EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING GROUP 7

‘Representation’ and maps and how they relate to each other

Comments on map Above is a topographic map of Ghana showing a school, park and a botanical garden Map does not give detailed information on the features for example history, type of park, type of animal and tree species Does not show the importance of the features to the communities Map lacks information about the culture and traditions of the place

How knowledge about spatial information can be communicated Historical descriptions from history books Traditional dances, poems, songs, Travelogues Inscriptions and paintings on rocks and caves Sculptures Photographs, videos

Direction Finding In India by the sun, pole stars and by natural land marks In Zimbabwe and Zambia they use physical features like rivers, trees, hills, houses etc

Cultural meaning of a place In India they attach different meanings to different locations like stones, rocks, trees, rivers, celestial bodies, mosque, temples churches carry a special cultural meaning In Africa generally the meanings are attached to historical sites, ancestral monuments, sanctuaries and burial sites

Why indigenous knowledge is important It has local scientific, knowledge Experiences are proven and tested They have physical evidence

Understanding each other’s concepts of space This can be through exchange of photographs Through talking to other people and sharing views Through drawings, paintings, dances, and poems Reading their cultural, religious and history books