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HW2

Goals

The goals of this homework are:

  • To expose you to data available from the Census
  • To practice research skill of determining which data is most meaningful and how to express this data graphically
  • To expose you to differences/similarities among counties in New Mexico and differences/similarities between New Mexico and the United States at large

The Task

For this homework, you will create pick three indicators from the US Census that you think tell an important story about New Mexico. You will then create a graph for each of these indicators, comparing New Mexico and the United States in each graph. You will then compare the counties of New Mexico using these same three indicators, creating an additional three graphics. Thus, you will submit a total of six graphics.

 

Think hard about how you present your data. You're not aiming for a fancy graphic that detracts from the main message. You're trying to create a graphic that communicates a story in a clear and easily understandable way. What is the main message of your graphic? Each graphic should include:

  • A title
  • Good use of colors or contrast
  • Numbers when appropriate
  • Citation
  • Axis names

Getting the Data

The goals of this homework are:

  • To expose you to data available from the Census
  • To practice research skill of determining which data is most meaningful and how to express this data graphically
  • To expose you to differences/similarities among counties in New Mexico and differences/similarities between New Mexico and the United States at large

The Task

For this homework, you will create pick three indicators from the US Census that you think tell an important story about New Mexico. You will then create a graph for each of these indicators, comparing New Mexico and the United States in each graph. You will then compare the counties of New Mexico using these same three indicators, creating an additional three graphics. Thus, you will submit a total of six graphics.

Think hard about how you present your data. You're not aiming for a fancy graphic that detracts from the main message. You're trying to create a graphic that communicates a story in a clear and easily understandable way. What is the main message of your graphic? Each graphic should include:

  • A title
  • Good use of colors or contrast
  • Numbers when appropriate
  • Citation
  • Axis names

Getting the Data

Go to this site at the US Census. You should now see a list of possible data sets. Under geographic type, first select "Nation' and "United States'.  Click on 'Add'. Now select 'State' and 'New Mexico' and 'Add. New Mexico should now be added to the United States. Finally,  select 'County'. Then pick 'New Mexico' and 'All Counties'.  Click on 'Add' and 'Next'.  You should now see a list of tables. Scroll through and select any indicators that you are interested in. Click on 'Add' and 'Show Result'. You should now see the data. If this is data that you are interested in, click on Print/Download up at the top right portion of the screen. Download as a .csv file, which you can open in Excel.  You may need to tell it that you are importing a comma-delimited-file.

Note, I noticed that when I tried to change my indicators, it wasn't letting me. You can fix this by clearing the cookies.  

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