National Geographic Map Maker Interactive

Map Maker Interactive by National Geographic is an on-line interactive student atlas.  Students can have a hands-on interactive mapping experience to gain information on the geography of earth.  Student can explore topics like physical earth, oceans, and culture.  The interactive maps provide thematic data layers.  The maps show a theme of a specific geographic area providing information of the physical, human, and environmental systems of the world.

 

Regions and Map Modes

The Region Function lets you view either the entire map or specific areas. Areas available are Africa; Antarctica; Asia; Australia and Oceania; Europe; North America; South America; Canada; Mexico and the United States. This function helps give a sense of where these regions are located in relation to the earth as a whole. There are different Map Modes available such as Terrain, Topographic, Satellite, Streets, National Geographic and Outline. The Terrain map shows the vertical and horizontal dimension of the land surface. The Topographic map show the actual natural features and uses contour lines to show the elevation of the land. The Satellite map is a view of the earth from space. The Street Map shows streets and freeways. The Outline map perimeter of the regions allows you to click on the individual country or state that is outlined.

 

Themes

 

Physical Systems – Water

Ocean Surface Currents: The ocean is a dynamic system that moves energy around the globe. Ocean surface currents bring warm water from the equatorial regions to polar regions and cold water from the polar regions back towards the equator. This map shows the current direction and type of current either cold or warm.

 

Ocean Chlorophyll: This map layer shows the amount of chlorophyll present near the ocean surface, as measured by satellite sensors. Chlorophyll is used by microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton during photosynthesis.

 

Sea Surface Temperature:  The temperature of water at the surface of the ocean is influenced by the warming energy of the sun, by ocean currents, and other oceanic processes. The temperature at the ocean surface also plays an important role in controlling weather events and the climate on land. This map represents ocean surface temperatures in the northern hemispheres by summer and winter months.

 

 

Physical Systems – Land

Earthquakes:  This map shows the distribution of significant earthquakes around the globe that have been recorded since 1900. The size of the symbols represents the magnitude, ranging from 5 to 9.5 in magnitude scale. The focal depth is the depth below the surface of the earthquake event. Earthquakes with a focal depth close to the surface will usually cause more damage to people and infrastructure.

 

Volcanic Eruptions:  This map shows the distribution of significant volcanic eruptions from around the globe, from 4360 BCE thru to today (2011 CE). The size of the symbols represents the amount of material emitted during an eruption event. The largest circles represent the most explosive events. For volcanoes that have experienced more than one significant eruption, data from the deadliest and the most explosive event has been included.

 

Plate Tectonics:  The Earth's crust is constantly in motion at a pace too slow for the human eye to observe. The outermost part of the Earth, the lithosphere, is broken into plates that bump, rub, and ride on top of one another. These tectonic disturbances can result in earthquakes or volcanic activity.

 

Surface Elevation:  The Earth's surface ranges from the deepest trench in the Pacific Ocean to the highest peak in the Himalayas, with over 12 miles (20 kilometers) in between.

 

 

Physical Systems – Climate

Climate Zones:  Climate zones are based on natural vegetation groupings, precipitation patterns, and temperature distribution. This map is adapted from the Köppen climate classification.

 

Precipitation/Rainfall:  This map shows precipitation in millimeter per year.

 

Surface Air Temperature: This map shows the average temperature at the surface of the Earth over the northern hemisphere summer and winter months.

 

 

Human Systems Populations & Culture

Population Density: The map demonstrates the amount of humans per square mile in any place of the world.  The darker the color the more people present.

 

Major Religions: The map color coats the different religions.  The colors outline and show the boundaries of where a religion starts and ends.  The religions included are Indigenous, Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist and Shintoist, Lamaistic Buddhist, Mahayana Buddhist, Confucianist, Taoist, Theravada Buddhist, Shia Muslim, Sunni Muslim, and there are some places where data is unavailable.

 

Language Diversity: The map color coats the different languages located around the world. The darker the color the more languages spoke in a specific area.  The grey areas are areas in which no information has been found.

 

 

Human Systems Political & Economic

Global Time Zones: Each country has different shades of a grayish purple color representing the different time zone.  A time zone is a region that has the same standard time.  There are 24 time zones on Earth.  Each time zone is 15 degrees longitude apart.  Shapes of the different zones may be irregular shaped due to the political and geographical boundaries and also because of inhabitants. 

 

 

Environment and Society

Lights at Night: Lights are shown brighter in some areas than others.  It depends on how urbanized that location is.

 

Human Footprint: Human activity is present in much of the globe but few areas still remain without the effect of human activity.  The green is the less impacted and purple is the highest; however no purple is present.  Yellow is the second lowest impacted.

 

Land Cover: This allows you to see all types of land: water (dark blue), forest (green shades), woods (yellowish greens), grasslands (brown), shrubland (orange and pale yellow), croplands(purple), bare ground(nude), and urban built-up(bright blue).  It shows and everyone knows that water takes up more than anything.

 

 

Other Features:

 

1-Page Printable Maps

• ·      Customize your own one-page map of continents, countries and states
• ·      Download, email, print, or share

 

 

MapMaker Kits

• ·     
• ·      Download, print, and assemble maps for your classroom

 

Sources

 

National Geographic for Education:

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map/ 

Lesson Plan:

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/introduction-latitude-longitude/?ar_a=5

 

 

 

 

Lesson Plan/Activity:

Introduction to Latitude and Longitude by National Geographic Education

 

What do you already know about maps?

 

Find lines of latitude and longitude.

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Figure out your latitude and longitude.

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• ·      What city is at approximately 30°N, 90°W? (Answer: New Orleans, Louisiana)
• ·      What city is at approximately 40°N, 105°W? (Answer: Denver, Colorado)

 

Find landmarks with the same latitude.

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Reflect on what you know.

• ·      Why are latitude and longitude helpful map tools?
• ·      How do latitude and longitude help you to identify specific locations?
• ·      How easy or difficult would it be to pinpoint a location on a globe without using a coordinate system?

 

Why are latitude and longitude helpful map tools?

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Skills Summary

This activity targets the following skills:

Critical Thinking Skills

• ·   Applying
• ·   Remembering
• ·   Understanding

Geographic Skills

• ·   Acquiring Geographic Information
• ·   Analyzing Geographic Information

 

Subjects & Disciplines

• ·   Geography: Physical Geography

 

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

• ·   explain why lines of latitude and longitude might be helpful
• ·   determine the latitude and longitude of their town and other places in the country
• ·   find cities with the same latitude and describe their locations
• ·   find landmarks with the same longitude and describe their locations

 

Teaching Approach

• ·   Learning-for-use

 

Teaching Methods

• ·   Discussions
• ·   Hands-on learning
• ·   Modeling

 

Source:

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/introduction-latitude-longitude/?ar_a=5

 

For Additional Practice:

Latitude and Longitude Map Match Game

This game helps students practice the concepts of latitude and longitude.

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-games/latitude-longitude-map-game.php