Maps

Points out the various kinds of information which different maps offer and suggests activities for further study

Gr 2-4--Two books that give basic facts about maps and provide exercises in reading them. Cities offers practice in using simple street maps, a zoo map, shopping-center diagrams, and bus routes. Students are unlikely to gravitate to the activities on their own, and the book's small size and the nature of the exercises would make it difficult for a teacher to use with an entire class. Maps gives brief introductory information about the problems in making a flat map from a round Earth; identifies continents, hemispheres, latitude, and longitude; and shows maps of the ocean, moon, and photographs of the U.S.A. from space. Practice activities are primarily locating various places and planning routes. Directions are given for making a globe from a balloon and papier-mache. The maps are clear and most directions are self-explanatory, but some adult instruction and clarification are necessary. One direction is to go south and turn left but no information about orienting the map is given. The activities are fairly typical map-reading exercises. Both books have cartoon figures giving additional facts in dialogue balloons. Of curriculum use only, and limited at that.

Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN

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