Comparing Maps
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 8 COMPARING MAPS 1IntroductionCartography is the science of mapmaking. Maps come in all types and can represent any scale. Think about mapping your house or even your room and then imagine mapping your neighbor-hood, your city or town, or even your entire state or region. When people started to learn about foreign lands and the geography of Earth, cartographers started to map the whole world.In the early days of cartography, maps often depicted unknown regions with fanciful images and some maps guessed at the shape of lands beyond what was known. As people began to learn more about the world, the details in maps became more precise.Your goal in this activity is to compare a selection of maps from different times and places. Afterwards, you’ll make your own map! Pick a place you are familiar with, such as your school or your neighborhood. Think about the level of detail you should include in your map and think about the different ways that your map will portray the things you know about the places shown. DirectionsDo some preliminary research on cartography and the history of mapmakingFamiliarize yourself with some of the rough dates when people in Afro-Eurasia learned about other regions in the world (e.g., when did the first Europeans land in the Americas?)Look closely at the maps and use the table provided to compare themDiscuss your findings with your group or your classUse a blank sheet of paper to draw and label your own mapCompare your map with those of your classmates and explain some of the choices youhad to make while drawing your map8COMPARING MAPS
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 8 COMPARING MAPS 2Ptolemy’s World MapAl-Idrisi’s World Map
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 8 COMPARING MAPS 31546 World Map1562 World Map
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 8 COMPARING MAPS 4Modern World Map
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 8 COMPARING MAPS 5Ptolemy’s world mapAl-Idrisi’s world map1546 world map1562 world mapModern world mapHow are these maps similar?How are these maps different?What is the historical context of these maps?What do you think the cartographer was trying to accomplish? What clues on the map suggest this?Comparing Maps