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Activity 4: Uses for maps

You will need:

• 9 world maps provided A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I
• Diagram (optional)

Diagram

Preparation:

Print out and photocopy maps A–I so that each group has a whole set.

What to do:

1. Ask each group to look at maps A–I and discuss who they think might find them most useful, and why.

For instance:

• An explorer planning a journey across the North Pole would use map G, as it is centred on the Arctic Circle;
• A pilot who needs to know the shortest routes for plane journeys might use map G to plan a route across the North Pole;
• Someone planning a holiday sailing through the Pacific would find map C (Pacific centred) useful.
• If you wanted to explain how Columbus, who was sailing west from Europe towards the East Indies (in south-east Asia) accidentally came across the Americas first, map C would help.
  
  The key in the maps section gives an explanation of each map projection.

2. You could extend this activity by asking pupils to think up different journeys and then to choose the most appropriate map on which to plot the journeys. As well as journeys, you could think up different purposes for using some of the maps, for example to show where volcanoes are.

3. Pupils should consider that a particular map may not necessarily have a specific purpose, but that some people might prefer the world to be shown in that way, for example people in Australia and New Zealand might prefer maps D or E, because they focus on and emphasise their countries. For this reason, maps are produced in the USA which are centred on the United States, Japanese people use maps centred on Japan, and so on.

> Activity 5: Which is bigger?

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