Mapping the Americas

Toolkit
Fun Activities and Plans
for Celebrating Geography
in Schools Inside!
2 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit
August 2008

Dear Educator:

Na tion al Ge ograph ic Soc iety is exc ited to present the Geography Action!
The
will enable you to join thousands of
Mapping the Americas Toolkit. This kit
, Canada, and Puerto Rico in plan-
other educators from the United States
ography Awareness Week, November
ning geography celebrations during Ge
16-22, and throughout the school year.
highly interactive and festive event
The toolkit includes tips for planning a
to enjoy. The activities and games
for students, families, and communities
ional. Students and families who
in the toolkit are easy, fun, and educat
tici pat e in a Geo gra phy Act ion ! Ma ppi ng the Americas event will come
par
a new und ers tan din g of how fun ma ps can be and the diversity of
away wit h
ericas.
the peoples and landscapes in the Am

Happy exploring!

Sincerely,

Daniel Edelson
Vice President, Education
National Geographic Society

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 1

 About the Toolkit
What’s it for?
To help you celebrate geography
in your school during Geography
Awareness Week, annually the third
week of November, and throughout
the school year.
What’s it about?
Mapping and exploring the Americas.
Discover ways to have fun with maps
and to create an environment where
parents and kids alike race each other
to try out their mapping skills and
learn more about the Americas.
What’s in the toolkit?
> Educator Handbook: Select from
dozens of hands-on activities,
including the Geography Action!
Americas Map that students and
their families can create together
on a classroom or even on a
building wall!
> Poster: Use the poster in this Who can use the toolkit?
handbook to promote Geography
Teachers of any subject, as well as
Awareness Week—in your classroom,
other school staff; it’s not just for
down the hall, or at the supermarket.
geography class!
> CD: A wide variety of digital
resources—including downloadable What grades is it for?
activity sheets and maps—will help Activities have been designed for
you celebrate Geography Awareness all grades, K-12. Use the following
Week in your school. symbols as a guide, but remember to
stay flexible. You may find activities
What’s on the CD? listed under other grade levels that
you can adapt for your students.
There are a ton of useful tools on the
Toolkit CD. Look for bolded, dark blue
text in this book. These are the items K-2
that you will find on the CD. They
include: 3-5
> Geography Action! Projector Map
template 6-8
> Geography Action! Tile Map pieces
> Sample Geography Action! event
materials like a press release, 9-12
invitation, proclamation, and
evaluation
> Handout blank Americas map
> Activity handouts

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 Contents

Hottest Place
Death Valley, CA

Geography Action! Americas Map and Activities 4

Activities for the Geography Action! Americas Map 7

Geography Action! Event Activities 15

Geography Awareness Week Planning and Execution How-tos 21

Media Outreach and How-tos 24

Mapping Foundations 26

Resources 29
A. Booklist
B. Websites
C. Glossary
D. Appendix

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 3

 Geography Action!
Americas Map and Activities
Remember…
No matter which format you
use, don’t fill the map with too
many features. Leave room
so that students can tape on
new features; take them down
as you explore the map in
different ways over the course
of Geography Awareness
Week. You could study a
different topic each day of
the week!
4 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit
In this core activity, a class, school, or school
community works together to create a jumbo-sized
map of the Western Hemisphere—including North
and South America, Greenland, and the West Indies.
Participants take pieces of a map and fit them together
like a puzzle.
The fun of making maps encourages children and their families to become more
familiar with the geography of the Americas and their own communities, and
motivates them to learn more. This communal map becomes the basis for a series
of follow-up and extension activities that provide exciting opportunities for group
discovery and exploration.
Let curiosity and imagination be your guides as you build and explore the Americas.
Choose a Map Format
You can build and explore your Geography Action! Americas Map using one of the
following two formats:
> Map for Projectors
> Tile Map (12’ wide x 20’ tall)
Both are available on the Geography Action! Toolkit CD (enclosed at the back of this
handbook). Each includes the outlines of the continents and major islands and country
and state borders. The Tile Map also includes names for major cities, lakes, and
rivers. Lighter lines indicate the equator, longitude, and latitude.
Which map format you choose depends on the size and nature of your group, and the
time you have available.
> Map for Projectors
Teachers or staff can choose how large they want their map to be. It can be smaller
than the Tile Map or it can be even bigger.
Tape together sheets of butcher paper, paper tablecloth, or other material to create
the size you want the finished map to be. Project the map outline onto the paper with
an LCD projector or overhead projector, and use felt tipped markers to outline the
continents, countries, states, and other physical features. Then put the map outline on
the floor or a large table for students or a community group to work with.
Assign groups to work on different areas of the map. They can consult atlases, globes,
the Internet, and other references to fill in major features—e.g., capitals and other
major cities, mountains, and names of major rivers or lakes. Give each group a map
legend and guidelines for representing and labeling these features—e.g, gold stars
for capital cities, gray triangles for mountains—so that the assembled map will be
consistent. Hand out copies of the attached worksheet so that each group will know
what information to gather. As they research the information, students can record it
on the worksheet and then return to the map to insert the information.
 Extreme Americas

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Largest city in population
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
> Mexico City, Mexico
> Tile Map (12’ wide x 20’ tall)
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 Largest Spanish-speaking population

> Mexico
55 56 57

Students or other groups assemble this map

47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
themselves. The finished product can cover the Largest exporter of bananas
wall of a classroom, cafeteria, or gymnasium—
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

91 92 93 94 95 96 97
> The Costa, Ecuador
98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106
even the side of a school building. You may want Oldest writing system
to split this map into Northern and Southern
107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114

115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122

> Olmec, Mexico
123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133
Hemispheres (each 10’ tall) for ease of display and
Hottest place
to accommodate ceiling heights in your building.
134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143

> Death Valley, United States

144 145 146 147 148 149 150

151 152 153 154 155 156 157

The map comes in approximately 170 pieces, each
158 159 160 161 162 163

the size of a standard 8½” x 11” piece of paper. The Tallest waterfall
164 165 166 167 168

169 170 171 172

printing template is located on the CD found in this > Angel Falls, Venezuela
toolkit and can be easily printed on 8½” x 11” paper. Longest river
173 174 175 176 177

