Lesson 1: History of Cartography
Grade Level: 7-8
Subject(s): Social Studies, Language Arts
Learner Outcomes:
Materials: Rolls of white mural paper, markers, colored pencils, metric sticks, clay, resource books, sticks collected from outside, clay
Technology Tools/Course:
Computers, Internet Sites ( History
of Mapmaking,
History
of Cartography, Antique
Maps and Prints-How They Were Printed )
Teacher Notes:
The oldest existing map appeared on a clay tablet made in Babylonia around 2500 B.C., and it seemed to show a settlement in a mountain lined river valley. The Babylonians had a lasting influence on mapmaking, as they developed the system of dividing a circle into 360 equal parts called degrees. This system later came to be used to measure latitude and longitude.
The Egyptians made maps as early as 1300 B.C. Their contribution was to develop techniques of surveying, as they remapped property boundaries each year after the Nile River flooded its banks.
The Greeks developed systems of map projections and also speculated about the size and shape of the earth.
Around 150 A.D., a Greek astronomer and geographer named Ptolemy brought together volumes of maps and information of latitude and longitude to produce a map of the world, using various systems of map projection.
During the Middle Ages, most mapmaking progress occurred mainly in the Arab world and China where the earliest known printed map appeared in a Chinese encyclopedia around 1155.
During the 1400's, Ptolemy's works were translated which led to the rediscovery of his methods of map projection and of locating places systematically. Also, with the invention of the printing press, more maps were made available about this time. (Until this time, maps were copied by hand.) Thus, this opened an age of exploration in the late 1400's, which increased the knowledge and curiosity in the world, and interest in mapmaking.
By 1492, the year that Columbus discovered the New World, most educated Europeans had accepted the idea that the world was round. A German merchant and navigator named Martin Behaim produced the first globe, but it lacked the Americas.
In 1569, Flemish geographer Grardus Mercator published the first map based on his Mercator projection, which was used by sailors.
During the 1500's through the 1700's, new instruments and techniques were produced making measurements of location and elevation more accurate. The first topographical (surface features) map was produced in France in the late 1600's by Cassini, an astronomer.
During this same time, colonization of the New World created a need for many new maps. The Spanish began surveying and mapping land that they controlled. Captain John Smith published a map of Virginia's coastline, and also a map of New England. And, thus, surveying became popular in the American Colonies as more settlements began to arise.
Then the pioneers began to move westward during the 1800's. Explorers mapped trails and army engineers surveyed government lands. Two agencies were established to provide detailed, large-scale mapping. They are now known as the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Ocean Survey.
During the 1900's, maps became more abundant due to improvements
in printing and photography that made production cheaper and easier.
Airplanes made it possible to photograph large areas at a time. Also,
since the mid-1900's, the use of computers in map-making has helped to
store, sort, and arrange data for mapping in order to create map projections.
Procedures:
1. Ask students how they show someone how to get
to a place a place that they've never been before. Discussion should
follow on the importance of being able to rely upon drawing simple maps.
2. Maps have long been made by pre-literate societies,
past and present. Have students imagine how ancient societies designed
maps 3000 years ago when man relied upon measuring distances with
a stick that he found on the ground.
3. Students will view samples of early maps, utilizing
internet, library books, or encyclopedias.
4. Using the internet and any other available resources,
students will work in groups to research and create a timeline of events
that they deem to be important in the history of cartography.
5. Following their research students will
choose a prominent geographic area to create ancient Babylonian clay tablets,
etching their maps with sticks. Tell the class to keep the maps simple
since detailed drawings will be difficult to make on the clay surface.
6. Students will present their timelines to the
class, describing the significance of each event chosen. Students
will also present their clay maps and the class will try to distinguish
the area depicted, by analyzing the etched details.
Modifications: Individual students should be met at their academic and physical levels, and adjustments should be made as necessary.
Enrichment Activities:
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West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives:
Social Studies: 7.23, 7.24, 7.25,
7.26, 7.27
Language Arts: 7.137, 7.149, 7.150,
7.155, 7.157, 7.158
Computer Technology: 7.169, 7.57
Science: 7.8, 7.27, 7.25, 7.26
References:
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