Map Skills - Specific Related Skills
• Use terms designating relative location.
• Use cardinal or intermediate directions on maps, globes or wherever a person is.
• Locate the north and south poles.
• Use a compass rose and a compass.
• Use various types of scales to compute distances.
• Interpret map symbols and visualize what they mean.
• Compare maps and make inferences.
Books and Articles
Bednarz, S. and others. (1994). Geography for life: National geography standards. Washington, D. C.: Geography Education Standards Project.
Grosvenor, M. (Ed.). (1967). National geographic index: 1888-1946. Washington, D. C.: located. National Geographic Society.
Grosvenor, M. (Ed.). (1967). National geographic index: 1947-1983. Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society.
Knowlton, J. (1988). Geography from a to z. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell.
Wilde, B. (1997). Journey to the sea: The Snake River. Hong Kong: Shortland Publications Ltd.
Freese, J. (1997). Using the national geography standards to integrate children's social studies. Social Studies and the Young Learner. 10 (2), 22-24.
Rogers, L., & Bromley, K. (1995). Developing geographic literacy: An annotated list of children's literature. Social Studies and the Young Learner. (Pull-out feature) 8 (2), 1-3.
National Geographic World. Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society.
Concepts
Relative Location
above/below/by/between/behind/beyond/beneath/beside
across/over/under/through/upon; bottom/top; close to/far away;
direction/directions; high/low; horizontal/vertical;
in back of/in front of; in/ inside/out /outside; left/right;
near/nearer, nearest/far, farther, farthest, (further);
off/on; parallel/perpendicular; relative location; up/down; urban/rural;
where/everywhere/nowhere/somewhere; with/within/without
Directions-Cardinal and Intermediate
north/east/south/west
northeast/southeast/southwest/northwest
North and South Pole, Magnetism, and Compasses
North Pole/South Pole/North magnetic pole/South magnetic pole
magnetic declination or magnetic variation/magnetic storm/
terrestrial magnetism/ground conductivity maps
magnetic compass/compass rose
point
Measurement - Distance/Areas
References
Regions
Relief Features of the Land
Scales
Symbols
Map Projections
Conic/Cylindrical/Homolographic or equal-area/Robinson
Types of Maps
Land/Atmosphere/Climatic/Underground/Area/Political/Physical
Space/Water/Aerial photography
Electronic Media - Web Sites
Axion 3D World Atlas. Social Studies School Service 1999 Catalog for Elementary Grades. CD-ROM for Windows 95, p. 99. $49.95
Bill Nye the Science Guy: Stop the Rock! - Physical Geography CD-ROM for Mac/Windows. Social Studies School Service 1999 Catalog for Elem. Grades, p. 98, $47.95.
The Geography Tutor - 13 VHS videocassettes. Social Stuies School Service 1998 Catalog for Middle Grades, p. 182. $49.95.
Activities for Map Skills
Using Terms Designating Relative Location
• Provide a list of terms designating relative location. Find the terms in literature about dairy farming.
(above/below/by/between/behind/beyond/beneath/beside; across/over/under/through/upon; bottom/top; close to/far away; direction/directions; high/low; horizontal/vertical; in back of/in front of; in/ inside/out /outside; left/right; near/nearer, nearest/far, farther, farthest, (further); off/on; parallel/perpendicular; relative location; up/down; urban/rural; where/everywhere/nowhere/somewhere; with/within/without)
• Provide a list of terms designating relative location. Use the terms in writing about dairy farming.
• Provide a simple map of a dairy farm on which children place markers or make marks as directions are given. Use terms designating relative location in the set of directions.
• Talk about the travels of early pioneers on their way to obtain a dairy farm. Use terms designating relative location to talk about typical routes used.
• Create a flannel graph with a map of a dairy farm on it. Talk about the people, animals and places on the farm. As the characters are moved around use terms designating relative location.
• Create a large cube with dairy farm stickers on each side. Use terms designating relative location to describe where sets of pictures are located.
• Talk about the work of a photographer or artist who helps people visualize locations of dairy farms or items related to dairy farms. Use a camera or paint brush to role play the person involved.
