Project 1: Constructing Tables 1 and 3
Caution: The following tables only provide suggestions on how to construct your own tables. Your numbers will be different from the ones cited here. Use your own numbers.Also use labels and table titles that express completely the data presented. Think about what you are doing!
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Learning how to use Excel will be useful outside of this course. Here is what
one student wrote me on 4 January 2011:
I took your Geog 111
Human Geography First-Year Experience class in the fall of 2003.
I wanted to let you know that the Excel skills I acquired in that class have
served me well in both my personal and professional life.
I’ve used what I learned from you to create personal budgets, behavior recording
charts for my students, and many other things.
Thanks for the lessons that continue to serve me well long after taking your
class!
Karsten K Powell, M.S.E., Special Education, Colby High
School
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include all the regions of the world (a country is NOT a region!)
create as many regions as appropriate for your data. For example, if you have no items from Africa, then list it as one region. If you have things from China and South Korea (East Asia) but not from India (South Asia), you must divide Asia into at least two regions! Remember that you might need more regions when you use the U.S. import data. Don't worry about having many regions with only zeros.
use consistent classifications: don't use Pacific Rim (includes all countries in Asia, North America, and Latin America touching the Pacific Ocean!) when you only mean East Asia.
group your stuff into major categories, not too many but not too few either.
include both the absolute numbers and the percentages in each column. Understand the difference between absolute vs. relative values.
merge appropriate cells, center text in cells, use appropriate lines around cells. Table and graph design matters as much as editing your words!
indicate the source of the data at bottom of each table.
Table 1 -- Number and Percent of My Personal Stuff by World Regions World Regions Clothing
Etc.
Total
# % # % # % North America 10 21.7 (10/46*100) Central America 2 South America 0 Etc. total 46 100 100 194 100 Table 3 -- My Personal Imported Stuff and USA Imports by World Regions World Regions My Imported Stuff
USA Imports
# % $ (in millions) % Canada 5
.03 (5/150*100) Central America 2 .01 South America 0 0 Etc. total 150 100 100
In this table you need
to
aggregate
the U.S. import data
as best you can. Data rarely come in the form best suited for your
particular analysis.
Compare the percentages of your imported stuff
with U.S. imports
by each region; the absolute numbers of your stuff and the billions of
U.S. imports can not be compared! Don't include the
calculations shown in red! Why is Canada in red?
Map design: Include all categories on one map. For each category of items, you will have a range of numbers.
1) Divide these into low, medium, and high; and assign a different size of the same symbol to each numeric category. For example, a small dot might represent 1-2 shirts, a medium-sized dot, 3-5 shirts; and a large dot, 6 and more.
2) Place each symbol directly on the country from which your stuff originated. For small countries, place the symbol(s) in the adjacent ocean and draw a line to the country.
3) Consult Goode's Atlas for ideas on good map design.
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Created by Ingolf Vogeler on 5 June 1996; last revised on 24 January 2011.