1. Map Elements
TALL DOGS

2. Old Maps Look Odd to Us

3. The Best Information the New Colonists Had Came From Maps

4. Louisiana Purchase Title
The title tells you what a map is of and what it shows
Some maps may show the same physical area, but different details
Louisiana Purchase

5. Same Region, Different Purposes

6. Meriwether Lewis Author The person who made the map
Who made the map often gives clues to the map’s purpose
Meriwether Lewis

7. Legend
Also known as the key, it tells you what the symbols on the map stand for.

8. Landmarks Something that helps a map reader make sense of the map.
Compare the map to the land the reader sees.
Rivers, mountains, major buildings

9. Date 1806 Tells you when the map was made
Also provides clues about geographical knowledge and technology of the time
1806

10. Orientation Also known as the compass rose
Shows the cardinal directions: North, East, South, and West. (Never Eat Soggy Waffles)

11. Early Chinese maps were oriented with south at the top of the page

12. Grid or Scale
The grid gives you the ability to locate something quickly on the map
It can be alpha/numeric as highway maps or city maps often are
latitude and longitude lines on a globe or large map

13. Scale
Tells you what distance on the Earth is represented by a measurement on the map
This allows you to use one map for a general view, and another for details