1. Chapter 1 Map Basics
How to read a map:
T.O.P.I.C.

2. TOPIC
TOPIC will help you remember five steps for constructing meaning from visual or graphic text.

3. TOPIC
T- Title
Read the title of the visual so that you are clear on the subject it is covering.

4. TOPIC
O- Overview Conduct a brief overview of the visual or graphic. (What do you see?)

5. TOPIC
P- Parts
Key in on the parts of the visual by reading all levels and noting any elements or details that seem important.

6. TOPIC I- Interrelationships
Use the title as your theory and the parts of the visual as your clues to detect and specify the interrelationships in the graphics.

7. TOPIC
C- Conclusion
Draw a conclusion about the visual as a whole. (A brief sentence containing T.O.P.I.)