GLO-100 Introduction to Global Studies (Raymond): ArcGIS StoryMaps Resources

This map is adapted from Sarah Emerson's (2019) supply chain investigation in "Unraveling the Secret Origins of an AmazonBasics Battery".

1. Create your map 

• Go to https://arcgis.com and sign in using the credentials you made in the last class. 

• Click “Map” along the top bar. 

• Click “Save” and “Save as.” Save your map as “Tracing an AmazonBasics Battery” and give your map at least one tag. Ex: supply chain. 

2. Create your first layer 

• Click “Add” and then “Add Map Notes.” Name your map notes layer “Local” and leave the template as “Map Notes.” Click “Create.” 

• You will see that an “Add Features” pane has opened on the left. You can open and close this window at any time by clicking “Edit.” If you close it and click the “Contents” box, you will see the layer you created is there and checked. Any changes you make to your map when layers are checked will affect all checked layers. 

3. Add your first point: Salve 

• In the upper right, click into the search box and type “Salve Regina University.” Press enter. A search result box will pop up. In the search result pop-up box, click the small black arrow to the right of “Add to Map Notes” and choose the layer you would like to add the pin to (in this case, “Local”). The pin should appear on the map. NOTE: Make sure you are placing the point on your intended layer. If you just click “Add to Map Notes” you will end up with a different layer for every single point on your map. 

4. Edit your first point 

• Click your new point and hit “Edit.” Change the point title to “Point of consumption.” In the description write “A package of AmazonBasics batteries I purchased exploded on my kitchen table.” Note that you can add an image to a point, you can change the symbol that shows up to represent your points, and you can delete points from this edit box. Click “close.” 

5. Add your second layer 

• Click “Add” and then “Add Map Notes.” Name your map notes layer “Global” and leave the template as “Map Notes.” Click “Create.” 

6. Add and edit your second point 

• Return to your map contents on the left sidebar – if the “Add Features” pane is still open, remember you can close it by clicking “Edit.” Uncheck your “Local” layer, and leave your “Global” layer checked. Use the address search to input the Fujitsu office headquarters: Shiodome City Center 1-5-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7123. In the search result pop-up box, click the small black arrow to the right of “Add to Map Notes” and choose the layer you would like to add the pin to (in this case, “Global”). Click on the new pin and give it a new title: Fujitsu office headquarters. Give it a description: “The technology company that supplies Amazon with the batteries for their AmazonBasics brand.” 

7. Add and edit your third point 

• Add the alkaline factory to your “Global” layer: Use the address search to input the factory address: Jl. Irian VI Blok Kk No.12, Jatiwangi, West Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java 17530, Indonesia. In the search result pop-up box, click the small black arrow to the right of “Add to Map Notes” and choose the layer you would like to add the pin to (in this case, “Global”). Click on the new pin and give it a new title: “FDK alkaline factory”. Give it a description: “Fujitsu subsidiary FDK makes the batteries at this factory.” 

8. Add your third layer 

• Click “Add” and then “Add Map Notes.” Name your map notes layer “2015 COSCO Beijing transport route” and leave the template as “Map Notes.” Click “Create.” 

• Return to your map contents on the left sidebar – if the “Add Features” pane is still open, remember you can close it by clicking “Edit.” Uncheck your “Local” and “Global” layers and leave the “2015 COSCO Beijing...” layer checked. 

9. Add an area to the map 

• The COSCO Beijing’s port of registry is Greece. Since we don’t have an exact location to place on the map this time, place a marker in a way that you think best represents this information. You will have to use the “Edit” button in the upper left taskbar to open the “Add Features” menu. You may decide to put a pinpoint on the shore near Athens, or add an “area” to give a better sense of the imprecision. Make sure to edit the point and title it: “Port of registry for the Cosco Beijing cargo ship.” 

10. Add and edit points 4-8 

• Drop markers to indicate the ship’s journey. These are imprecise locations as well, so be aware of where you drop your marks. Start at Jakarta, Indonesia, put markers on the two stops for Malaysia and Singapore, then to the Port of Long Beach, California, and finally to Seattle, Washington. 

• Once your points are placed, edit each one and add a title: “First stop of COSCO Beijing cargo ship with AmazonBasics batteries,” “Second stop of COSCO Beijing cargo ship with AmazonBasics batteries,” etc. In the point edit screen, click “Change symbol” and use another style of marker to help indicate this is a distinct, enclosed journey on a larger map. 

11. Add directional lines to the map 

• If you would like to make the connections between locations clearer, you can add lines and/or arrows by going to “Edit” and using the “Add Map Features” menu. 

12. Add and edit points 9-11 

• Return to your map contents on the left sidebar – if the “Add Features” pane is still open, remember you can close it by clicking “Edit.” Uncheck your “2015 COSCO Beijing” and “Global” layers and check the “Local” layer. 

• Put markers on the Amazon fulfillment centers closest to Newport: 1180 Innovation Way, Fall River, MA; 200 Old Iron Ore Road, Windsor, CT; and 415 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT. Re-title each with “Amazon fulfillment center.” 

13. SAVE! 

• A cover 
• At least one “paragraph"
• At least one “sidecar"
• At least two incorporations of the map created in ArcGIS (the map we created in the first session) 
• At least one “express map” 
• At least 3 images with captions and attribution
• A citation at the bottom of the map for the article: https://onezero.medium.com/unraveling-the-secret-supply-chain-behind-an-amazonbasics-battery-e7b9ead4d72e

Beginning

Give your story a title and subtitle or short description. Your name should autofill from your login information, but you can edit it to your preference. 

Add a representative background image or video – this must be uploaded from your local computer. Experiment with different backgrounds to find something that pulls your story together and works well with the text. Consult image resources in this guide.

StoryMaps are built from “blocks.” Scroll down and click on the green, circular ‘+’ icon. You will see there are many different content blocks you can add throughout your story. It is easy to add and delete blocks, so don't be shy!