• Map the travels of a farmer around his/her farm. Use terms of relative location to describe the farmer's travels.
• Describe the view of an insect or bird as it flies over a dairy farm. Use terms designating relative location to describe the view.
Using Cardinal or Intermediate Directions on Maps, Globes. or Wherever the Person is Located.
• Examine maps in plat books showing farms in the local area. Use the terms north, east, south, west, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest to describe locations.
• Plan a visit to a farm and use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the route.
• Race to the place. Place the names of locations on dairy farms on cards. Make two copies of each card. Attach the cards to members of the class. Describe the location using cardinal and intermediate directions. The players must run to a map, find the place, and return to their original locations.
• Use a map of known or hypothetical dairy farms. Locate items on the maps by using cardinal and/or intermediate directions.
• Use maps of where dairy farms have been or are located. Locate places on the maps by using cardinal and/or intermediate directions.
• Play a game with information about dairy farms. Have students move things in designated directions on a map game board.
• Have students move about the room in various directions. Through the use of cardinal and intermediate directions, lead them to a "dairy farm treasure."
• Take a field trip to a dairy farm or grocery store which sells dairy products. Create a map on which to plan the route. Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the route.
• Locate the best areas in which to locate dairy farms. Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe locations.
• Use a globe to find places where dairy farms are located, and dairy products are transported, and sold throughout the world. Describe locations by using cardinal and intermediate directions.
The North and South Pole, Magnetism, and Compasses
• Use a compass rose in relation to local maps of farms. In talking and writing use related terms. (North Pole, South Pole, North magnetic pole, South magnetic pole, magnetic declination or magnetic variation, magnetic storm, terrestrial magnetism, ground conductivity maps, magnetic compass, compass rose, point, magnetic compass, compass rose)
• Use a compass while on a field trip to a farm. Relate the readings on the compass to a map of the farm and a globe to show that north is toward the North Pole and that south is toward the South Pole on whatever map projection is used.
• Locate the north and south poles on globes and various maps. Find places where dairy farms are located. Relate these places to the location of the poles. Turn the globes on their axes or move the maps. Ask the students if the north and south poles are still at the same places on the globes and maps. Place a string between the location of dairy producing areas and the poles. Note that north and south are always toward the poles regardless as to how the representations of the earth are turned. Note the compass rose on the representations.
• Locate the magnetic poles on maps and globes. Compare the north and south poles to the magnetic north and south poles. Read about dairy farms. Learn about how land needed to be surveyed before it could be claimed. Try staking out a small portion of a claim for a "dairy farm." Use a compass to determine where to place markers.
• Use a compass in an orienteering experience on a dairy farm.
• Write directions for finding something related to a dairy farm. Use a compass to locate the item.
Using Scale and Computing Distances
• Use various types of scales to read maps related to farms. Determine distances on the farms or between farms. Use the scales to tell about distances to obtain need supplies or take products to markets.
Interpreting Map Symbols and Visualizing What they Mean
• Obtain maps of area farms from plat books, agricultural offices, or transportation departments. Identify symbols used on each type of map and talk or write about what each symbol tells.
• Read literature about farms and make maps to go with the stories. Develop symbols and place them in keys.
• Make salt relief maps of farms. Make a key with symbols which match the various land features. Talk about how the various types of terrain affect farming practices.
Comparing Maps and Making Inferences
• Look at maps in old newspapers, atlases, or plat books. Compare the maps to those found in current newspapers, atlases, or plat books. Identify where dairy farms were or are located on each map and tell why changes have taken place.
• Talk about political boundaries and how they affect farming practices.
• Examine various types of maps and determine why dairy farmers chose to develop farms in particular places.
• Examine various types of maps and determine how dairy farmers relate to other people and their activities in the area.
• Examine various types of maps and determine patterns of movement of dairy farmers throughout history.
• Examine maps of various types of areas and identify how dairy farming may differ in mountainous, coastal, rainforest, plains, forested, or desert regions.
• Use maps on the Internet and locate information about farmers in the various types of regions.