Map 1: John Snow map
This map was created in the late 1800s by a physician named John Snow. He wanted to understand the source of a cholera outbreak in London, so he mapped each incidence of the disease and looked for patterns. He found that the disease was most focused around one particular water pump in the neighborhood shown, so he had the pump shut down. The cholera epidemic stopped after he did this. This is one of the first examples both of medical geography and of applied GIS! It's not only about mapping where--it's also for problem-solving!
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/J/JohnSnow.gif
Map 2: World Population Cartogram
http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/wpc.jpg
This map, rather than representing geospatial dimensions, uses size to demonstrate the population of each country. What a difference!
Want to make a statement with this map? Compare it to a cartogram of world CO2 emissions. What does this say about the distribution of resources throughout the world?
http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/c02levels1.jpg
Map 3: Movie Plot Map
http://simplecomplexity.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/movie_narrative_charts_large.png
This map is awesome!!!
