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6 Skills Maps

This document provides an overview of basic geographic tools and skills needed to study geography. It discusses different types of maps, including general purpose, thematic, topographic, and digital maps. It explains important map features like projections, scales, grids, titles, legends, and borders. Common grid systems for locating places on maps are described, such as latitude and longitude, military grids, and alphanumeric grids. Other geographic tools mentioned include GPS, GIS, aerial photos, remote sensing, and graphs. The goal is to introduce students to fundamental concepts for reading, analyzing, and creating different types of maps.

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Jacob Rosay
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84 views43 pages

6 Skills Maps

This document provides an overview of basic geographic tools and skills needed to study geography. It discusses different types of maps, including general purpose, thematic, topographic, and digital maps. It explains important map features like projections, scales, grids, titles, legends, and borders. Common grid systems for locating places on maps are described, such as latitude and longitude, military grids, and alphanumeric grids. Other geographic tools mentioned include GPS, GIS, aerial photos, remote sensing, and graphs. The goal is to introduce students to fundamental concepts for reading, analyzing, and creating different types of maps.

Uploaded by

Jacob Rosay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Methods of Geographic

Inquiry

Skills you need to study


Geography!
Geography’s Basic Tools
Let us begin with:

• What is a map?
• What are the essential features of a
map?
• How do we read maps?
What is a Map?
Definition: When the features of a globe
are transferred onto a flat surface.

• The globe is in 3D and a flat surface is in


2D.
• All maps are created by projecting the 3D
globe onto a 2D surface.
• Therefore all 2D maps have some
“distortion”.
Map Projections
There are many types of map projections that
try to deal with distortion. A 2D map can never
eliminate ALL of the distortion. A
cartographer selects a map projection
depending on which properties of the earth
are to be kept in the flat map:

1. DIRECTION
2. AREA
3. SHAPE
4. DISTANCE
Gives true direction
Used for navigation charts
Tries to preserve area
Used to map small regions
Tries to preserve shape
Distorts water to make the shape of the land
Pacific-centred World Map
Sinusoidal Equal Area Projection
Tries to preserve distance
Serious distortion of shape
Good for Africa and South America
Goode’s Projection
Distortion of each land area is minimized
Used to show world patterns
Only map that shows the true area of each continent
Distort distances east to west
Map Types
We need different types of maps to
portray different information.

The four most common types are:


1. General Purpose Maps
2. Thematic Maps
3. Topographic Maps
4. Digital Maps
General Purpose
Maps

Alphanumeric Map:
uses letters and
numbers to locate
places
Thematic
Maps
World Map by Population
Topographic Maps – Contour Lines
Digital Maps – from Google

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=Z9LH3
How do we read maps?
We can use grid systems to locate
places on a map.

The 3 grid systems used today are:

1. Latitude and Longitude


2. Military Grid
3. Alpha-numeric Grid
1. Latitude and Longitude
• Grid work of lines extending north-south
and east-west.
• Measured as angles
• Latitude is measured north and south of
the equator
• Longitude is measured east and west
from the prime meridian.
Latitude and Longitude
Latitude and Longitude

Picture latitude and


longitude as an angle
measured from the
centre of the earth.
2. Military Grid
• A grid of blue lines on a map (eastings
and northings) is used to identify
squares in a grid pattern.

• This grid system is used mainly on


topographic maps.
Why was the military grid
system introduced?

• It was easier to place a grid system


on a map then to use degrees, minutes
and seconds from a globe.

• With the increasing range in artillery


in WWI, latitude and longitude was
too cumbersome.
Reading a Military Grid

Easting: vertical line running from top


to bottom on a topographic map
Northing: horizontal line running
across the topographic map.

By combining the digits from the


easting and from the northing, we are
able to identify a point on the map.
Example: 567893
567 – Find the vertical 56 line and
then go to the right 7/10 of the space.
893 – Find the horizontal 89 line and
then go up 3/10 of the space.

90

89
567893
88

87

56 57 58 59 60
3. Alphanumeric Grid
• This system uses LETTERS and
NUMBERS to identify squares in a
grid pattern.

• This grid system is used mainly on


Road Maps.
Reading an
Alphanumeric Grid
The LETTERS represent the
horizontal lines.
The NUMBERS represent the lines
running from the top to the bottom
of the map.

The Alphanumeric Grid system is not


as accurate as the Military grid
system or Latitude and Longitude.
A B C D E F GH
1
2
3
4
5
Scale
Three ways to show scale:
1. Linear Scale
2. Ratio or Representative Fraction
1:10 000 000

3. Statement
One cm on the map is equal to 100 Km in real life.

Note : You need to learn how to convert back and forth between the
different scales.
A map with a scale of 1:17 500 000 shows
the entire earth as if you are high up in
space. Since things appear small on this
map, this type of scale is called a ‘small-
scale’.
As you approach the earth and get closer,
you can see more things in detail (things
get larger). This type of scale is called a
‘large scale’. An example would be 1:500.

Remember 1:1 is real life size!


Large
Scale
Small
Scale
Essential Features
of a Map
• Title
• Legend
• Scale
• Direction: compass or lat./long.
• Date of publication
• Border
Essential Features of a Map

• Title – must make sense and stand out


• Legend – if required, describes units
• Scale – usually Linear
•Direction – North Arrow
•Date
•Border – Map and/or Frame border
•Balance!! Very little white space
Other Geographic Tools:
• G.P.S. – Chapter 3
• G.I.S. – Chapter 5
• Aerial Photos – Chapter 6
• Remote Sensing – Satellite Imagery –
Chapter 7
• Graphs – Circle (Pie), Bar, Line –
Chapter 8
G.P.S.
G.I.S.
Remote Sensing

Perth, Australia
Graphs

Bar
Graph

Line
Pie Graph
Graph
Aerial Photos
Google Streetscape
• http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
The End!

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