Introduction
Why do we need maps?
The answer is easy. Maps contain a lot of useful information. Map reading and map drawing is an important part of our subject. Young geographers need to be able to understand symbols since they help us to visualise what things on the ground look like.
Task
Design your own map of the British Isles. Work with your team and show the map to your classmates at the end of the class.
Process
1. Learn about UK Geography with the following video
2. On the map write the names of the countries that form the UK and their capital cities. Include at least four important cities in each country. You can consult the following link to check major cities according to population density.
https://www.citypopulation.de/UK-Cities.html
3. Add these physical features to your map:
- the names of the islands
- the most important mountain ranges
- the seas surrounding the British Isles
- the main lakes and one river in each country
4. Draw the legend using symbols. Consult this document online where you can find all the symbols to create a legend for your map.
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/docs/legends/25k-raster-legend.pdf
5. Look for the grid lines of each capital city and, using the scale, calculate the distance between them.
Evaluation
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | ||
| Content |
Includes only countries. |
Includes countries and capital cities. |
Includes countries, capital cities and other major cities. |
|
|
Physical Features |
Does not include all the information required. |
Includes almost all the information required. |
Includes all the information. | |
| Legend |
Poor legend with few symbols. |
Fairly good legend with a good array of symbols. |
Very good legend. Includes almost all the symbols studied. |
|
|
Accuracy |
Does not know how to use the grid references to calculate distance. The results do not come even closer to real distances. |
Calculates the distance using the grid references with slight errors. Results pretty close to real distances. |
Knows how to determine the distance using the grid references. Very good results. |
|
| Organization | Quite messy map. Difficult to read. |
Clear and neat presentation. Some symbols are not well drawn. |
Clear and neat presentation. Nice colours. Easy to read and interpret. |
Peer evaluation
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Illustration | |||
| Organization | |||
| Information | |||
| Total |
The maps that get the highest marks will be hanged on the classroom walls.
Conclusion
Whether on a page of paper or on a digital device, maps are important because they help you get around in your daily life.