Map Planning

One thing we really enjoyed learning last year was how to draw our own maps of an area we are learning about.  This has been an exercise that Delta and Echo really enjoyed - and so we plan to do maps along with our Ambleside Online studies.

I'm including a general plan of maps that might go well with each year.  Of course, someone new to doing maps should start with some basic instruction first, and the continents first.

Here are a couple more maps that have been completed!

Delta's Drawing of the travels of the Norse (Vikings)

Echo's Map of the Great Lakes, to go with Paddle to the Sea

Plan:


Year 0.5 - Instruction in drawing maps - Basic Continent Position (mostly ovals instead of actual shapes)

1 map per term in years 1-3.  A student that really enjoys map making might make more...

Year 1 - 

1. Great Lakes Region (Paddle to the Sea)
2. Roman Empire (Our Island Story) [probably do an ancient one...]
3. Scandinavian Countries [maybe including Iceland]   (Viking Tales / Our Little Viking Cousin)

Year 2 -   

1. Southwest U.S.  (Tree in the Trail) or Travels of the Vikings
2. England (Our Island Story)
3. Western Europe [Germany, France, Spain area]  (Our Island Story)  [ancient or modern?]

[someone new to doing maps in Year 2 could do a Basic Continent map, adding in locations for "Seabird"]

Year 3 -  

• Middle East / China [find a map of the route of marco polo - pref. one that matches what book we read...] 
• Latin America (Conquistadors)
• Northern Canada / Eastern Canada (Cabot. Cartier, Frobisher, Davis - their journeys, etc)

2 or more maps per term in years 4-6 - following are suggestions, but by no means exhaustive.  Maps can really bring history to life, so a student that likes to make them might make many.  A student that does not, might make only a couple a term.

Year 4 - 

• Mississippi River Area (Minn of the Mississippi)
• early US (Louisiana Purchase?)  / Pre-Confederation Canada? [for us Canadians]
• West African Coast/Brazil/Caribbean (Robinson Crusoe)
• Scotland (Kidnapped, OIS)
• ?? mountains ?? (Incredible Journey)?
• Map of US (showing Native Tribe Areas) / Map of Canada (showing Native Tribe Areas)
• Map of Battle of the Plains of Abraham / New France
• 13 US Colonies
• Upper Canada, Lower Canada
• Australia [James Cook] / New Zealand

Year 5 - 

• India (Kim); 
• U.S. (TCOO or other US History book); 
• Australia 
• War of 1812 maps
• The Holy Land
• Western US (travels of Lewis & Clark)  / Western Canada (travels of Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, David Thompson)
• Canada East, Canada West, other pre-Canada Colonies
• Northern Canada (Franklin) 
• Canada on July 1, 1967
• Northern Canada - Klondike Gold Rush
• South Africa (Boer War)
• WW1 Europe
• PEI (Anne of Green Gables)
• Halifax [area affected by Halifax Explosion]
• Antarctica [South Pole reached]

Year 6 - 

• Europe [WW2]
• Pacific [WW2]
• USSR [Cold War]
• Africa (David Livingston) [map of his travels?]
• Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome
• Modern US / Modern Canada / Modern anywhere... 
• Local Province / State
• Korea/Vietnam/surrounding areas
• Persian Gulf Area
• ???

http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/Integration-Guides.html