Over the last few weeks, we have been studying and reading stories about maps. We have learned about some of the important features of maps, how maps work, and how they can help us.
Here are some of the important features of maps that we have discussed:
The compass rose: shows the four cardinal directions on a map - to remember these four directions, you can say, "Never Eat Soggy Wheat! "
A map key or map legend: shows what the different symbols on a map stand for - some places frequently shown on the map key include landforms (trees, rivers, lakes), roads, and public locations (airports, schools, libraries, hospitals, fire stations).
A map title: telling what the map is showing. This seems basic but is quite important, since different types of maps may show the same location, but for different purposes, such as a topographic map, a population map, a resource map, etc.
Here are some map resources to help you learn more about maps:
Mapzone's Mapability - a nice interactive website to learn more about maps
Drive on the map - a cute little game where you need to use the cardinal directions to get to a destination
Videos
- There’s a Map on my Lap – A reading of the book, with the Cat in the Hat.
- How to Read Maps Song - a fun little song that talks about map features
- Tour the States song - a song with a map drawing of the 50 states.
- Tour the World song - a song with a map drawing of the countries of the world