180 181 182

> Amazon River, South America

Assign participants to work together in small groups. Give each group a
Highest mountain
set of contiguous rectangles to work with so that they have some sense
> Aconcagua, Argentina
of the physical and political area they are working with. They can work on
the floor or on tables. Largest coral reef
> Belize Barrier Reef, Belize
The groups consult references such as atlases, globes, and the
Longest-lived animal
Internet to fill in major features—e.g., the capital and other major cities,
> Galápagos tortoise, Galápagos Islands,
mountains, and names of major rivers or lakes. Give each group a map Ecuador
legend and guidelines for representing and labeling these features—
Largest country in population
e.g, gold stars for capital cities, gray triangles for mountains—so that
> United States
the assembled map will be consistent. Hand out copies of the Map
Research Worksheet on pg. 6 of this handbook so that each group will Largest country in size
know what information to gather. As they research the information, > Canada
students can record it on the worksheet and then return to the map Largest lake
to insert the information. > Lake Superior, Canada and the United States
Largest desert
When everyone has finished, a “map construction crew” with ladders
> Patagonia Desert, South America
and tape can assemble all the pieces of the map on the wall. As the map
grows, a group leader calls attention to what parts of the Americas are Longest canal
going up and what features can be seen. For example: > Panama Canal
Tallest building
> We’re starting out in the northwest corner of the Americas. > Sears Tower, Chicago, Illinois, United States
> What continent are we on now? Longest bridge
> What capital city do you see? > Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, United States

> What river starts in those mountains? Smallest independent country

> St. Kitts and Nevis
> What’s the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth? Largest icecap
> Greenland
To help hold interest, the leader can also call attention to the “Extreme
Americas” features as they come up. Use “Extreme Americas” Longest mountain range
> Andes, South America
symbols, which can be found on the Geography Action! Toolkit CD found
Largest rainforest
at the back of this handbook, to pin on the map. Alternatively, you can
> Amazon, South America
make a game of looking for these features after the map is complete.
Oldest European settlement
> Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Extreme Americas Symbol
*Footnote: Extremes listed are found within the Americas

When the last piece is added, everyone should feel a sense of

accomplishment and investment. You can now use the Geography Action!
Map as a focal point for your Geography Awareness Week event.

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 5

 Map Research Worksheet

Fill in the features on your Geography Action! Map using this worksheet as a guide. Use sources like atlases,
globes, and the Internet to locate physical and human features in the Americas and place their symbols on
your map. Get creative and think of your own symbols and features – locate physical and human features in the
Americas, list them on this worksheet, and place their symbols on the map – National Parks, UNESCO World
Heritage Sites, endangered animal habitats, and much more!

> Country Capital > Broad Leaf Forest >

> State Capital > Needle Leaf Forest >

> Large City (pop. 2 million or more) > Tall Grass >

> Mountain Ranges > Short Grass >

> Major Rivers > Desert >

6 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Activities for the Geography
Action! Americas Map
K-2 1. Where am I?
[Geography]
In this activity, students locate themselves on a Geography Action! Americas Map
and explore spatial relationships among geographical features that are inside one
another—e.g., countries within continents, states within countries, cities within states.
Point out the two continents, North and South America. Ask students if they know
which one they live on. How many countries are within that continent? Which country
do they live in? Largest Lake
Lake Superior,
Next, point out that there are many states and one district within the United States. Canada and
> Which one is the biggest? United States

> Which one is very small?

Help students locate their district, province, state, or territory.

Finally, tell them that their city or town is inside their district, province, state, or territory.
Do they know its name? Put a card with a picture of your school on its location.

Then reverse the process, showing how their town or city is inside a state, which is
inside the United States, which is inside North America.

2. Who else lives in the Americas?

[Reading, Geography]
This activity celebrates the rich cultural and biological diversity of the Americas.
Read a fiction or nonfiction book that takes place somewhere in the Americas and
features a child, an animal, or a habitat. When you finish, display the book or a copy of
the book cover next to the map and string a piece of yarn from the book to the country
or state where it is set.
During the weeks before Geography Awareness Week, read several books that take
place in a variety of places in the Americas and create a display with the map. You can
read a new book every day of Geography Awareness Week and beyond, showing the
diversity of cultures, habitats, and animal life within the Americas.

3-5 1. North, South, East, West

[Earth Science, Geography]
Students learn how to navigate a map grid and explore the relationship between
latitude and climate.
Point out the longitude lines (meridians) and latitude lines (parallels), and show how
they form a grid. Explain that both kinds of lines measure the angular distance from a
starting point. The longitudinal lines measure degrees east and west of the Prime (or
Zero) Meridian. The latitudinal lines measure degrees north and south of the Equator.
Have students find the latitude and longitude lines that are close to their town or city.

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 7

 30 Large Cities of the Then have students research the average annual temperatures for 30 large cities in
Americas the Americas. Have students write the city names and temperatures on small cards,
find the cities on the map, and tape the cards to the map.
> Asunción, Paraguay
> Atlanta, USA > Which are the hottest cities? Where are they located?
> Bogotá, Colombia > Which are the coldest cities? Where are they located?
> Buenos Aires, Argentina
Students can use this information to create bar and line graphs.
> Caracas, Venezuela
> Chicago, USA
Note the locations with respect to the Equator and the poles. Places near the Equator
get the most intense sunshine and are warm year-round. Toward the poles, the sun’s
> Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
rays are more spread, so climates are cooler.
> Dallas-Fort Worth, USA
> Edmonton, Canada
> Fortaleza, Brazil Our State of the Union
> Guadalajara, Mexico
> Havana, Cuba [Geography, Art] Cultural features to research:
> La Paz, Bolivia
Use a Geography Action! Map to create a > Highways
> Lima, Peru large outline map of your state or district on > Railroads
> Los Angeles, USA disposable tablecloths or butcher paper. Have > Canals
> Managua, Nicaragua students work in groups to research different
> Crops
aspects of your state or district’s history. Then
> Manaus, Brazil
put the map on the floor or a table so that
> Historical sites
> Medellín, Colombia students can work on it. Have each group add > Tourist attractions
> Mexico City, Mexico their information to the map. You might want If there’s time, have students research the
> Miami, USA to have students create several maps—one names of famous places or landmarks.

