Teaching with and through Maps

Why Teach with Maps?

Maps help us plan journeys, communicate data, tell stories, and express ideas.  They can be visual representations of complex geographies, boundaries, power centers or more personal guides to emotions, ideas or plans.  We map relationships, such as through family trees, and we diagram projects.  As a tool for teaching and learning maps offer a rich resource to explore, chart new paths, and share stories on a range of topics.  A pamphlet from the Federal Security Agency Department of Education, titled “Vitalizing the Teaching of Maps and Globes” in 1951 made the claim that “our nation needs an informed citizenry trained for intelligent participation in global affairs….[because] untruths depicted graphically take on an appearance of authenticity and people unable to make intelligent use of graphic aids can easily become victims of misrepresentation.”¹ This remains true now as so many people around the world, and here in America particularly, struggle to discern truth from lies. Sadly, researchers concerned with geographic illiteracy note, “A disturbing level of geographic ignorance in both children and adults has been well documented in recent years.”²  Learning and teaching with maps could be seen as not just a pedagogical concern, but also as civic imperative in this age of misinformation and fake news.

Despite their recognized importance, explicit definitions of map reading and structured teaching strategies are scarce in existing research and curricula, creating significant educational gaps. Intentional and scaffolded teaching of map skills is critical not only because of their wide professional and practical relevance but also due to the demonstrably low map literacy among many populations.³

In an article titled, “Maps and geographical education to encourage the joy of learning for all,” the authors describe how numerous educators who have no explicit requirement to teach with or about maps do use maps in their classrooms to exchange or share information.  Teachers self-reported making treasure maps to increase engagement in math; using topographic maps with visually impaired young people, exciting interest in history with a collection of maps from the past, and spinning the globe to discover random places far away. The focus of this article was inclusivity in a classroom, but the thesis that encouraging joy is an essential aspect of the work of educators resonated with me. The authors make a claim that

“If education’s purpose includes preparing children for the unknown future, then children must want to learn—we argue that they must find joy in learning. We need students to feel motivated to want to learn so that they can solve problems created by others. Our children, who are the future custodians of our planet, must love the Earth they live on. They should find joy and astonishment in discovering the wonders that the environment and our interaction with it brings. Joy could come from curiosity about the world we live in. We argue this can help children develop a sense of wonderment and joy through mapping.”⁴

In my classroom I have witnessed the passion students find when invited to dig deeply into their own placed based stories, which I discuss in detail below.  As was stated in a comprehensive analysis of map literacy “It is important to nurture opportunities for students to find the well-being and happiness which is offered through the study of geography, which helps us to understand and learn about the world and our environment.”⁵