Today I will be taking a look at Thomas Parker’s fantastic final project titled “The Dust Bowl’s Impact on the Population of the Dakota’s.”
The first thing I noticed about this project was its very clear and easy-to-understand concept. A lot of mapping projects could get very complicated for outside viewers but Thomas does a great job of making the concept easily accessible. It is also a question that intrigued me, studying change in demographics is something both of our projects focused on. I also really liked how Thomas also focused on his home region for his project, I found that studying your home encourages you to find the answers. I am willing to bet that this was the same for Thomas.
His introduction clearly states what he is studying and how he is going to find the answers. I always appreciate it when the author is concise. I enjoyed his description of the historical portion of the project with the dust bowl and the Okie movement but I wish he would’ve gone into a bit more detail about how exactly these events affected his area of study. The dust bowl was horrific for many people and I would love to learn more about it. Regardless, Thomas gives you as much information as you need to understand and appreciate the project which is the most important thing.
The maps are very well done and easy to see the data visualized. I also appreciate the use of a circle map, especially when it fits really well for this project and the numbers Thomas is displaying. I think the maps would improve if the legend was a part of the map itself instead of the map description. The colors and their values are clearly stated and easy to understand once you read the description, it works but I think it would have been simpler to use a legend. I think his decision to spread 30 years over 3 maps was a good idea and showed the change in an effective way. The soil map is beautiful and fascinating but I wish it was more relevant to the project and analysis itself. I remember in the presentation Thomas explained the relevance but when just viewing the project it can be a bit confusing.
His quotes are short and sweet. His first quote from Donald Berg is right to the point and illustrates the data shown in the maps above. The second quote is definitely the more interesting one. A primary source from a woman who experienced the dust bowl is a great touch. Elizabeth Holcroft gives a human account of the dust bowl which humanizes the data this project is centered around. It can be very easy to think of these events as ancient history but this quote helps remind the reader that real people went through this.
The conclusion is honest and insightful but since the original theory was incorrect it feels a bit disappointing. Since there wasn’t any data showcased to actually determine if anyone did move to the Dakotas during this time it makes the project feel like it’s missing some research in that area. The main question of the project was answered clearly and that is the most important thing.
Overall I really enjoyed the project by Thomas. I do wish there was more data presented and analyzed but since I didn’t research this topic I have no idea if there is anything else to add. The maps were easy to understand and he showcased his ability to collect data and present it in a clear way. I enjoyed the additional photos quite a bit as well but I still wish the soil map had a more clear purpose. I am glad I got to read this again after the great presentation on monday.