CARTOGRAPHY SKILLS Mapmaking Social Studies 9 Mrs. Mactavish
CARTOGRAPHY SKILLSMapmakingSocial Studies 9Mrs. Mactavish
REVIEW
What three things do you need to be able to read a map?
REVIEW
1) Compass Rose
2) Scale
3) Key/Legend
http://geography.about.com/od/studygeography/a/mapparts.htm
1)COMPASS ROSE
Shows which direction is North, East, South and West on the map
Helps us understand where the map is in relation to the rest of the globe
Helps us in to decide which direction to travel to get from one place to another – important when using a compass/GPS device
SCALEMaps are small representations of a big area (i.e. the EARTH!)
The scale shows us how the distance on the map relates to the distance on the Earth
Scale is usually found at the bottom of a map or in the Legend
There are different ways of representing the scale of a mapRepresentative Fraction (RF) or RatioWritten Statement Linear or Graphic Scale
REPRESENTATIVE FRACTION OR RATIO SCALEIndicates how many units of measurement on the Earth are equal to one unit of measurement on the map
Does not use any specific unit (i.e. is not always centimetres or kilometres)
Is often expressed as 1:100,000 or 1/100,000 You would describe this as one unit o the map represents one hundred thousand units on the earth, or
one centimetre on the map is equal to one hundred thousand centimetres on the earth
WRITTEN STATEMENT (OR VERBAL) SCALEA written description of map distance
E.g., One centimetre on the map represents one kilometre on the earth
LINEAR OR GRAPHIC SCALE
A line graph marked with distance on the Earth
Map readers will need a ruler to find the scale of the map
Helpful on maps that will be photocopied because the scale ratios are not changed
LARGE SCALE VS SMALL SCALE MAPS Large scale = lots of detail over a smaller geographic area
Small Scale = larger geographic area, but less detail
Large scale has a larger fraction than a small scale map
1:25,000 = large scale
1: 250,000 = small scale
LEGENDS
Symbols used to represent features of the real world on a map
Simplifies the map to make it easier to read (less clutter)
Standard symbols are used by countries to make maps easy for people to understand
Typically, symbols are located in a box on the side of the map
Pictures, lines and colours are types of symbols
WHAT ELSE GOES ON A MAP?Title – Tells the map reader what the map is about
Contour Lines – show places with the same elevation on a topographic map and shows how steep or gentle a slope is.
Border or neatline – shows where the map ends and keeps the map looking tidy
Labels – for bodies of water, roads, mountains, cities, etc.
See your handout for how a map is labeled correctly