> New York, USA

a general reference map, and others on > Where did the names come from?
particular themes.
> Rio de Janeiro, Brazil > How does this reflect your state or
Possible political features to research: district’s history?
> San Francisco-Oakland, USA
> Capital city
> San Jose, Costa Rica
> Major cities Population: Going Up
> San Juan, Puerto Rico
> City or quadrant where your school
> Santiago, Chile is located Have students use the “United States Population”
handout, located on the enclosed Geography
> Santo Domingo, Santiago > County or ward in which your school Action! Toolkit CD, to compare population growth
> São Paolo, Brazil is located
in their state and others over the past 200+
> Toronto, Canada Physical features to research: years. Students can create symbols representing
> Vancouver, Canada > Rivers population and populate the “United States

*Source: www.worldatlas.com,
www.citypopulations.de, http://esa.
un.org/unup/index.asp?panel=2
*Cities listed have populations of
1 million or more
> Lakes Outline Map,” also found on the Toolkit CD, in
order to compare population distributions across
> Mountains the Americas throughout the 200+ years.
> Plains To do their own research, students may review
> Plateaus these population resources:
> Parks > Historical Census Browser: http://fisher.lib.
> Endangered species virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/
> U.S. National Archives: http://www.archives.
gov/federal-register/electoral-college/
calculator.html
> U.S. Census: www.census.gov
Create graphs showing changes in population.

8 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Major Crops of the Americas / Food and Forests

2. Where Does that Come From?

[Geography]
Have students use the “Food and Forests” map to find out where food
crops are grown.
Have students create symbols for each crop found in the “Food and
Forests” map using construction paper or drawing paper colored by
crayons or markers. Tape the symbols onto the Geography Action!
Map, showing where different crops are grown. Create a legend on the
Projected or Tile Map that explains the symbols. Leading questions for
discussion include:
> Do they see the same crop (e.g., potatoes) growing in different countries?
> Are there any similarities in land cover where the same crops are grown?
This map activity can be easily extended to illustrate energy and mineral resources
and use, import and export patterns in the Americas, and renewable versus non-
renewable resources. Discuss with your students other potential topics to cover with
this mapping activity.

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 9

 Earthquakes and Volcanoes of the Americas

Have students locate:

> California’s San Andreas Fault, where two
plates—the North American and Pacific Plates—
are sliding past each other, producing frequent
earthquakes;
> the Aleutian Islands, where one plate
is sinking beneath another, producing
a chain of volcanic islands;
> the Andes Mountains of
South America, where
similar movement of
one plate sinking below
the other causes the
uplifting creation of
tall mountains.

10 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Population Estimates for the
U.S. and Puerto Rico (2007)

State Population
Alabama 4,627,851
Alaska 683,478
6-8 1. Plates at Work Arizona 6,338,755
Arkansas 2,834,797
[Science/Geology]
California 36,553,215
Explain that all of the continents and islands students see on the Geography Action! Colorado 4,861,515
Map are riding on top of huge, rocky plates that are in constant motion. These plates Connecticut 3,502,309
collide, separate, grind past each other, and sink below one another in a process Delaware 864,764
known as plate tectonics. District of Colombia 588,292
Florida 18,251,243
Have students use yarn to outline the major tectonic plates on the Geography Action!
Georgia 9,544,750
Map of the Americas, using the map entitled “Tectonic Plates of the Americas”.
Hawai’i 1,283,388
Discuss the relationship between the plates and the continents.
Idaho 1,499,402
> What plates do North America and South America ride on? Illinois 12,852,548
Indiana 6,345,289
> What plates do they adjoin? Iowa 2,988,046
Kansas 2,775,997
Then use the map entitled “Earthquakes and Volcanoes of the Americas” to plot
Kentucky 4,241,474
the location of earthquakes and volcanoes. Use different symbols and colors for Louisiana 4,293,204
earthquakes and volcanoes. Maine 1,317,207
Maryland 5,618,344
What do students notice about the relationship between the tectonic plates,
Massachusetts 6,449,755
earthquakes, and volcanoes? When Earth’s tectonic plates collide, separate, grind Michigan 10,071,822
past each other, or sink below one another, they produce earthquakes and volcanic Minnesota 5,197,621
eruptions. That’s why most volcanoes and earthquakes are located along plate Mississippi 2,918,785
boundaries. In the Americas, most of these boundaries occur along the west coasts Missouri 5,878,415
Montana 957,861
of North and South America.
Nebraska 1,774,571
Nevada 2,565,382
2. Where are all the people? New Hampshire 1,315,828
[Geography] New Jersey 8,685,920
New Mexico 1,969,915
In this activity, students compare several maps to explore relationships among high
New York 19,297,729
and low population density, transportation corridors, climate, and land cover.
North Carolina 9,061,032
First, have students produce a thematic map on the population density of the United North Dakota 639,715
States using the information provided in the sidebar. Create a symbol for population Ohio 11,466,917
density (e.g., one figure = one million people), and tape the symbols onto the Tile Map Oklahoma 3,617,316
based on the population of different states. Oregon 3,747,455
Pennsylvania 12,432,792
Where is the population of the United States most and least dense? People prefer to Puerto Rico 3,926,831
live in places that are most convenient and hospitable. These places are usually close Rhode Island 1,057,832
to the coast or to rivers and other transportation corridors. In the United States, over South Carolina 4,407,709
half the population lives within 50 miles of the coast. South Dakota 796,214
Have students compare their population density map with the map entitled “Food and Tennessee 6,156,719
Forests” on page nine of this handbook. Notice how the population density is lower in Texas 23,904,380
areas with forests, deserts, and mountains. Utah 2,645,330
Vermont 621,254
Virginia 7,712,091
Washington 6,468,424
West Virginia 1,812,035
Wisconsin 5,601,640
Wyoming 522,830
source: http://www.census.gov/popest/
states/NST-ann-est.html

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 11

 Cultures (Indigenous Languages)

Indigenous Languages
of the Americas

The indigenous people of the United

States and Canada once spoke more
than 300 languages. About two-thirds of
these languages survive, but the number
of speakers is dwindling rapidly and
some have already disappeared. Have
students research where in the Americas
these languages are most in danger of
disappearing. Use the “Enduring Voices”
website: www.nationalgeographic.com/
mission/enduringvoices/index.html as a
source in this activity.

12 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Largest icecap
Greenland

9-12 1. Using Maps to Investigate Issues

[History, Civics]
Maps can illustrate patterns that are not as immediately visible to us as physical
features like mountains and rivers. These patterns can be used to analyze and decide
how to address issues faced by people living in the Americas. Use the “Maps to
Investigate Issues” handouts on the Geography Action! Toolkit CD (at the back of
this handbook) to explain how to draw a choropleth map, which uses light to dark
shading to show patterns. A blank “Americas Map” and “Map of the Caribbean” are
also provided on the CD so that students can create their own maps. Example Data
handouts are provided for the following issues on the Geography Action! CD.

Example Issues Faced in the Americas

Infant Mortality Rate What ratio of infants die before their first birthday in
different countries of the Americas?

