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Maps
Each week, Education World's Great Sites for Teaching About ... page highlights Web sites to help educators work timely themes into their lessons. This week's sites are among the best on the Web for teaching about maps.
United States Climate Page
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/states.fast.html
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) presents this clickable map that allows you to locate a specific state and learn more about its weather and climate.
Look-Up Latitude and Longitude-- USA
http://www.bcca.org/misc/qiblih/latlong_us.html
This site lists the latitude and longitude for major cities and towns throughout the United States alphabetically by state. Its quick and easy plain-text approach narrows down your location on the global map grid.
Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/
Demonstrate for students how latitude and longitude are used in real life! This PBS presentation offers a real-life dilemma-- being lost at sea-- and presents ways to use the time of day to determine location. The site's GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) section describes that technology's use, and the Secrets of Ancient Navigators section is extremely fascinating. Still, your kids will probably love the Shockwave-based simulation Find Your Longitude most of all. They set sail from Greenwich, England, and use time to determine where they are located in their journey.
Map Machine
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine
National Geographic offers this wonderful collection of mapping resources. The Dynamic Maps link allows users to type in a place to see a detailed map of the area. The maps are interactive, so your students can manipulate the maps to learn more about their function and use. The Atlas Maps section includes updates to allow your classroom to be up-to-date on all recent world political changes, and the Flags and Facts section is an excellent connection to social studies.
Mathematics of Cartography
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/pres/map/
This tutorial on mapmaking cuts across disciplines and allows your students to consider the science of cartography firsthand. The site provides the history of map making, the mathematics applied in creating accurate maps, and problem solving challenges to help your students extend their learning in practical ways. The site also provides links to many other related Web sites as well.
Online Map Creation
http://www.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/
Here's a mapping site that allows students to use the input form to create all kinds of maps right online! The best feature about this site is that users can create maps using different projections, including Mercator, equidistant cylindrical, polar stereographic, and orthographic. The site goes into great descriptions and examples of each!
GeoData.gov
http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos
This is a great site from the U.S. Geological Survey. Type in the search criteria you are interested in, such as a specific state, a geographic feature, an elevation, a population, or a county, and the system brings up a listing of choices that match your query. The resulting tables offer all the basic data on your search plus a great offering of maps that illustrate the location. This tool is best suited for middle and high school.
Azimuth and Compass Quadrant Bearings
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/
geology/leveson/core/linksa/comp.html
Are you looking for a new way to present material on the basic map component-- the compass rose? This site will do the trick! The interactive site presents the concept of the compass rose in terms of the mathematics of a circle. The basic degrees of a circle are the basis for the explanation of azimuths and compass quadrant bearings. And the link to the quiz is a great review of the material covered!
Walter McKenzie
Education World®
Copyright © 2007 Education World
Originally published 11/20/2000
Last updated 11/15/2007
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