Clem's mostly math home page

Clem's maps activity page

Where am I?

By Clem Wings

Topic:
learning about maps

Type of web activity:
varies -- lots of links here

Materials / Software needed:
needle, thread, magnet
web browser


Grade Level:
5-12

Time involved:
as long as you want . . .

 

Created on :
August 6, 1999

A jump-off place for learning about maps.

Before you begin using the web's many resources for mapping (see bottom of this page) [ go there now] , be sure students have a basic concept of directionality. Here are a couple of ideas to get them started:

1. Knowing Your Directions

If it is morning, the sun is basically east. If it is afternoon, the sun is basically west. Put your right side towards the east, and your left side towards the west, and you are facing north. If you're still not sure, try this: put a stick in the ground someplace sunny, sticking straight up. Mark the exact end of the shadow of your stick. Go away for an hour or so. Come back and mark the exact end of where the shadow is now. Put your left foot on the original mark, and your right foot on the new mark. You're facing north.

Another cool trick, if you have an analog watch:

  • If you're on Daylight Savings Time, turn it back an hour.
  • Line it up flat to the ground, facing up, so the short (hour) hand is pointing straight at the sun. South will be halfway between the hour hand and the 12:00 position.

What if it is cloudy? Or dark? If there are stars visible, you can learn to find the North Star (in the northern hemisphere) or the Southern Cross (in the southern hemisphere). But otherwise, you might wish for a compass.

Why? Try this exercise to see what happens to magnets here on planet earth if they are allowed to swing freely.

You can MAKE YOUR OWN COMPASS , which will be at least pretty accurate. You'll need a needle, a fairly strong magnet (most refrigerator magnets are good enough), and a long thread.

  • Attach one end of your needle to the magnet, and leave it overnight. (Test it the next day by trying to pick up a pin with it.)
  • Tie the thread to the middle of the needle and let it hang. Once it stops spinning and bobbing, it will stabilize lined up in the same direction all the time. (Walk around a little and test it out.) We know it's lined up north/south, but to find out which is which you should go out in the sunshine and figure it out. Then you can notice if the pointed end or the eye end is north. Jot it down so you don't forget!
  • For a variation, you can stick your needle through a small cork and let it float in a glass of water instead of hanging it from a thread. Less tangling!

2.   Give and Get Directions : A Game.

Before you can play, you'll need to learn how long your own pace is. Measure and draw a chalk line 20 feet long (or lay a long tape measure down, and mark the beginning and the 20-foot mark). Now walk along the line at a normal pace, counting your steps. When you get to the end, divide the number of inches in 20 feet* by the number of steps you took. That number will be the number of inches in your average pace.

Now get your compass, and maybe your calculator, and a partner.

Each person will:

  • Hide something within sight of some clear landmark, measuring how far (using their pace) and what direction (using their compass) it is from the landmark.
  • Write down the directions (e.g. 20 yards NW of the back door).
  • Trade papers and find each other's treasure!

Remember, neither the paces nor the compasses are exactly accurate, so look around a little when you get where you think you're supposed to be.

A Transition to Maps

It's one thing to have a sense of direction out in the world, and another thing altogether to read maps. To help develop map reading skills, I recommend any activities using coordinates (variations on "battleship" are fun). Another approach can be found at National Geographic's Family Xpedition site , which has a great interactive game called the "Orientometer." This activitiy helps people check out their theoretical sense of direction on the screen, and the site has several other fun ideas as well.

Here are places to look for more specific mapping lesson plans, as well as a lot of general map resources on line:

[go back to the top]

Lessons/Worksheets/Projects

Maps for downloading/copying

Interactive map sites

Map collections and links

Miscellaneous

  [go to top of page]

[go to top of links list]

Clem's mostly math home page

Clem's maps activity page