Physicians Per 100,000 Population What is the ratio of people to health care
workers by country?

Calorie Supply per Capita How many calories of food energy do people consume
per capita in different countries of the Americas?

Secondary School Enrollment What percentage of young girls attends

(Female Students) secondary schools by country?

CO2 Emissions per Capita What is the difference in emissions between

countries of the Americas?

Other issues may be examined using choropleth maps. Assign groups to do research
on the Internet and create choropleth maps related to each topic. Then, using the
information gathered, have each group develop a list of policy recommendations to
present to the appropriate head of government—local, state, or national—proposing
ways to address these issues. Are there ways countries of the Americas can work
together to help each other?
Topic Suggestions:
> Hunger: In which countries do people not have enough food to eat? In which
countries do people have more food than they need?
> Literacy: What percentage of the population is able to read and write in different
countries of the Americas? How much does each country spend on education per
person each year? Suggested Resources for data
related to these issues:
> Deforestation: Where in the Americas do large forests still exist? At what rate is > www.nationalgeographic.com/
each forest being cut down? Why? What will the impact be?
earthpulse/
> Glacial ice: Which parts of the Americas are still covered with large areas of ice? > http://earthtrends.wri.org/
What impact is global warming having on this ice cover? What impact is it having > http://earthtrends.wri.org/
on the animals and people who live there? datatables/index.php?theme=3
> Carbon Footprint: How do countries in the Americas compare when it comes to > http://www.prb.org/datafinder.
industrial output of energy of the number of cars per 1,000 people? aspx

> Sea-level flooding: Which areas of the Americas are most vulnerable to sea-level > http://www.worldmapper.org/

flooding as a result of global warming? How many people would it affect? What can
be done to reduce this threat?

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 13

 2. Energy
[Environmental science, math]
Which countries of the Americas use the most energy—in general and per capita?
Which use the least? Use the map entitled “Energy and Minerals” to explore these
questions. Make a list of the countries that are the top 10 energy consumers.
Then have students research the amount of CO2 emitted annually by each of the top 10
energy users. Be sure to use both total and per capita data. Come up with a symbol for
illustrating their findings on the map, and place symbols on the Geography Action! Map.
Identify the countries with the 10 highest carbon emission scores, and have students
use the data to create a bar chart in Excel, with two bars for each country. The first bar
represents the country’s carbon emissions. The second represents its population.

> Which country uses the most energy?

> Which country produces the most carbon emissions?
> What do students notice when they compare each country’s population size
with its carbon emissions?

Energy and Minerals

14 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Geography Action!
Event Activities
K-2 1. Exploring Cardinal Directions
Accurately label each wall of the classroom north, south, east, or west. Have students
describe the location of objects in the classroom in terms of their direction. For
example:
> What wall is the teacher’s desk near?
> What’s close to the south wall?
> What would I bump into if I walked toward the west wall?
Explain that the directions extend beyond the four walls of the classroom. Walk
students around to different places in the school—such as the cafeteria, playground,
or bathroom. At each place, have them turn to show what direction that place is from
the classroom—north, south, east, or west.
Then go outside with a compass and have your students practice using it to locate
north, south, east, and west.
Finally, use a globe—and then a map—to apply what students have learned about the
cardinal directions. Ask questions such as:

> What countries make up the continent of North America (hint: National Geographic
includes Central America as part of North America!)?
> Which country is next to the northern part of the United States?
> Which country is immediately south of the United States?
Talk about temperatures, explaining that the Earth is cold at both ends—the North
Pole and South Pole—and hot in the middle (the Equator). That’s because the Equator
gets more sunshine year-round than the poles do. Ask:
> Which of the two big continents is closer to the North Pole?
> Which big continent is closer to the South Pole?
Ask students to think about differences in temperature depending on where they live.
For example, on the first day of winter in Nova Scotia, students might wear boots,
coats, hats, and mittens, whereas students in Puerto Rico could wear shorts and
short-sleeved shirts on the exact same day! Then have a discussion starting with the
leading question of why the children’s clothes would be so different on the same day?

2. Simon Says
In this activity, students use their bodies to reinforce the concept of cardinal
directions. As you do these activities, make sure that students do not equate “north”
with “up” or with the tops of their heads, or “south” with “down” or with their feet.
Show students a globe, pointing out the cardinal directions, the poles, and the Equator.
Have them stand up in the classroom, imagining that their bodies represent a globe.
Then play an adaptation of the game “Simon Says.”

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 15

 Endangered and Threatened
Animals of the Americas

Animal Location Status

American Florida, Caribbean, Cen- Endangered
Crocodile tral America, Northern Simon Says:
South America
> Put your hand on your Equator. (waist)
Armadillo Southern North America, Threatened
Central America, South > Point to the North Pole. (head)
America
> Shake your South Pole. (feet)
Bald Eagle United States, Canada,
and Mexico
Threatened
> Use your arms as latitude lines. (horizontal)
Beluga Whale Arctic Ocean Threatened > Use your arms as longitude lines. (vertical)
Blue Whale Pacific Ocean and Endangered > Touch your neighbor directly west.
Atlantic Ocean
California Southwestern United Endangered
> Clap your hands to the south.
Condor States
Caribou Canada Endangered 3-5 1. Endangered and Threatened Animals
Chinchilla South America Endangered Have students read about the endangered and threatened
Galápagos Galápagos Islands Endangered animals listed on this page and locate where in the Americas
Tortoise these animals live. Explain that the animals included on the
Giant Anteater Central America, North- Threatened
list are only a few of the animals of the Americas that are in
ern South America danger of becoming extinct and discuss what that means.
Giant River South America Endangered
Then have students come up with a symbol for their animal
Otter using magazine clippings or hand drawings, and place their
symbols on the projector or tile map.
Grizzly Bear Northwestern North Threatened
America Students can then use their research to create a poster or
Harp Seal Arctic Ocean/Northern Threatened write a persuasive essay about why people should try to
Atlantic Ocean near save these animals. Questions students might think about
Greenland
include:
Jaguar Central America, Endangered
Northern > Where does this animal live?
South America
Macaw South America Endangered
> Why is it endangered?
Manatee Coastal water around Endangered > What can be done to save it?
Florida, Caribbean,
Central America and
> Why should people care about this animal?
Northern South America
Marine Iguana Galápagos Islands Threatened 2. Major Languages of the Americas
Mexican Axolotl Mexico Endangered Today
Ocelot Mexico, Central America, Endangered Which languages are the most widely spoken in the
and Northern South Americas? Create an outline map of the Americas using
America one of the Geography Action! Map templates. Explore
Ozark Big- Southern central United Endangered language patterns in the Americas using the “Major
Eared Bat States Languages” handout provided on the Geography Action!
Polar Bear Alaska, Northwestern Threatened Toolkit CD.
Canada
Rocky Mountain Rocky Mountains Endangered
Bighorn Sheep
Spectacled Northwestern South Threatened
Bear America
Three-toed Northern South America Endangered
Sloth
Walrus Arctic Ocean Endangered
*Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals
http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/

