“Choropleth Mapping” - DEMOGRAPHY ASIA!!
Please use student Choropleth Mapping Activity Packet as you work through the steps below…enjoy!
CLICK HERE to download Packet
Step One - Define/Explain what a “Choropleth Map” is? (May need google, but PLEASE give a simple 8th grade answer)
Step #2 - Define “Population Density”
Step #3 - Political Divisions throughout the World Define: what is a “Political Feature” on a map?
There is NO better place on earth than the Asian Continent to talk about Population Density! So…before we start digging we should figure out what type of Political Divisons (names) we will be working with? In the US we have “states”, which are basically smaller Political Sub-Divisions of land to help organize and run a country. Does everyone call them “State”? Hmmmm….
United States = States (50 units)
Canada = Provinces (10)
India - ___________ (?)
China = __________ (?)
Japan = ___________(?)*this one is a bit different
Ooooo…so US is divided into States…and in the US the states are divided into even smaller units called ___________. **
** so going down a “rabbit hole” here, but 2 states actually don’t use the term “Counties”…which 2 states use a different name and what do these states call their “counties?
Step #4 - Population Density Comparison (start using choropleth maps)
Using our GeoAlive classroom textbook (pages 588 -593) answer the questions/fill the chart by examining and making education guesses/short explanations of the specialized maps.
Above Maps: #1 - pg 588 Elevation #2 - 590 Climate #3 - 591 Vegetation #4 - 592 Pop Density #5 - 593 Land Use/Economic
Step #5 - Choropleth Map Creation (using population density demographic data for India, China & Japan)
ALL Demography Asia packets have 3 Blank Maps, which include the countries of India, China & Japan. Using population data provided below and the basic Color Key (provided on the right), all students will create Population density maps for each one of the featured countries. Slow down…this step will take a bit of time, but please take your time and analyze the data AND double check before coloring land areas. GOOD LUCK!
Note: since we are working with Asia, all our data will use the Metric system and will be labeled in “Square Kilometers”, so the basic conversion for our “Imperial” system is 1 Square mile = 2.5899 square kilometers.
CLICK HERE to Enter Population Data Spreadsheet
Step #6 - In Summary
Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Please answer the questions thoughtfully using YOUR choropleth population density maps and the textbook thematic maps on pgs. 588-593 to help. Note: these questions are in your Demography Packet
1. How does India’s population density map compare to China and Japan’s population density maps? (Please use complete sentences.)
2. Where did you discover that the high population density states are located for each country? Why do you think these areas have a
high population density? (answer BOTH questions)
India
China
Japan
3. Where did you discover that the low population density states are located for each country? Why do you think these areas have low
population density? (answer BOTH questions)
India
China
Japan
4. In the future, what areas do you think the population will expand into for each country? Why? (explain WHY!)
India
China
Japan-
NOT a Step - Going down the Rabbit Hole of Imperial vs Metric System of Measurement! (HA…Geo Nerd Stuff)