MAPS ACTIVITY OUTLINE

Objective Students will create maps on the Internet and analyze the purposes and uses of each map.

Task Use the Web sites below to create and manipulate maps of the United States and Las Vegas, Nevada. Describe the maps and explain how they might be used.

Class Time 3 class periods

1. Read Chapter 1 and define these terms: latitude, longitude, prime meridian, azimuthal projection, cylindrical projection, Mercator projection.
2. Follow the provided links to the Online Map Creation site to create maps of the continental United States in Mercator, azimuthal equidistant, and equidistant cylindrical projections. To do this, type in the approximate United States boundary coordinates of 25 degrees south, 50 degrees north, 125 degrees west, and 67 degrees east. It is important to type in coordinates west of the Prime Meridian as negative numbers. Be sure to select "national boundaries" and to choose the appropriate projections.
3. As you create the maps, Write sentences describing what the maps look like and to explain how each projection might be useful (refer to pages 18-19). Write additional sentences explaining which map is the most useful for geography students.
4. Visit the provided Web sites to create maps of Las Vegas, Nevada. Notice the satellite images, local street maps, and topographical maps. Write sentences describing what each map looks like and explain some ways in which each one can be used. Under what circumstances would someone benefit from looking at one of these maps?
5. Be prepared to dicuss in class your online map-viewing experiences. In what ways can the Internet be useful in learning about maps and seeing maps of specific places? What does the Internet enable you to do that cannot be done with paper maps?