Overview

• Identify the importance of graphics in communicating information
• Define the layered grammar of graphics
• Demonstrate how to use layered grammar of graphics to build Minard’s graph of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia
• Practice generating layered graphics using ggplot2

Before class

• Read chapters 1-4 from R for Data Science
  • Chapters 1, 2, and 4 are very short but set the stage for the next few weeks
  • Chapter 3 is crucial - you need to read this chapter and complete some of the exercises before coming to class. Exercise solutions can be found here.
• Read The grammar of graphics
  • If you have additional time, also read/skim A Layered Grammar of Graphics
• Install and setup software

Slides and class materials

• Slides
• Why visualize data?
• How to build a complicated, layered graphic

• Practice generating layered graphics using ggplot2

• Exploring Minard’s 1812 plot with ggplot2 - a much fancier (and more complex) version

Additional resources

To do before next class

• Email me your GitHub username