16 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 A Selection of Rivers
in the Americas
> Arkansas
> Colorado
Have students place language symbols onto the Geography Action! Map. Example
symbols are provided, however students may create their own symbols. Discuss the > Columbia
relationship between the distribution of modern languages and the colonial history of > Connecticut
the Americas. > Gila
To create connections within a multi-ethnic area, students may also research the > Hudson
many languages spoken within their communities and discuss why there are so many. > James
Create a display showing how “hello!” is said in each language.
> MacKenzie
Language Symbols > Mississippi
Indo-European Languages CH = Caribbean Hindustani Q = Quechua > Missouri
E = English I = Italian A = Aymara
> Ohio
S = Spanish PB = Portunol/Brazilero Gu = Guarani
> Orinoco
F = French Gr = Greenlandic
D = Dutch Indigenous Languages > Ottawa
P = Portuguese EA = Eskimo/Aleut Languages Derived > Paraguay
G = German MD = Mayan Dialects from a Mix of Others
> Potomac
Da = Danish AI = Amerindian Languages C = Creole
> Rio Grande
PA = Patois
> Snake
6-8 1. A River’s Journey > St. Lawrence
Rivers were among the first highways of the Americas. Many large cities grew up > Tennessee
alongside rivers and other waterways, which provided convenient transportation > Uruguay
before railroads and roads were built. Use a map like the one below that illustrates > Yellowstone
the locations of major cities near rivers.
> Yukon
Using the list on this page, assign each and continuation of
the Bering Sea, see
Chukchi
Sea
student a major river of the Americas to inset map page70.

e r ing
Str.
B
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N
R

n
its source to where it empties into the B R I TAI SL HA S K AGreat S e
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UN
Queen Charlotte Bay DL
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O

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as

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ill

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Salt L. City Cheyenne New York Cleveland
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Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 17

 A Selection of Explorers of the Americas

(North America) (South America)

> Vitus Bering > Henry Hudson > Charles Darwin
> John Cabot > Meriwether Lewis and > Charles Marie de
> Jacques Cartier William Clark la Condamine

> Hernando Cortes > Father Jacques Marquette > Ferdinand Magellan
and Luis Jolliet > Francisco Pizarro
> Samuel de Champlain
> Nils Nordenskjold > Richard Spruce
> Robert Cavelier de la Salle
> Zebulon Pike > Alexander von Humboldt
> Panfilo de Narvaez
and Alvar Nunez Cabeza > Sacajawea > Alfred Wallace and
de Vaca > David Thompson Henry Bates
> Hernando de Soto
> Eric the Red (North and South America)
> Leif Ericson > Christopher Columbus
> John Franklin > James Cook
> Charles Fremont > Francis Drake
Longest Mountain Range
> Martin Frobisher
Andes, South America

2. Explorers of the Americas

Early explorers of the Americas were motivated by a variety of goals—including
curiosity, the desire for valuable trade routes, a mission to convert people to a certain
religion, hunger for land or for precious goods such as gold and spices, and the
thirst for scientific knowledge. Although they greatly expanded knowledge about the
Americas, these early explorers sometimes acted cruelly toward indigenous peoples
and harmed the cultures they encountered.
Have students do research on the explorers listed in the sidebar, create maps showing
their routes, and write journals about their explorers’ experiences. Some questions
students might consider are:

> Where did the explorers’ journeys start?

> Why did they come to the Americas? What were they seeking?
> How did they travel?
> What did they find? How was it different from today?
> Who did they meet along the way?
> What challenges did they encounter?
> How did their experience change our understanding of the Americas?
> What impact did they have on the people and future of the Americas?

18 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Examples of Place
Names
> North America
> South America
9-12 1. What Am I? > Greenland
In this guessing game, a card is taped to each student’s forehead or back. Written on
> Canada
it is the name of a city, state, country, or major physical feature in the Americas. The
“player” cannot see the name, but the rest of the class or group can. The “player” > Brazil
must guess what the place is by asking questions with a “yes” or “no” answer. For > Chile
example: > Cuba

> Am I in South America? [yes] > Puerto Rico

> Am I on the west coast? [yes] > Alaska

> California
> Am I a river? [no] > New York City
> Am I a country? [yes] > Washington, D.C.
> Am I long and skinny? [yes] > Rio de Janeiro
Correct answer: Chile. > Mexico City
> Ottawa
Other students should consult a map first to pinpoint the location of the place; then,
have the map available to answer the player’s questions correctly. Provide a time > Mississippi River
limit—e.g., three minutes. After that, the class helps the student by giving hints, until > Yukon River
the student either guesses or gives up. > St. Lawrence River
> Lake Michigan
2. Be a Modern Explorer > Andes Mountains
Have students pick a place anywhere in the Americas that they would like to explore,
> Rocky Mountains
and then plan a trip from their home to that place. Have them use maps and other
resources to research their destinations as well as the places they will pass through > Denali
to get there. Some questions they might think about are: > Grand Canyon
> Amazon Rain Forest
> Why do I want to go to this place? > Panama Canal
> How will I get there? How long will it take? > Rio Grande
> What will I need to bring? > Caribbean Sea
> What will I see along the way—plants, people, physical features? > Atacama Desert

> What difficulties might I encounter? > Hudson Bay

> What will I see and do once I get there? > Lake Titicaca

> What photos will I take? > Sierra Madre Occidental

or Oriental
> What souvenirs will I collect? > Buenos Aires
Have students plot their journey on a map, and create an illustrated journal of their > Caracas
trip to share with other members of their class or community. > Bogotá

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 19

 Diversity Across The Americas:
Animals
GROUP PROJECTS

To further celebrate the Americas and Geography

Awareness Week, classes in your school or groups in your
community can research a variety of topics and themes to
see how they are expressed in different ways across the
Americas. Have the classes and other groups use their
findings to prepare posters, books, and displays for your
Mapping the Americas event. It’s a great way to get the
whole community involved—and more fun for everyone.
Here are just a few examples of possible projects. You and
your Geography Action! Planning Team may have many
more ideas.
> Airlines
> Animals Stamps

