Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Maps and Mappers

Some Vocabulary Words include:

Cartographer * Geographer * Latitude * Longitude * Calculate * Coordinate * Orienteering * Physical map * Political map * Geography * Pendulum * Map * Globe

Before Reading:

Discuss why people need maps. What's their purpose? What are the different types of maps? (ie: location, product, weather, night sky, treasure maps, etc.)

Pages 2-7

1. What did religious maps of the Christians always show on their maps? What direction was always placed on the top of these maps? (picture of Jesus, Holy city of Jerusalem/east)
2. In the 1400s, why was the printing press such a great invention? (more maps were made available, sameness of maps vs. drawings)
3. Why was the period of time between 1400-1500s called the "Age of Discovery"? (Lots of discoveries of new areas on the planet were found)
4. What mistakes did Ptolemy make on his maps? (Asia was too big, earth much larger, missing continents of N/S America, Australia and the Pacific Ocean)
5. What inventions have made maps more accurate? (Hot air balloons, airplanes and satellites)

Pages 6-7 "Lewis and Clark"

Activities: Before Reading: If you were going on the expedition, what would be ten things you'd pack in your backpack to help you on your journey?

1. Why did President Jefferson sponsor the expedition? (to see if a water route existed to the Pacific Ocean and to explore the territory)
2. Why do you think Sacagawea , the woman guide, was such an important member of the expedition? (helped with native tribes they met, knew about the plants /animals of the area, having a woman might show the peaceful mission to tribes they met along the way, helped care for the sick, etc.)

Extension: After Reading: Write a diary entry of something that you saw or which happened along the expedition.

Pages 8-9

Before Reading: Why do you think cartographers are always changing maps? Have students break into groups and brainstorm the many different reasons maps need to be updated (Ex: new countries formed, new discovers made, deserts grow, names change, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes change the landscape) Have students guess how many map changes have been made on a world map in the past five years. (17,000)

Pages 10-13 "Interview with a Mapmaker"

• How did Tay Vaughan get interested in mapmaking?
• What might interest you at your age for a job?
• Who or what may have helped to spark the interest that you have?
• Discuss the types of maps: political, physical, population.
• Why is a map legend/key important to have on a map? (helps to understand the symbols, colorings, etc.)

Activity: After Reading: Make a map showing how to get from your home to another location such as your best friend, your school, place of worship, favorite shopping mall

Pages 14-16

1. Why have most maps usually used north at the top of a map? (sailors using the North Star to navigate before the compass/ magnetic compasses point north)
2. Why is Europe usually at the top of a map? (most early maps were made by Europeans)
3. What were reasons early mapmakers used other directions at the top of their maps? (East was at the top on many Christian maps, sun rises in the East)
4. Explain what an "upside down" map looks like and who might use such a map. (Australia)
5. What are some countries that show their country in the center of their maps? (China, Japan, India)

Pages 17-19 "Orienteering"

Before reading, ask if any students know about the sport of orienteering. Ask the students to skim the page and find the country that began the sport (Sweden) and how it originally was used (military). Ask the students what skills are used in orienteering (compass use, following directions, etc.). Break into groups and have the students do the orienteering activity on pages 22-25.

Reading about Latitude/ Longitude

Before reading, ask the students what might be a fear of sailors in the 1400-1700s. (Ex. getting lost, running out of food/water, sinking in a storm,etc.)

1. How did sailors find their way before the compass? (followed the stars)
2. How did using a clock help sailors figure positions? (every 15 degrees of longitude was one hour)
3. What was the problem with clocks in the 1700s? (no electricity or batteries, worked using a pendulum - difficulty running on a non sturdy ship, parts expanded /shrank depending on temperatures)
4. Describe John Harrison's early "seaworthy" clock. (heavy, metals resistant to heat/cold)
5. Why didn't the government want to award John Harrison the prize money? (no proof his clock would work on a ship)

Activity after reading: Review with the students about latitude and longitude and how to find location using the coordinates. Hand out world maps to each of the students. This is a great following directions activity! Give out a latitude then longitude coordinate and have the students find the country or body of water location.

Pages 26-27 "Mapquest Story"

• Skim the reading and find out how MapQuest got started.
• Why do you think they provide the service for free?
• Find how many hits are made each day to mapquest (24 million!) and calculate how much money could be made if the company charged 50 cents a map. A dollar?
• Check out the website and find a way to get to a location.

Pages 28-30

Read together about Mapping Mars

1. What are some of the things that have been learned from the robots on Mars? (Ex: temperature, weather, atmosphere, geography)
2. What does "topography" mean and list three examples of the topography where you live.

Pages 31-32

Before reading about GPS, discuss how might satellite technology be used in every day life. (find lost people, locate automobiles, track endangered species, etc.) Do you think tagging marine life such as whales is a good idea? Why or why not?

Additional activity for the theme issue on Maps and Mappers: Trivia Safari

Look throughout the issue on Maps and find the following answers:

1. Which two presidents were mapmakers? (George Washington and Thomas Jefferson)
2. How many countries are in existence today? (192)
3. Where does the word "map" originate? (From Greek for napkin "mappa")
4. How did Mercator show latitude and longitude lines differently? (Instead of curved lines, he made the lines straight)
5. Who said the earth is laid out just like on a map (John Glenn)
6. What does "find the longitude" phrase mean? (something that was impossible)
7. What do some people say the Earth looks like from space? (a big blue marble)
8. Where is the world's largest globe? (Yarmouth, Maine)
9. Who first named America on a map? (Martin Waldseemuller in 1507)
10. In which country was the oldest map to date found? (Iraq)

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Updated: 9/2/10 11:41 am
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