Map Skills Unit Note taking unit
Introduction To learn about the Earth, we are going to learn about two geographic tools you can use.globes and maps.
Globe A globe is a round model of the planet Earth as if seeing it from outer space. A globe is round and shows the continents and oceans. Globes show the shape, lands, and directions as they truly relate to one another.
Parts of a Globe Every globe has several important features Continents & Oceans Poles Equator Prime Meridian Zero Point Hemispheres Lines of latitude and longitude Tropics Each feature serves a purpose...let s check them out!
Continents & Oceans The continents and oceans show the land and water coverage of the world.
Poles The North and South Poles are the points where the Earth rotates on its Axis. All lines of longitude meet at the Poles The North Pole is not part of any country but in the international waters of the Arctic Ocean. The South Pole is located on the continent of Antarctica
Equator The equator is the imaginary line that runs east and west around the exact middle of the Earth. It is found at 0 latitude
Prime Meridian Is the imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole through Greenwich, England. It is found at 0 longitude. This imaginary line runs through the United Kingdom, France, Spain, western Africa, and Antarctica.
Zero Point Zero Point is the spot where the equator and prime meridian intersect. This is where all degrees of latitude and longitude begin.
Hemispheres The equator and prime meridian divide the Earth into four hemispheres, the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western The equator divides the Northern & Southern hemispheres. The prime meridian divides the Eastern & Western hemispheres.
Latitude and Longitude On many maps you see crisscrossing lines with numbers by them. These lines and numbers form a grid system that allows us to describe the absolute, or exact, location of any place on Earth. Together, lines of latitude and longitude form a grid system called the coordinate system.
Latitude The lines running east to west around the Earth are called lines of latitude. They measure degrees north and south of the equator.
Longitude The lines running north to south around the Earth are called lines of longitude. They measure degrees east and west of the Prime Meridian.
Tropics The tropics are the most northern & southern points on Earth that receives direct sunlight. Tropic of Cancer Northern Tropic 23.5 N latitude Tropic of Capricorn Southern Tropic 23.5 S latitude
Map A map is a model of the Earth shown on a flat surface. Maps are useful because you can carry them with you. Let s look at a map more closely
Elements of a map Every map has six important elements: Title Map Key/Legend Compass Rose Scale Inset Map Locator Each element has a purpose...let s check it out!
Map Title The map title tells you the purpose of the map. It also informs you what type of map you are reading. It tells you the subject of the map and helps you identify what type of map you are studying
Map Key/Legend The legend or map key will tell you what the symbols on a map mean. For example, the map key might tell you that a dot stands for a city. The key might also indicate that a black line represents a state border. It might show you how to identify a river with a blue line.
Compass Rose The compass rose is a direction marker, that displays the cardinal and intermediate directions on a map. Cardinal directions - North, South, East, & West Intermediate directions Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest
Scale The map scale is used to show the relationship of distance shown on the map to real distance on the Earth. The scale is shown in both standard and metric measurements and show distance between objects on the map.
Inset Map An inset map is a smaller map that shows more detail of a section on a larger map
Locator The locator is a small map or globe that appears on maps and show where the map is located on Earth
See if you can identify the parts of the 1 map: 2 6 3 5 4
Types of Maps Different cartographers (map-makers) use different map projections. Another reason for this difference is that maps can be created to represent different features of the same places.
Political Map Maps that show countries, states, cities, and capitals are known as political maps. On political maps boundary lines show the extent of an area s territory or political influence.
Physical Map Physical maps show physical features of the Earth such as, mountains, rivers, oceans, and forests.
Vegetation Map Vegetation Maps show the different types of plants that are in an area.
Historical Map Maps that show parts of the world as they were in the past are known as Historical Maps.
Contour Map A Contour Map is used to show varying elevations of a place. These maps use a series of circles to show the contour and elevation.