How GEOGRAPHIC DATA Is Collected [AP Human Geo Review: Unit 1 Topic 2]

Summary

This video script delves into the fascinating world of geographic data collection, crucial for AP Human Geography. It distinguishes between individual efforts, like field observations and travel narratives, and organizational methods, such as data gathered by businesses and government agencies. The script highlights the importance of geospatial technology, including GPS for location determination and GIS for data analysis, emphasizing how these tools empower both researchers and the general public to explore and understand the world around them.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ Geographic data is collected by individuals and organizations for various purposes like mapping disease spread or traffic patterns.
• 👨‍🔬 Individuals gather data through field observations, travel narratives, and media reports, contributing to geographic knowledge.
• 🌐 Organizations, such as businesses and government agencies, use larger budgets and geospatial technology to collect data on a larger scale.
• 📊 Quantitative data provides numerical information, while qualitative data describes the characteristics of geographic features.
• 🛰️ Geospatial technology includes GPS for location determination and GIS for data analysis and problem-solving.
• 🌃 Remote sensing is used for gathering geographic information through satellite imagery and aerial photography.
• 🚦 The script uses the example of Chipotle to illustrate how geographic data can be used to locate specific places like restaurants.
• 🏛️ Historical figures like John Snow and Ibn Battuta contributed to geographic data collection through their observations and travels.
• 🏙️ Satellite imagery can reveal population patterns and development levels, as shown by the contrast between North and South Korea at night.
• 📈 The use of geographic data is not limited to researchers; online mapping platforms allow the general public to access and analyze data.
• 📚 The script encourages students to use note guides and follow along with videos to better understand and succeed in AP Human Geography.

Q & A

How does a device like a smartphone know the location of a Chipotle restaurant?

A smartphone knows the location of a Chipotle restaurant through a combination of GPS technology and data collected by the device and service providers like Google Maps, which uses user data to provide real-time information on locations and traffic.

What are the two main entities that gather geographic data?

The two main entities that gather geographic data are individuals, such as researchers and community advocates, and organizations, which can include businesses and government agencies.

How do individuals typically gather geographic data?

Individuals gather geographic data through field observations, travel narratives, and media reports. Field observations involve physically visiting locations and making notes, while travel narratives are written accounts of a person's travels, and media reports provide information from journalistic sources.

What is the significance of the story of Jon Snow in the context of geographic data?

Jon Snow's story is significant as it illustrates how geographic data can be used to understand and prevent the spread of diseases. In the script, he is mentioned for his work on the spread of Cholera in London, demonstrating the practical application of geographic data in public health.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative data in the context of geographic information?

Quantitative data in geographic information is numerical and counts things, such as the number of houses in a neighborhood. Qualitative data, on the other hand, describes the characteristics or qualities of data, such as the residents' feelings about living in a neighborhood.

How does GPS technology contribute to the collection of geographic data?

GPS technology contributes to the collection of geographic data by determining the absolute location of a user or a point of interest by communicating with a network of satellites. This allows for precise location tracking and navigation.

What is Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and how is it used?

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is software that can manipulate and analyze geospatial data. It is used for research and problem-solving by creating maps and analyzing spatial relationships between different types of data.

What is remote sensing and how does it gather geographic information?

Remote sensing is a geospatial technology that gathers geographic information through satellite imagery and aerial photography. It helps visualize population patterns, environmental conditions, and other geospatial data by capturing images from a distance.

How can non-scholarly individuals access and use geographic data?

Non-scholarly individuals can access and use geographic data through various online mapping platforms that provide tools to analyze and interpret geospatial information, allowing them to answer their own questions and gain insights.

What is the purpose of collecting geographic data by government agencies?

Government agencies collect geographic data to inform policy decisions, allocate resources, and understand the demographic and geographic characteristics of their jurisdictions. For example, the U.S. Census collects data that influences policy-making and representation in Congress.

Outlines

00:00

🗺️ Geographic Data Collection Methods

The paragraph introduces the concept of geographic data collection, posing the question of how devices like GPS know the location of places, such as a Chipotle restaurant. It explains that individuals and organizations gather geographic data for various purposes. Individuals might be researchers or community advocates who use field observations, travel narratives, or media reports to collect data. Organizations, often with larger budgets, use geospatial technology, such as GPS for location determination and GIS for data analysis. The paragraph also distinguishes between quantitative and qualitative data and briefly mentions remote sensing as a method of data collection.

05:02

📚 Reviewing AP Human Geography Unit

The second paragraph serves as a call to action for viewers to review the AP Human Geography unit. It suggests that the viewer click on provided links to access study materials, including note guides, to accompany the video series. The speaker, Laura, implies that these resources can be particularly helpful for those who may not prefer reading textbooks, offering an alternative way to grasp the course material effectively.

