Maps: A Useful Tutorial

By: Tonia Christian and Alison McCartan

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Objectives:

• What is a Compass Rose? How is it useful?

• Why maps are useful?

• Can a Compass Rose help me find something?

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Peer Objectives:

• Can I work cooperatively with my classmates for an activity?

• How can I give all of my effort to my group and their project?

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Why Maps Are Useful…

• They show people where things are.

• Can include information on population, elevation, resources, etc.

• They show you how to get places you want to go.

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Direction

• Every map should have a compass rose

• This shows North, East, South, West

• A popular rhyme to remember is “Never Eat Shredded Wheat”

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Symbols

• Represent actual locations on a map

• They can be highways, gas stations, hotels, rivers, hospitals, etc.

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Keys

• Also known as Legends

• Every Map has a key

• It shows the different symbols for that map

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Map Scales

• Shows the respective distance

• Ex: 1inch = 1 mile

• Every map has a scale

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Map Example (street)

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Map Example (weather)

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Map Example (elevation)

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Websites:

• Activities and Teacher Instructions

• Learning Map Skills

• Making Maps

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Student Activities

• How to make a Compass Rose using white boards (4 basic points-top, bottom, right, left)

• Students create a compass and learn how magnetism affects it.

• Brainstorm how you could find your way home if you didn’t have a compass

• Investigate how were Leatherback Sea Turtles able to find their way with their “compasses” from Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands? (internet)

• “Where’s North” Create a compass using a cork, needle and water (magnetism – repels, attracts)

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Materials Needed

• White boards

• Dry erase markers

• Magnets

• Corks

• Paperclips

• Measuring cups

• Various maps

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Standards Applied

• Processing information - Acquires information through reading, listening and observing.

• Maps & Globes – Describe location of objects in various locations (N, S, E, W)

• Identifies the Compass Rose as a directional tool.

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