Download Map Reading Skills

Map Reading Skills
Skill lesson pages A2-A3
Who cares if I can read a
map??
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Not only is it required for you to learn this in
5th grade, but you will also thank me for it
when you are driving across country to go to
college
Maps have a ton of useful information about
the world around you
Great, you’ve convinced me
it’s important. Now, what is it?
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Maps show all or part of the Earth’s surface.
The mapmakers, or cartographers, add in
special features so that the map is more
user-friendly
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These include:
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Insets, Grid Systems, Map Titles, Map Key, Locator,
Map Scale, and Compass Rose
Map Titles
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A map title may identify what kind of map it is, but it
is mainly used to tell the subject of the map
There are different kinds of maps. Here are a few…
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Political-maps that show cities, states, and countries
Physical-maps that show geographical features like bodies
of water, mountain ranges, and regions
Historical-maps that show what things USED to look like
Contour-maps that illustrate the topography of a region
Population Density-maps that show the population of an
area
Natural Resource-maps that show information about the
natural resources available in an area
Activity
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Together we will complete different types of
map handouts.
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On your own, you are creating a physical
map which is your project at home.
Inset
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An inset is used to show details for a smaller
area than the scale of the map will allow
It looks like a small map within a larger map
The inset is good for showing things that are
further away than the scale of the map will
allow
Map Key
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A map key tells you what any symbols (like
colors, lines, or patterns) mean
Compass Rose
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This shows two different types of directions
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Cardinal Directions-the main directions-North,
South, East, and West
Intermediate Directions-the directions between
the cardinal directions-Northeast, Northwest,
Southeast, and Southwest
Activity
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In the output page, you will cut, label, and
glue in the compass rose.
Together we will complete a map reading
skills page called “Parts of a Map.”
You will complete a map reading skills page
called “Reading a Map” and “The Map Key”
on your own for a grade.
Locator
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Not found on all maps
This is a globe, or a larger world map, that
shows the hemisphere or general area this
map is located
Map Scale
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A map scale is what is used to help you
figure out the real distance between two
points on the map
Practice-Use the map on A2-A3
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What cities can be found in square B7?
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In which direction would you travel to go from
Phoenix, Arizona, to Columbia, South Carolina?
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East
About how many miles is it from Austin, Texas, to
Montgomery, Alabama?
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Montpelier, Vermont, and Augusta
About 400 miles
Which two oceans border Alaska?
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Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
Activity
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Together we will complete “Read a Map”
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Now you will complete “Map Skills” for a
grade.
Grid Systems
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When the cartographer draws horizontal and
vertical lines on a map, he or she is creating
a grid system to help with finding location
In your book the horizontal lines are lettered
and the vertical lines are numbered
These are also called Latitude and
Longitude which are labeled with numbers
going east/west and north/south.
Latitude & Longitude pg 50-51
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Latitude, Longitude, what’s the diff?
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Think of Longitude going the long way
(vertical). Now I know the Earth is a sphere and
therefore, there is no “long” way, but work with me
here….
Latitudes, also called parallels, are “laid back” –
that is, they are laying down (horizontal).
Why should you care?
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These lines are used to find an absolute location.
Ships and aircraft use latitude and longitude to
describe their precise location.
Latitude
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These lines run East and West, but they
measure how far North or South a place is
from the equator
The Latitude of the Equator is 0° (zero
degrees)
The lines north of the equator are marked N,
which shows they are in the Northern
Hemisphere. Latitude lines south of the
Equator are labeled S, which shows they are
in the Southern Hemisphere.
Longitude
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Longitude lines are also called meridians
These lines run from the North Pole to the South
Pole, and they help measure how far East or West a
particular location is from the prime meridian
The prime meridian is marked 0°
Lines that are west of the prime meridian are
marked W which shows they reside in the Western
Hemisphere. Lines that are east of the prime
meridian are marked E for the Eastern Hemisphere.
Practice-Use the map on pg 51
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What line of latitude is closest to Tallahassee,
Florida?
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What line of longitude is closest to Santa Fe,
New Mexico?
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30°N
105°W
Which location is farther north- 50°N, 80°W,
or 30°N, 90°W?
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50°N, 80°W is farther north
Activity
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Together we will complete a hands on activity
to demonstrate Latitude and Longitude.
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You will complete a Latitude and Longitude
worksheet for a grade.