Keywords

💡Geographic Data

Geographic data refers to information that is associated with a specific location on Earth. In the video, it is the core of the discussion, as it explains how such data is collected and used to provide services like locating a Chipotle restaurant. The video emphasizes the importance of geographic data in various fields, such as public health, urban planning, and policy-making.

💡Field Observations

Field observations are a method of data collection where researchers or geographers physically visit a location to make written observations about what they see. The video uses the example of a researcher plotting the spread of a disease to illustrate how field observations contribute to geographic data collection, which is crucial for creating plans and policies to mitigate health crises.

💡Travel Narratives

Travel narratives are written accounts of a person's travels, which often include geographic and cultural observations. The video references Ibn Battuta, a 14th-century Muslim scholar and explorer, whose extensive travels and detailed narratives significantly influenced map-making. This concept is used to show how personal experiences and observations can contribute to the broader understanding of geography.

💡Media Reports

Media reports can serve as a source of geographic data, as they often contain information about the locations they cover and the people living in those areas. The video mentions how geographers can utilize media reports to gather data, highlighting the multifaceted nature of data collection in the field of geography.

💡Organizations

Organizations, such as businesses or government agencies, play a significant role in gathering geographic data. The video explains that these entities often have larger budgets and can collect data at a larger scale than individuals. An example given is Google Maps, which collects data from its users to provide traffic information and location details.

💡Census

A census is a method used by governments to collect demographic data about their citizens. The video mentions the United States census as an example, which occurs every ten years and gathers information about where people live, their ages, and their religious practices. This data is then used for policy decisions and the allocation of political representation.

💡Quantitative Data

Quantitative data is numerical information that can be counted or measured. The video explains that quantitative data in the context of geography might include the number of houses in a neighborhood or the population of a city. It is contrasted with qualitative data, which describes the characteristics or qualities of data.

💡Qualitative Data

Qualitative data provides descriptions and characteristics of data rather than numerical values. In the video, it is used to illustrate how residents might feel about living in a densely populated neighborhood, as opposed to quantitative data that would simply count the number of houses.

💡Geospatial Technology

Geospatial technology encompasses the hardware and software used to examine and measure geographical features on Earth. The video discusses three main types: GPS, GIS, and remote sensing. This technology is crucial for modern geographic data collection and analysis, enabling precise location tracking and environmental monitoring.

💡Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS is a system that uses a network of satellites to determine the precise location of a device on Earth. The video explains how GPS works in conjunction with Google Maps to provide directions and location information, emphasizing its role in everyday life and geographic data collection.

💡Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GIS is software that can manipulate and analyze geospatial data for research or problem-solving purposes. The video contrasts GPS, which determines location, with GIS, which is used for data analysis. An example given is using GIS to map the distribution of factories and their impact on the environment.

💡Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is a method of gathering geographic information without physically being in the location. The video discusses two types: satellite imagery, which can visualize population patterns and development levels, and aerial photography, which provides detailed information for areas like cities. This technology is highlighted as a way to collect data on a large scale.

Highlights

The astonishing capability of devices to locate nearby restaurants like Chipotle raises the question of how geographic information is collected.

Geographic data collection is crucial for AP Human Geography and involves two main entities: individuals and organizations.

Individuals gather geographic data through field observations, such as researchers plotting disease spread or community advocates noting traffic patterns.

Travel narratives, like those from the 14th-century explorer Ibn Battuta, provide rich geographic and cultural data.

Media reports can serve as a source of geographic data, detailing the living conditions and locations of various populations.

Organizations, such as businesses and government agencies, collect geographic data on a larger scale due to their substantial budgets.

Google Maps exemplifies how organizations use geospatial technology to collect and provide real-time traffic data.

Governments collect geographic data through initiatives like the U.S. census, which informs policy decisions and representation分配.

Quantitative data in geography is numerical and used for counting, while qualitative data describes the characteristics of the data.

Geospatial technology encompasses hardware and software that examine and measure geographical features on Earth.

Global Positioning System (GPS) determines absolute location by communicating with satellites.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is software that analyzes spatial data for research and problem-solving.

Remote sensing gathers geographic information through satellite imagery and aerial photography.

Satellite imagery can reveal population patterns and development levels, as seen in images comparing North and South Korea at night.

The rise of online mapping platforms has made geographic data accessible to the public for personal research and inquiries.

Note guides are available for those who prefer visual aids over textbooks to excel in AP Human Geography.

The video concludes with a humorous call to action to review Unit 1 and access additional study materials.

