What’s in a name? Would a rose, by any other name smell as sweet? What’s in a map? What’s in a name? Would a rose, by any other name smell as sweet?

What is a map? Are they maps? Yes or no? Examine some of the images on the following slides. Are they maps? Yes or no?

So, Have you decided yet? According to your textbook: “A map serves two purposes: a tool for storing reference material and a tool for communicating geographic information.” Do these maps tell us geographic information, or where to find something? Do they tell us something about the area that is being mapped?

YES All of the images, though from vastly different sources, with vastly different uses are maps. First, we will look at each image and see WHY it is a map. Then, we will look at some maps made in the past few thousand years (don’t worry- I didn’t say we’d look at a few thousand maps)

Emmett’s map of Disney World (okay- it still needs labels to be a TRUE map, but he can’t write!) This image, drawn by a 4 year old stores both reference material and geographic information. If he could spell, and there were labels, it would be more convincing! Black = scary ride (Pirates, Peter Pan) Green= good ride (Tree House, Buzz Lightyear is the largest one, his favorite!) Trust me, when he drew the rides they were in the right order!

Ga-Sur 2500 B.C. This is the oldest known map, drawn on a clay tablet in Ancient Babylon. The line drawing is a clearer image of the map, which explains the position of the town on a river, in a valley.

What makes this a map? You are likely most familiar with this sort of image, from Mapquest. Why is it a map? Reference Material? Geographic information? Both?

The London Underground The “Tube” map from London is one of the most famous maps from the 20th century. The color coding and geometric lines make reading the map and riding the tube very simple. However, it is a TERRIBLE indicator of where things are on ground level!

Catal Hyuk 6200BC

Posidonius 130-150BC

Mosaic of Palestine 565AD

10th century Bede

1109 Beatus

Catalan 1375 (Europe)

Catalan 1375 (Asia)

Ch’onhado 18th century China

Ptolemy 1482

Roselli 1508

Mercator 1569

Mercator (North America)

MENTAL MAPS Learning the world around us starts when we are very young and continues throughout our lives.

Cognitive Mapping: gathering of environmental knowledge via our senses and direct experience of the environment Initially things are understood from an egocentric perspective

Egocentric: self-centered; things in relation to us (we are the center)

You are NOT, a Beautiful and Unique Snowflake

As our experience of the environment grows we develop a set of locations in relation to our home and paths between those locations. What is important is that: There is some kind of map in our heads And it is based on direct experience, egocentrism, and locations and paths

We still use this basic process of mental mapping when in unfamiliar places

Our mental maps seldom stay simple Larger areas are incorporated as we travel (more direct experience) We begin to annotate our direct experience with indirect experience

Change from an egocentric to a geocentric understanding of environment Geocentric: orienting ourselves to the external environment

Our mental maps – whether inborn or culturally determined – is enhanced by the use of an established spatial frame of reference, which we learn from and can use with other people.

Geographical biases: what you know depends on where you live! Mental Maps are not like printed paper maps with accurate directions and distances. BUT…despite this mental maps often work just fine, no matter how warped they are. Geographical biases: what you know depends on where you live!