> Clothing
> Famous authors/books
> Famous buildings
> Flags
Famous buildings
> Games
> Hats
> Historic figures
> Money
> Musical instruments
> Plants
> Recipes Airlines
> Sports
> Stamps

20 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Geography Awareness
Week Planning and
Execution How-tos
Geography Action! Mapping the Americas events
are low-cost, easy to implement, and adaptable to
your school’s resources and needs. This kit includes
step-by-step instructions for planning the event,
suggestions for promoting it successfully in and
beyond school, and free materials from the National
Geographic Society.
Here are six steps to kick off Geography Action! Mapping the Americas in your school.
Oldest Writing System
Visit the National Geographic Society online for more information:
The Olmecs, the first complex
www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction.
civilization to live in Mexico,
1. Establish a Planning Team: Gain support for the event from your principal and were the first in the Americas
other key leaders at your school. Form a team with school administrators, other to develop a writing system
teachers, parent volunteers, and state Geographic Alliance members. Clearly
define and divide roles and responsibilities among a few coordinators, and meet
regularly for event planning.
> Event Leader: Oversees the event’s activities and timeline; organizes
communication among coordinators; manages all aspects of event planning.
> Activities and Prizes Coordinator: Manages event activities, including food,
games, and prize planning; gathers necessary supplies; coordinates logistics
for the event.
> Volunteer Coordinator: Recruits volunteers and helps ensure the event runs
smoothly; creates a job list with volunteer names next to each task (e.g., greet
and register guests, provide support for activity areas, take event photos, hand
out refreshments).
> Promotions Coordinator: Places Geography Action! posters in schools and
throughout communities; coordinates invitations; connects with event partners
and sponsors; contacts local and national TV, radio stations, and newspapers.
2. Schedule Your Event: Allow two months to plan the event. Consult with school
administrators and staff when selecting a time and place for your event.
> Where? A large, open space such as a courtyard, playground, cafeteria,
or gymnasium will be needed to accommodate the many activities at your
celebration.
> When? Determine a date and time on the weekend or after school. Consult the
school calendar and find a date and time that work for teachers, administrators,
and parents.

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 21

 3. Plan Your Event: Meet with your planning team, and select activities from
this Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit. Prizes can be offered
for a competition funded by the school or a local sponsor, or you can plan
this event simply as an international celebration.
> Prepare your school for Geography Action! Mapping the Americas by
considering the following:
• Team up with your art department to hold a student poster or bumper
sticker contest to promote geographic literacy and Mapping the
Americas. A sponsor can underwrite the cost of printing the winning
bumper sticker or poster for families to proudly display.
• Assign a school hallway for a maps display or cultural showcase with
art and student projects about the Americas.
• Invite a public official to sign a proclamation declaring November
16-22, 2008, as Geography Awareness Week (sample proclamation
included on the Geography Action! Toolkit CD).
> Involve your community! Have your Activities and Prizes Planner work
with the Promotions Planner to partner with local libraries, businesses,
and community organizations. Think creatively when talking with potential
Largest Coral Reef event partners.
Belize Barrier Reef, Belize • Ask local restaurants serving food from different countries found in
the Americas to provide refreshments.
• Ask local libraries to create and promote a book corner and story time
with books about maps and the Americas.
• Ask grocery stores to display produce and food staples found in
countries of the Americas at your event.
• Ask local businesses to sponsor your event by providing prizes,
country artifacts, or cultural games and activity suggestions.
• Add a fundraising aspect to your event by raising money to benefit
your school or a local or national non-profit organization that focuses
on issues in the Americas.
> The National Geographic Society supports the Conservation
Trust http://www.nationalgeographic.com/conservation that
does work in the Americas.
The following national organizations are not affiliated with the National
Geographic Society, but focus on issues related to the Americas.
> UNICEF (http://www.unicef.org/)
> The United Nations Foundation (http://www.unfoundation.org/)
> CARE (http://www.care.org/)
> World Vision (http://www.worldvision.org/)
> Oxfam International (http://www.oxfam.org)
> Save the Children (http://www.savethechildren.org/)

22 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

4. Promote Your Event: Spread the word! Build excitement with
students, parents, and community members!
> Distribute the invitation found on the Toolkit CD to students,
parents, local community members, and media.
> Put up Geography Action! posters and signs throughout your school,
local libraries, businesses, and community organizations (hospitals,
after-school care, etc.).
> Feature Geography Action! Mapping the Americas in your school’s
newsletter.
> Distribute the press release found on the toolkit CD to local
newspapers, television, and radio stations.
> Promote the fundraising aspect of your event. Companies have an easier time
serving as sponsors if they know proceeds are going to a charity or school
organization like the PTA. Also, media will be interested in both the non-
profit organization benefiting from the event and the school displaying such a
commitment to the global community.
5. Wrap-Up Logistics before the big event: Two weeks before the event, arrange for
at least two wrap-up meetings with your planning team.
> Activities and Prizes: Have all the activities been confirmed, supplies gathered,
and ample space mapped out for each activity?
> Volunteers: Have enough volunteers joined the event team and accepted
positions of responsibility? Are all the activities covered?
> Promotion: Are students, parents, and community members excited about
the event? Have posters and maps been placed strategically throughout the
school and local community? During the week before and the day before your
event, make reminder calls to the media, send reminder notes to teachers and
parents, and make school-wide announcements to students.
> Photos: Assign one or more still and video photographers to the event. Make
multiple copies of the Personal Release Form found on the Toolkit CD and have
families sign them at the registration table. When you send event photos to the
National Geographic, you’ll already have permission for publication.
6. Reporting Back:
> Tell Us About Your Event: National Geographic Society would love to know how
your event turned out! Please fill out the event evaluation included on the
Toolkit CD, and send us your favorite photos. You may find your experiences
featured in the next National Geographic Education Newsletter or in next year’s
Geography Action! Kit!

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 23

 Media Outreach and How-tos
Reaching the public through the media is the most
effective way to let people in your community know
about your Geography Action! Mapping the Americas
Event during Geography Awareness Week. You want
media announcements before the event and stories
about the event after it has happened.

