Interested in maps? You need them when you travel or try to
navigate around. Maps are visual representations that show relationships among
the mapped items, be they cities or ideas. Atlases are collections of maps. Consider that even websites have
site maps. Explore the variety of maps, and how to make them. It’s a fun way to
get around.
CONNECT:
- What are maps for? Find your way around maps at http://www.k-8visual.info/maps.html, http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/ttravis/social_studies_class.cfm?subpage=648434, and http://msnucleus.org/membership/html/jh/earth/mapstype/lesson1/mapstypes01a.html
- How do you take a 3D globe and make it into a 2D map? Think about taking an orange peel, and making it flat. How does it impact how you perceive that orange’s shape? Different world map projections can also impact your world view, literally and culturally (Africa is bigger or smaller depending on the map’s projection). Find out details at http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/TOC/. For another perspective, look at the world upside down: http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/. Does it alter your view about each continent’s importance?
- How have geography regions changed over time? The U.S. Geological Survey has produced topographic (land mass) maps for more than 125. See how your region has changed by searching the agency’s historical map collection online at http://nationalmap.gov/historical/.
- Do you what “mappa mundi” means? Is any European map of the world. Take a look at at ancient maps at http://ancientworldmaps.blogspot.com/
- Find out how to read weather maps by using Discovery Education’s lesson plan, which contains several kinds of weather maps: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/weather-maps.cfm.
- How about mapping the sky? A brain? What kinds of legends or keys would you use? Here are some examples to explore: http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/brain.html, http://www.skymaponline.net/, http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/22/time-explains-genome-sequencing/, http://arctic.fws.gov/birdworldmig.htm.
CREATE:
- Personalize your journeys, be they your family’s history or a fantasy trip. It might be your family’s immigration journey. Go to Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/), and download it for free. Follow their directions about adding features to the map.
- Going on a family car trip – or wish to? Choose a destination across the country, and see how it’s tracked by car on http://maps.yahoo.com. Figure out reasonable stopping times and places. Then use the site to find lodging, dining spots, and local sites. You can use a spreadsheet to calculate the cost of the trip (don’t forget the cost of gas!). Each family member might make their own choices, and then compare the results, or it can be done as a family project.
- Try your hand at creating an imaginary map. http://www.fantasticmaps.com/ provides great tips and examples.
- You can map any area, even the moon – or an imaginary place! You can make a map from several types of image documents (jpg, png, gif) by using UMapper (http://www.umapper.com/). You can make a journey through the body, for instance, such as the blood’s journey from the heart, or food from the mouth on down.This application also allows you to create your own geography game.
CARE:
- Create a neighborhood or school map for visually impaired. It might be a raised map, or a podcast that can serve as an audio tour. You can start by printing out a digital map from http://maps.google.com or http://maps.yahoo.com, or you can create your own using digital or traditional drawing tools.
- Travel ecologically. Visualize different ways to get to a family destination by using http://maps.google.com. It enables you to map your path by car, public transportation, bicycle, and foot. See how far you can get by using only public transportation.
- Is there a park in the area? You can create a nature walk, and map it. Get ideas for projects at http://www.stormthecastle.com/nature-walk-ideas-and-projects.htm.
- Create maps from data using UN statistics (http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/) or Harvard University’s data sets (http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/). See if you can see issues arising as a result of visualizing the statistics.
CAREER:
Like maps? You can become a cartographer: a map maker. You are
also likely to use a map for many jobs: city planning, pilots, shippers, engineers,
GIS programmers, scientists, performers, even writers. Here are some career
leads that involve mapping skills.
http://www.superscholar.org/careers/technology/mapping-engineer/
No comments:
Post a Comment