reputable
site and is included in a long and detailed article, so there is no reason not to believe it. Also, it is relatively easy
to see the distinct colors. This makes the readability much better
The internet censorship map is lacking in many ways. Most importantly, it uses info that has not been
updated recently. Since the advent of the internet age, rules and restrictions on the internet can change almost
instantaneously, so these types of maps need to be updated regularly. On this topic, some of the sources used
havent been updated since 2014, and a lot can change in 3 years. For looking at the map, sometimes it can be
hard to discern where one country begins and another one ends. This makes the readability go down as you
must try extra hard to figure out what you are looking at. The map was trying to go for a modern color scheme,
but it wasnt executed as well as it could have.
Overall, both maps can be used to get information, but one is superior. With up to date sources and great
readability, maps can provide one with plenty of information about the subject they are researching.