Today our goals in class were to learn about how Geographers Describe Where Things Are Located?

We defined Cartography, maps, absolute location, relative location

We describe the two ways that geographers use maps.

and we also Identified the progression of early map making

During class we learned that: Geography is the study of where things are found on Earth’s surface and the reasons for the locations.

We also learned that human geographers employ the use of maps to identify the locations, people, activities, and other related phenomena on the Earth's surface.

Another topic we learned about is that a Geographers most important tool for thinking spatially and the distribution of the features across the Earth is a map. A map is a two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth’s surface, or a portion of it.

Cartography is the science of mapmaking.

Maps serve two purposes…

1.As a reference tool to identify an object’s absolute and relative location. We consult maps to generally learn where something is located (i.e. In which countries does the Himalayan Mountain Range run through?).

2.As a communications tool to convey the distribution of human activities or physical features. (i.e. The Thematic Maps)

Earliest maps were reference tools—simple navigation devices to show a traveler how to get from Point A to Point B. The first world map prepared by Eratosthenes(276–194 B.C.) Improvements to world map later made by Ptolemy. After Ptolemy, advancements in cartography primarily made outside of Europe by Chinese and Islamic world. Mapmaking revived during the Age of Exploration and Discovery.

Towards the end of class the teacher explained to us that Every person has their own unique understanding of locations. In this activity, students will be creating their own unique maps of the world and their daily activity spaces. For the map of the world, you will try to accurately depict where things are located on the world map(sizes, shapes, names of continents, seas, oceans, etc). Your activity space identifies the area that your travel across through your daily activities (i.e. your routine area of travel. Home to school. School to practice, etc.) You will want to identify all of the places that you see and know as familiar as you progress through your daily routine. You will first create your map of the world with your table group. Then, you will create a map to show your daily activity space individually. . Once you are finished your maps, you will share what you created with your table group and other table groups. Could someone use your map for accurate directions!?.