Maps are a very important tool that many of us use everyday to help
find out where we are and where we are going. I bet that you already
knew that maps can be used to help us drive from one place to another
and that they can help us find our way around somewhere we have never
been before, like Disney World or a very large park . Did you know that
maps can also help you to learn a lot about the weather, people, or
geography of a certain place too? There are many kinds of maps and they
all give different types of information about a certain place you want
to study.
But what will we be doing?
Today your
challenge is to become a detective. By examining two maps of our
country , you will use the information you find to create a map of your
own.
Tip: While looking at the
maps, think about exactly what each map is
showing you.
1. Find the following cities on
the interactive maps, once you find them, record them on the map in
front of you:
New York City
Boston Washington D.C.
New Orleans Miami
Philadelphia
San Fransisco Chicago
Seattle
St. Louis
Don't forget to put Burlington on your map.
2. Next use the maps to label rivers, oceans, and mountain ranges in
our country.
3. Now you can color your map. The water should be blue and mountains
brown.
Notice Anything?
4. Answer the following questions
on your worksheet:
a. What color is near many of the cities?
b. What does this color represent?
c. Do you have a guess about why the cities are near
this color?
Let's see
if you were right......
The next step in your investigation is to research the connection
between landscapes and where we choose to build our cities.
Click on the link below to learn a little bit about water and landforms
to see what makes a city successful.
d. What are three benefits of building a city very close
to the water?
e. Did you find a problem a city may face if it is built
by the water?
f. What could be one advantage to building a city inland,
towards the mountains?
g. What is a disadvantage of building a city near the
mountains?
h. Has your answer changed to question (c) that you
answered before?
i. Write down examples of two other towns on the map or
another place in the country that are close to the water.
Your Challenge
Now that you are
an expert city planner you need to help the new city of Megalopolis.
Megalopolis is a new city that is going to be built somewhere in the
United States. The people who designed the city have no idea where it
should go! Keep in mind that the city needs to be easily accessable by
people from other parts of the country, create power for companies,
offer food and water for its people.
Please Help Us! Can you help find a home for the city
of Megalopolis?
6. On your map draw
and lable the location for your new city.
7. Now explain what you were thinking about when you chose
this location.