MAP SKILLS
Read the Information below carefully and prepare for class discussion about the topic on Friday
Maps are representations of the world created by people called cartographers to help other people navigate the world. Maps contain information tailored to a specific purpose.
A road map, for example, contains information that helps the
reader get from one place to another using a vehicle. The maps found in a
geographical atlas will contain information such as how the land in a place is
used, the population density and the political boundaries that exist
between regions, states and nations.There are five important things you
need to know so as to read a map successfully:
compass direction
- grid reference
- map key
- title
- scale
Compass
directions
Compass
directions are important for finding your way around a map. There are many ways
to remember where each direction goes. Starting at the top and
moving clockwise the directions on a compass or map are: North, East, South and West.
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| Compass |
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What
is a Map Key/Legend?
Maps can be drawn to represent a variety of
information. This information might include things such as roads, tourist
attractions and campgrounds, or they might represent the latest weather
patterns. The objects on a map are represented using symbols. A symbol is a
picture on the map that represents something in the real world. Understanding
these symbols requires the use of a key. Maps use a key, or legend, to explain
the meaning of each of the symbols used in the map. These keys usually show a
small picture of each of the symbols used on the map, along with a written
description of the meaning of each of these symbols.
Diagram
of a map key
LINES OF LATITUDE and LONGITUDE
Read the Information and view the video below
carefully and prepare for class discussion about the topic on Tuesday
Latitude and longitude
are imaginary (unreal) lines drawn on maps to easily locate places on the
Earth. Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator (an imaginary
circle around the Earth halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole) and
longitude is the distance east or west of the prime meridian (an imaginary line
running from north to south through Greenwich, England). Both are measured in
terms of the 360 degrees (symbolized by °) of a circle.
The Equator is the line
of 0° latitude, the starting point for measuring latitude. The latitude of the
North Pole is 90° N, and that of the South Pole is 90° S. The latitude of every
point in between must be some degree north or south, from 0° to 90°. One degree
of latitude covers about 69 miles (111 kilometers). Longitude is measured in degrees
east or west of the prime meridian. This means one half of the world is
measured in degrees of east longitude up to 180°, and the other half in degrees
of west longitude up to 180°. View the
video below to get a better understanding of latitudes and longitudes better.
Diagrams showing Latitude and Longitude
Think
about answers to the following questions for discussion on Tuesday
- Which coordinate gives us information about east-west position - latitude or longitude?
- What is the name of the reference or zero line for latitude? For longitude?
- Latitude and longitude are the two coordinates that determine a specific point on the Earth's surface. How does knowing the location of a point help us make maps?
