6th Grade World Culture and Geography

Textbook Focus on Geography Skills Handbook Pages 4-13

Map Basics

Mr. BradfieldSkyview Middle School

Western Hemisphere

Objectives To understand the methods for determining locations.

To interpret different elements included on a map.

To examine different types of map projections

To understand and interpret the different types of maps.

Focus & MotivateWarm-up

Brainstorm a list of the types of information that can be found on a map. Try to list at least ten things on your list.

Now formulate an answer to these questions:

1. Why would you look at a map?

2. Does every map include the same information? Explain.

InstructionMap Basics

Formulate an answer to these questions:

1. Where can you find the subject and basic information contained on a map?

2. What is the function of a compass rose?

3. What is a legend?

4. What map feature would you use to determine the distance between two places?

Instruction Notes:

Maps allow us to see how the space on our Earth is used. We can understand features and their relationship to how people live. It becomes a tool for us to help us make decisions. Until recently, maps were exclusively made by people surveying, measuring, and recording the land topography right here on Earth. Now, satellites and aerial photography assist in gathering that data for us.

Example: Assessor’s Web or using GoogleEarth you can see a broader picture. Yahoo Map

InstructionMap Basics – Components of a Map (Vocabulary)

• Title – indicates the subject matter of the map and can tell you what information it may obtain.

• Legend – lists and explains the colors and symbols used on the map. (Map Key)

• Labels – words or phrases that name features on the map.

• Scale – compares a unit of length on the map and a unit of distance on the Earth.

• Compass Rose – shows North, South, East, and West.

InstructionMap Basics – Components of a Map (Vocabulary)

• Symbols – may stand for capital cities, economic activities, or natural resources. Look at the map legend for more details.

• Colors – show a variety of information on a map. Check the map legend for more details.

• Lines of Longitude – These are the imaginary lines that show distances east or west of the Prime Meridian. They meet at the North and South Poles.

• Lines of Latitude – These are imaginary lines that show distances north or south of the Equator. They are parallel so they never meet.

Focus• Latitude and Longitude

These imaginary lines allow you to pinpoint the locations of cities and other geographic features. They provide a grid on a map using intersecting lines or coordinates. With these, you can find what geographers call “absolute location.” All grid coordinates use degrees to measure distance.

• Hemisphere

This is a term that means half of a globe. The globe can be divided into a northern and southern half as well as a western and eastern half. Usually, it is split in halves using the Prime Meridian and the Equator. The United States is in two hemispheres – the northern and western.

Focus• Projections

A map projection allows for the representation of a globe on a flat surface. Flat maps cannot show sizes, shapes, and directions with total accuracy. So all projections distort some aspect of the Earth’s surface.

There are four map projections we will study - Mercator, Azimuthal, Homolosine, and Robinson. Each has its benefits and drawbacks as we will compare them on the next slide. Robinson Projections are used predominately in textbook applications.

Focus - Projections

Mercator Robinson

Homolosine Azimuthal

Focus – Different Types of Maps

Physical Maps

Physical maps allow you to study the features on the Earth’s surface such as mountains, deserts, valleys, and plateaus. You can locate bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans as well. Maps help to show the relative location of items and characteristics of a region. On a physical map, color, shading, or contour lines are used to show elevations or altitudes. These maps are sometimes called relief maps.

See the next slide for a physical map example.

Physical Map

Focus - Different Types of Maps

Political Map

Political maps show features that humans have created on the Earth’s surface. Included on a political map may be cities, states, provinces, territories, and countries. We use political maps to show boundaries of where man-made items begin and end. Sometimes physical features are incorporated to show their relationships within those boundaries. Usually colors are used to depict the different political borders.

See the next slide for an example of a political map.

Political Map

Focus - Thematic MapsThere are three specific types of

thematic maps that you will need to use in your textbook. These each have a specific idea or characteristic to convey.

Qualitative Maps use colors, symbols, dots, or lines to help you see patterns related to a specific topic.

Cartograms present information about countries other than their shapes or sizes. The size of the country is determined by the data depicted and not its actual land size.

Flow-Line Maps illustrate movements of people, goods, or ideas. These movements are usually shown by arrows. This way the scope, direction, and location of the movement can be better interpreted.

Geographic Dictionary

Elements Found on MapsVocabulary

The terms found on pages 12-13 in your textbook will need to be copied into your own notes so that you have reference points for them when studying maps.

Please make sure to study those terms as you will be expected to know a working definition for them in the near future. A good place to study those notes would be during the end of the day in home-base.

This concludes the geography skills handbook section of your textbook.