Transcripts

hey watch this I'm about to blow your

mind you know sometimes you're sitting

around and you're like I kind of want a

burrito the size of my face and then you

get in your car and you look up the

closest Chipotle and then this little

device tells you exactly where it is how

are you not falling out of your seat

right now like that's astonishing so the

question is how does this thing know

where my burrito is but more to the

point for AP Human Geography how does

all the geographic information on any

map get collected you have to know the

answer to that question for AP Human

Geography unit once so if you're ready

to get them brain cows milked well let's

get to it so they're essentially two

entities that care enough to gather

Geographic data oh by the way if you

want note guys to follow along with this

video so that all the information finds

at home deep in your brain Falls well

then check the link below anyway first

individuals gather Geographic data so

maybe that individual is a researcher

and is trying to plot the spatial spread

of disease so the plans and policies can

create it to stop the spread remember

our boy Jon Snow from the last video

yeah that's exactly what he did with the

spread of Cholera in London or maybe the

individual is a community advocate

Gathering data about traffic patterns at

a local intersection so that people

don't get in as many accidents that

regardless these individuals often

record their Geographic data in the form

of field observations which is when a

researcher or geographer physically

visits the location and makes written

observations about what they see so they

might write an account or take

photographs or interview residents of

that location to gather information

through questionnaire and then in

addition to field observations

Geographic data can be gathered through

travel narratives which are written

accounts of a person's travel for

example our boy IBN batuta who was a

Muslim scholar and Explorer in the 14th

century and he covered a metric butt

load of land in his various travels I

mean the guy traveled something like 75

000 miles in his lifetime to which I say

anyway his travel narrative was packed

with Geographic and cultural

observations that had significant

effects on map making during that period

and Beyond or in some cases media

reports can be good sources of

geographic data as well the media often

show up to locations to tell stories

which include details of the people

living there and the geographic location

in which they live and geographers are

like well that's nice I'll take that

okay now the second kind of entity that

is concerned together Geographic data

are organizations and they can be

businesses or government agencies or

whatever and these organizations tend to

have much larger budgets so they can

gather data at a much larger scale than

the Schmo out in the field with his

notebook writing field observation if I

pull up Google Maps they tell me how

much traffic is on the way like what

kind of freaky witchcraft is this like

how do they know well people have been

using Google Maps for a long time and

every time anyone uses it Google is

collecting data about where they go and

what they do how about the traffic was

Etc daddy Google is always watching but

I got to admit I hardly mind because you

know this is real useful but also

governments collect Geographic data for

their own purpose for example here in

the United States every 10 years the

government takes a census which gathers

all kinds of information about its

citizens like where they live how old

they are what religion they practice at

seven and then all that data is used to

make decisions about policies to pass or

how to allocate representatives in

Congress because more or less people in

an area means more or less

Representatives okay now real quick when

it comes to data there are two terms

that you're going to see hurled around

and you got to know what they mean so

quantitative data is numbers based

information it's about counting things

like there are 400 houses in that

neighborhood or there are five million

people that live in that City whatever

qualitative data describes the

characteristics or the qualities of that

data so qualitative data won't tell you

how many houses are in this neighborhood

but it could tell you how the residents

feel satisfied or unsatisfied about

living in a neighborhood with that many

houses so quantitative County County

qualitative feely field and now let's

turn the corner and talk about the

methods used for Gathering Geographic

data now I've already mentioned a couple

methods like field observations and

media reports and travel narratives but

here we're going to consider the big

boys namely geospatial technology this

is a blanket term for all the hardware

and software that can examine and

measure geographical features on the

earth so first you have global

positioning system known by its nastier

name gpn that's what you see on Google

Maps GPS is a collaboration with my

device and a network of U.S government

satellites that orbit the earth twice

daily so by communicating with at least

four of those satellites they can tell

me exactly where I am or my absolute

location and the absolute location of

the Chipotle and then tell me how to get

there okay the second geospatial

technology you need to know is called

geographic information systems or GIS

and this is software which can

manipulate Geo spatial data that can be

used for research or problem solving now

don't get confused between GPS and GIS

GPS is used for determining location but

GIS is technology for analyzing data for

the purpose of answering research-based

questions so for example GIS software

can produce a map showing the spatial

distribution of factories that dump

nasty pollution into the environment and

then compare it to the location of

environmentally sensitive areas like

Wetlands but this kind of analysis isn't

just reserved for the researchers thanks

to the rise of various online mapping

platforms non-scholarly rabble like you

and me can access all this data and

answer our own questions okay it's a

third geospatial technology you need to

know is called remote sensing and this

can be done in two ways first remote

sensing can gather geographic

information through satellite imagery

which can help visualize population

patterns and other geospatial

information for example look at this

image of North and South Korea at night

lots of Lights in South Korea but North

Korea not so much Kim likes it and that

image can tell you a lot about the

wealth and different levels of

development in each place but also

remote sensing can be done with aerial

photography for places that need more

detailed information gathered like major

cities

can I have a burrito the size of my face

would you like walk on it obviously and

so because of all that Geographic data

I'm about to crush this burrito all

right click here to keep reviewing unit

one and click down here to get the note

guides to follow along with every dang

video of the whole course I mean don't

tell anyone but if you're not really

into reading your textbook then these

notes are going to help you get

everything you need to do well in this

course all right I'll catch you on the

flip-flop I'm Laura