1. Reaching the media

> Partner with Your Local “Newspapers in Education” Coordinator.
• Geography Action! has a long-standing partnership with Newspapers in
Education (NIE), a national program encouraging connections between schools
and newspapers. Contact your local newspapers to see if they have an NIE
Coordinator and if they would like to collaborate on the event. Are they able to
help get a news story in their paper?
> Check with your school’s administrative/district office to see if they will handle the
media for your event.
• Will they generate press materials? Contact the reporters? Set up interviews
for you and your students? Find out what they need from you to help generate
media coverage.
> If you are generating the publicity yourself, here are some easy steps to take:
• Create a media list of the education and local interest/metro reporters and
community calendar editors in your area, including reporters for daily and weekly
newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and websites. The
school administrative office may have a media list they will give you.
> Include mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and fax numbers.
Call the news desks at each office to confirm this information.

2. Preparing the press materials and spokespeople:

> Customize the Geography Action! press release template enclosed in this kit with
information about your school and event.
> If you need additional assistance, contact Sarah Clark or Ann Barrett in the
National Geographic Communications office (sclark@ngs.org, abarrett@ngs.org)
> Identify individuals you will use to speak with the media who attend the event:
Alliance members, teachers, student, school administrators, etc.
• Give them a copy of all press materials and briefly outline the key points/
messages you’d like them to include in any interviews.
> Be sure and check with your school’s administrative office to see if you need parental
permission for your students to be interviewed or photographed by the media.

24 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

3. Send Out Your Customized Press Release
> A week or 10 days before your event, send your customized version of the press
release to the reporters on your media list via email, first-class mail, or fax.
> A few days before the event, call the reporters to see if they are interested in
covering the event and if they need any other information.
> Sample conversation: “My name is xxxx, from xxx school. I’m calling about the
Geography Awareness map event at our school on xxx date. It’s a very visual event
with a giant map the kids have created including a lot of local color. We hope you’re
able to cover it.
> Keep the call short and to the point, and have all your facts at hand.
> Send out your press release (fax and/or email) immediately after the event has
concluded to media who did not attend.

4. Working With Media On Event Day

> Set up a media check-in table (with a media sign-in sheet), in a prominent location,
with a sign identifying it as “Media.”
> On event day, at least one teacher /volunteer should dedicate time to working
with the press. They should be at the check-in table to greet reporters, answer
questions and help facilitate interviews. Have copies of the customized press
release and the event’s program available for reporters.
> Television reporters with film crews will need electrical outlets for their equipment,
so have events in locations where these are easily accessible. Press will need the
best view of student displays, games, and presentations. Make sure to have seats
designated as “Reserved for Press” where appropriate, with easily visible signs.
> Following the event, send copies of news stories to National Geographic:
Geography Action!
National Geographic Education and Children’s Programs
1145 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036 Longest-lived Animal
The Galápagos Islands,
> During the planning stages, be sure and check with your school’s administrative Ecuador, host the old-
office to see if you need parental permission for your students to be interviewed est living animal in the
or photographed by the media. Americas—the Galápagos
tortoise that can live for
more than 150 years!

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 25

 Mapping Foundations
Maps are important tools that help us explore and
expand our understanding of the world.
The maps and activities in this handbook are designed to stimulate class, school,
and community exploration of the Americas—including North and South America,
Greenland, and the West Indies. Participants read different kinds of maps, gather
World Map information, create their own maps, analyze the results, and form conclusions.
Mercator projection

What do maps tell us?

Every map tells a different story. Maps are representations in miniature of
much larger places. They shrink large areas such as continents onto a sheet
of paper. Symbols represent features such as rivers, roads, and cities, or
topics such as population and precipitation. Maps are made for a variety of
purposes, and the features on each map support its particular purpose. No
single map can show everything.
Eckert Equal-Area
Because Earth maps project a spherical body onto a flat surface, some
distortion is inevitable. Mapmakers have created various projections
to minimize the distortion. Equal area projections maintain accurate
relative sizes of land areas throughout the map. The commonly used
Mercator projection is not an equal area projection. It shows polar
regions much larger than they actually are. It excels, however, at
showing direction.

What are the different kinds of maps?

Some maps locate physical features that are clearly visible on the landscape—for
example, rivers and mountains. Some highlight other kinds of information that are not
so visible—for example, CO2 emissions or population density. Maps can record historic
events, show change over time, and compare the distribution of resources.
Most maps fall into two general categories:
North America Reference Map
the Bering Sea, see Sea ELIZABETH

> A reference map uses symbols to represent features of physical

ud Rasm

inset map page70.

re

Axel H
St. Lawrence Bo eiber IS. ICELAND
g I.
Ellesme

Mack rden I
E

Island Point Barrow s la GREENLAND

CL

Prince enz nd SVERDRUP

Bering Seward Patr ie Kin
CIR

Hayes
Kn

ick gI

and human-made environments—for example, rivers, lakes,

Peninsula Gunnbjørn
Br

I. . ISLANDS
Sea Peninsula
No

IC

ks PARRY 12,139 feet

oo

CT
rt

ISLAN 3,700 meters

Yu Ra Slo Beaufort
AR
h

Melville DS
Nunivak ng pe Baffin
ko

B Island Ku e Island Sea

ALASKA
n

sko Banks Devon I. Bay

kwim

mountains, roads, and cities. Road maps and maps that show
Island rset I.
Highest point in Mt. McKinley(Denali) me q
Bristol North America 20,320 ft Prince of So Qeqertarsua
Bay 6,194 m Wales I. Da
Aleu Alaska Ra Baff
tian Range M
Victoria i nI
Bo

sla
ng

Kenai

political boundaries are examples of reference maps.

vi

a Island
e

Peninsula n
ot h

Great d
ck

King William I.
St
ia Pe

Kodiak I. Yukon
Gulf of Bear L.
Ma

Melville
en

Prin Cape Farewell

ra

Mt. Logan ce Cha

Alaska Peninsula
ckenzie
zie

19,551 ft rles I.
n.

it

5,959 m
Foxe

> A thematic map focuses on one particular topic in order to show

C
Plateau
Mts

Basin
y
Southampton
Hu Labrador
C

Glacier Ba Island dson

Sea
R
C o a s t

Strait
Alexander Great
A

Ungava
C Slave Lake A N A D A
O

AT

Archipelago Bay
Slav

Hudson

spatial distributions or patterns—for example, amount of rainfall

eace LA
N

BR
e

LAN

Bay
P

Lake
M o u n t

Queen Charlotte AD
Athabasca OR
A

Islands
Belcher
D
K

basca C hu Islands Island of

or environmental hotspots. Thematic maps use shading, dots,

D

TIC

rc h i l l
tha
p

on
Nels
ar

Fraser Sc
Newfoundland
A
a i n s

Jam
Co

e
chewan
I
Y

Vancouver Plateau
kat id Avalon
G

nt
es B
lum

Sas
Anticosti Peninsula
D

Island
A

Island
bia

ay

N
re

L
and different-sized symbols to represent differences in quantity—
Lake Gulf of St. Lawrence
en .
R

Lau

Winnipeg
Mts.

