Guide Entry to 25.04.09
“The map is an instrument of communication; this seems to be one of its essential features.”
-Christan Jacob
What exactly is a map trying to communicate? Directions? Climate? Boundaries? Absolutely. But if we look a little closer, what else is a map trying to say? Unfairness? Power? What story does it have to tell? Through this project, Pittsburgh 412 and Beyond: The Map Files, students and teachers will learn together through higher-order questioning and discussions centering around various types of maps. Students will discuss maps hundreds of years old all the way through the present-day computer and satellite maps. Students will then embark on a journey of their own trying to solve a CSI kidnapping crime using the map skills they learned. Lastly, students will use the evidence gathered from the crime to identify a suspect and write a text-dependent analysis explaining their reasoning and evidence used. This project not only helps students with spatial reasoning skills but provides a fun and engaging activity that is low on stress and high on excitement.
1Jacob, Christian, and Edward H Dahl. 2006. The Sovereign Map : Theoretical Approaches in Cartography throughout History. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.
(Developed for ELA, grades 7-8; recommended for ELA, grades 3-8; Social Studies, grade 3-5; and History, grades 6-8)
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