To:
From:
Course:
Subject:
COL Gary K. “Doc” Rogers, PE, PhD
John/Jane Hancock & Signature
CE 208 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Text:
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow.html
Koch, T. Cartographies of Disease – Maps, Mapping, and Medicine. ESRI Press, Redlands,
CA. ISBN 1-58948-120-8. 2005.
T:\Civil Engineering\CE 208X\3 Non-Text Assignments\2 Dr. John Snow\Supporting
Files\Snow (04 08 09).pdf & other pertinent “.pdf” files.
Goals:
Introduction to GIS technology, tools, software, and capabilities through study of
applicable case histories.
Case History: Dr. John Snow
T:\Civil Engineering\CE 208X\3 Non-Text Assignments\2 Dr. John Snow\Snow & Broad
St. Pump (01 22 15).doc
Key Words: Dr. John Snow, Cholera, Broad St. Pump, Soho, Vault, Sewer, Well, Cistern, Period
Assigned:
Date Due:
Submitted:
HR:
HG:
Demographics, Epidemiology, Contamination, Threshold Population, Metropolis, Mortality,
Water Works, Plague Pit, Miasmatic Researchers, Lancet, lancet, Poorhouse, Workhouse,
Endemic Diseases, Epidemic Diseases, Yellow Fever, Influenza, etc.
01 22 15 Thursday
02 05 15 Thursday (2 weeks)
Specify “ON TIME” or “NOT ON TIME”, with date and time.
Specify “Help Received”.
Specify “Help Given”.
Assignment:

Work with your Semester Project Team. Submit one PowerPoint

Create a detailed, color, read-only (e.g. not to be presented to a group via projector, but
rather to be read individually on a monitor; hence, with smaller font and much greater
detail) PowerPoint Presentation that will cover the life and times of Dr. John Snow and his
unique tie(s) to the history of GIS. Print a PowerPoint presentation (color if possible) as a
handout (2 slides per page) and attach to this memo for submission. Don’t forget your
“signature” next to your name!

Save your .ppt presentation to your WordPress e-Portfolio. Also, save this completed memo
to your e-Portfolio. (e.g. Each assignment is to be added to your e-Portfolio as an artifact
to potentially use when composing your Reflective Essay toward the end of the semester.)
Note: Since WordPress is new to many of us, you may need to take some of the on-line
tutorials on the VMI site to learn the nuances of this software before attempting the
saving of artifacts.

You may put all individual slide references, images, tables, text, etc. in the notes section of
the slide. That way it is embedded with the slide in the .ppt, but it is not displayed on the
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screen in presentation mode. A Reference List is still a good idea at the end of your .ppt.
Do not forget to date each reference.

Be sure to cover/include at a minimum the following key points somewhere in your .ppt
presentation: (Note: these points are for general guidance and class content completeness. A more thorough
analysis is anticipated. “Think outside the box” and impress me.)

What is the difference between an apothecary, surgeon, and MD in Dr. John Snow’s
time? Of these three, what was Dr. John Snow? What was his background,
training, etc.

Describe what urban life was like in London, during Dr. John Snow’s time. How were
basic needs (e.g. water, sewer, food) addressed and accommodated? Describe as
well the prevailing level of technology of the day.

What was the state of medicine and technology? Describe.

What event and subsequent research made Dr. John Snow famous? What were
some of the research constraints and possibly errors that Snow dealt with?
Include examples of “manually made” GIS maps … especially the one that made him
famous.

What is “Cholera”? How does it spread, early thoughts vs. now? How does it kill?
What percentage survives?

Define for your audience “pertinent” key words and concepts found in reading(s).

Did you have any prior knowledge of this case history and how did it change your
viewpoint, if at all?

Have other diseases and/or medical illnesses been mapped and studied in this
fashion around the world. Describe and discuss. Provide GIS example maps/images
if possible.

Given the following two “Learning Outcomes” that form the basis of the C&C “X”
courses and as noted in the course syllabus, briefly discuss the relevance of this
assignment:
As part of the Civilization and Cultures Core Curriculum, by the end of the course, students should
be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of characteristic products or practices of the world’s communities,
civilizations, or cultures (e.g. past – present – future).

Reflect on their learning about a culture or cultures.

Out of curiosity, where did the VMI Barracks acquire their drinking/washing water
before the advent of modern pressurized plumbing systems? Think about it … and
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then research the island of Bermuda’s water collection systems. Illustrate.
Designed by:
Last Modified:

In a similar vein, what was the technology for bathrooms and where were they
located (e.g. before the advent of modern pressurized plumbing systems)?

What is the nickname of for Woods Creek that runs behind the VMI Barracks and
how did it acquire same. This is directly related to the two previous questions.
COL Gary K. Rogers, PE, PhD
03/31/09
COL Gary K. Rogers, PE, PhD
01/22/15
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