"Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U. S "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?" “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future. For our children.”

Map Skills Vocabulary

Any visual image in our brain to help us get around in our environment Mental Map Any visual image in our brain to help us get around in our environment

A map that shows natural features like land and water forms Physical Map A map that shows natural features like land and water forms

Relief Map A map that shows the elevation of the land through the use of color, symbols, or lines

A map that shows human made boundaries and features Political Map A map that shows human made boundaries and features

It shows one particular subject or topic on a map Special Purpose Map It shows one particular subject or topic on a map Examples: road map and weather map

Scale A feature comparing what distances on the map are equal to in reality on Earth

Part of a map that explains its symbols Key or Legend Part of a map that explains its symbols

Pattern of crisscrossing lines to help us locate places on a map Grid Pattern of crisscrossing lines to help us locate places on a map

Map Index Part of a map that tells where places are on the map using grid coordinates

Map feature that shows the directions on a map Compass (Rose) Map feature that shows the directions on a map

Atlas A book of maps

Point towards which something faces or a line along which it moves Direction Point towards which something faces or a line along which it moves

Someone who makes maps for a living Cartographer Someone who makes maps for a living

An attempt to show the earth on a flat piece of paper Projection An attempt to show the earth on a flat piece of paper

Height of something above sea level Elevation Height of something above sea level 3165 ft

Lines that connect points on a map of equal elevation Contour lines Lines that connect points on a map of equal elevation

The science of representing surface features of a region on maps Topography The science of representing surface features of a region on maps

Global Positioning Systems: GPS Global Positioning Systems: A system of satellites, computers, and receivers that is able to determine a receivers latitude and longitude