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Lesson Handout
Student Activity Instructions
Directions: Let your creativity shine! (within the constraints of the rules of cartography). Follow the steps below to create your map to be included in the map competition. All maps will be assembled into an online gallery for voting—may the best map win!
Description: Your map will focus on a specific theme or region of the world, assigned in class. Six students will compete in each specific theme or region category. You are designing your map for kindergarten students, aged approximately 5 to 6 years old.
Phase 1: Design the Map
Answer the following questions in a typed document to be turned in online:
Map Design Process:
Decide whether you need a map. It is required for the assignment, so yes.
Describe your map’s purpose by answering the following questions (the answers are found in the description above):
What region or theme is being mapped? (Check for your assignment.)
What information is being mapped?
Who will be reading the map? (Who is your audience?)
What are the time and budget constraints? (Hint: Look at the due date!)
What size and medium will be used to display the map? – I’m going to answer this one for you: 5″ x 7″ (you pick orientation), and printed—though you turn it in digitally.
Determine your audience constraints. In #2 you identified your audience. Think about what it means to design a map for children. These particular children are just learning to read. What considerations will you make with your design to meet the needs of this audience?
Define your intellectual hierarchy for your map. List all of the elements you plan for your map and put them in order from most to least important. You are required to have at least the following map elements (more could certainly be possible):
Title
Date of creation
Figure (focus of map)
Ground (some sort of background)
Legend
Orientation information
Plan your layout. Sketch the general idea for where you want different map elements to go on the page on your design document. (You can sketch by hand, take a picture, and insert it into your document; use the Word drawing tools; or use a PowerPoint slide to layout your map elements.)
Decide on a basemap. What will you use for your basemap? What strategy(ies) will you use to make it “ground” compared to your figure?
What is the title for your map?
Phase 2: You’re ready. Get mapmaking!
8. Make your map.
Map requirements: (you can add more than these things; these are the minimum requirements for what must be on your map)
5″x7″ (you pick landscape or portrait orientation)
Color
Shows the assigned region
Shows the assigned theme
Includes an appropriate title
Includes a legend
Includes orientation (north arrow/graticule) information
Do NOT put author information on your final map (for anonymous voting)!
9. Review and revise.
After you’ve completed an initial draft of your map, construct your visual hierarchy, and compare it to your intellectual hierarchy to improve your map. When you are satisfied with your own map, swap maps with a peer to complete a peer review as outlined below:
In a typed document:
Construct a VISUAL hierarchy for your peer’s map
Identify two map design choices that work well on your peer’s map
Make one suggestion to improve the design of your peer’s map
Upon receiving the review from your peer, have a brief discussion of the findings. Compare their visual hierarchy to your original intellectual hierarchy. Identify any areas that might need different design changes to make your map more reflective of your intellectual hierarchy.
Evaluate the peer suggestion for improvement. Make any other revisions deemed necessary based on your discussion with your peer reviewer.
Reflect on your peer’s evaluation of your map. How did their evaluation surprise you? Did your design choices work as intended? Why or why not? What will you do differently when you next design a map?
When your map is truly “done,” you need to turn in the following deliverables:
PDF of the 5″ x 7″map
Your typed map design document (answers to part 1 questions 1–7)
Your typed peer review of your peer’s map
Your typed reflection of your peer review
Helpful hints:
Esri (the company that makes ArcMap) has a LOT of helpful information online. I’m linking to some of the things I think might be of most use, but absolutely feel free to find more information as you need it!
How to:
Add graphic elements (like shapes): http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/map/page-layouts/adding-and-modifying-graphics-about-adding-graphic.htm
Add graphics, text, and pictures: https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/map/page-layouts/working-with-graphic-elements-pictures-and-neatlin.htm
Add a grid/graticule: http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/map/page-layouts/adding-a-graticule.htm
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Melinda Shimizu
Dr. Melinda Shimizu has a background in geology with degrees from Central Washington University and Arizona State University. Her Ph.D. was in Geographical Sciences at Arizona State University and utilized GIS to model water quality in a coastal New England watershed. She is currently an assistant professor in the Geography Department at SUNY Cortland, where her focus is Geoscience and Geospatial Education.