Olympic
E éP
e

OCEAN

S I
ng

Peninsula
H
p

Cape Breton Island

Gas

Prin
E
Ra

ce E d
M

lum
Co

ward Island
Misso nc
e

b ia
e s

ur i

for example, number of people. They use shapes or colors to

Nova
A

Lake
e
wr
e

E Scotia
Columbia P

Bay

Superior
S
O
ad
n g

of
La

.
IN

F
T

Gulf of undy
Casc

St

TA

Lake

Environmental
R a

Sna
n

Maine
Huron
L. Michiga
U

ke L. Ontario

represent differences in type—for example, kind of climate.

N

Cape Mendocino at Cape Cod

eau
U
l

O
Sierra Nevada

Great
C o a s t

Great
M

Basin Long Island

P

L. Erie
Mis

Salt Lake Pla

Hotspots
Mt. Whitney tte
souri
ains

CENTRAL
14,494 feet Colorado
T

4,418 meters Plateau LOWLAND

IA

U N I T E D S T A T E S he
A

CH

F
High Pl

Death Valley
C
A

Grand sap
N

Ohio

Thematic Map
-282 ft -86 m anyon eake
teau
o

Ark

Bay
LA

Pla
Colorad
C

Cape Bermuda
I

ns rk
pi

za
a

Channel Lowest point in P Islands

I

as Hatteras
sip

P
A

Islands North America

O

A
N

Red
Missis

Sonoran
L
N

Deser t P
Baja

Guadalupe I.
L
Gul i f o r n

A
S

S T
Cal

A F
f o

Rio O
Eugenia Point
lo

C
Gr

Grand Bahama Island

f C

Sier

G
rid
and

B AN CER
Sierr

A
ali

e
ia

OF C
ra M

H PIC
for

A TRO
M
Gulf of
ad
nia

ds
aM

A
ys

an
M

Ke a S Isl ST. KITTS & NEVIS

re

Mexico F l o r i d a lorid
a

fF
Oc

Straits o
in
dre
É

Cape D
Virg

W
cid

E S T I N I
PA

San Lucas CUBA

en

ANTIGUA & BAR

Or
X

l
ta

Hispaniola
E
ie
C

Cayman HAITI Puerto Guadeloupe

I

DOMINICAN
nt

Pico de Orizaba G R Rico

IF

Yucatán Islands REPUBLIC DOMINICA Martinique

al

18,855 ft Cozumel EAT ES

C

O
S

H Peninsula Island E R A N T I L L
illes

Revillagigedo Islands 5,747 m BA

IC

ST. LUCIA
JAMAICA
Sie
rr Isthmus of C a ST. VINCE
O aM r i b b e THE GREN
nt

C
adre Tehuantepec
del Sur Sie
BELIZE
a n S e aL e s s e r A GRENADA
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
r
E f
ra
GUATEMALA
Trinida

26 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

How do you read a map? TITLE
The title communicates the main purpose or topic
GRID SYSTEM
of a map. It may specify:
what—the main topic or combination of topics
1
South America
2 3 4 5 6 7 8

where—what part of the world the map shows C A

R I B B
E A N S E A

NORTH Lake
A AMERICA Maracaibo Total drop
3,212 ft 979 m

when—what time period the map covers

S
Orinoco
O
VENEZUELA

N
Angel Falls GUYANA

A
G U I A N A FRENCH

Examples of map titles are “Major Cities and

H I G H SURINAME GUIANA

L
Malpelo I.
COLOMBIA L A
N D (FRANCE)
S

L
B

A
Rivers of South America in 2000.” Check when a A M A Z
Negr
o O N zon
Marajó
EQUATOR

Galápagos Ama
Island

map was created to understand time limitations Islands ECUADOR

N
on s
az

jó
Am eir

a
for data on the map.
Marañón

pa
ad

Ta

Xin
C M
S e s

gu
l v a
us

P
D

Te
es

Pur
B A S I N

s
Uc
P ir

Tocantin
es Sã o

ay
F

The legend or key explains the meaning of map

E
ali
nc

ra
isc
o

R
P A C
B R A Z I L

E
symbols. On a reference map, the legend reveals

U
D B R A Z I L I A N
S

I F I
Lake

what different symbols represent—e.g., capital Titicaca

BOLIVIA

Pantanal
A

C
H I G H L A N D S

lt
cities, rivers, and roads. On a thematic map,

ip

N
la
Ata

no

E A
Paraguay
Salar de Uyuni

O C

cama Desert
E

the legend helps readers compare quantities or

PA
S

O C
GU

RA
aco
E A
OF CAPR
ICORN AY Iguazú

Ch
TROPIC

different types of information. Falls

n
ra

C
G
San Ambrosio I.

T I
San Félix I.

á
E
y

Paran
F

a
Direction is usually indicated by a compass rose

N
gu
Uru
N

A
791 ft Mountain peak with elevation
City / Town

L
241 m
above sea level

L
Cerro

I
S
that points to the four cardinal directions: north

T
Aconcagua Country capital
22,834 ft URUGUAY -282 ft. Low point with elevation

A
Juan Fernández Is.

T
6,960 m -86 m
below sea level
Highest point in Riv State / Provincial capital

P
er P

D
South America Defined boundary

(N), south (S), east (E), and west (W). Be sure to

N
late Small country

M
Undefined boundary

I
G
Ruin

A
E
Claimed boundary
Point of Interest

emphasize to students that these are directions

P
G
Neg River
ro

R
H
based on Earth’s poles. North and south are not

A
Valdés Peninsula

A
Chiloé

I
Island 0 600 miles

N
H

simply “up” and “down”; west and east are not

0 900 kilometers

O
Gulf of Azimuthal Equidistant Projection

C
San Jorge

G
Taitao
Peninsula

“left” and “right”. This misunderstanding can

A
Lowest point in

A
South America

T
Laguna del Carbón
Wellington I. -344 ft -105 m FALKLAND ISLANDS

A
cause great confusion. P
(ISLAS MALVINAS)

A grid system makes it possible to describe the The Continent: South America, National Geographic
LEGEND
World Atlas for Young Explorers, 3rd Edition,
location of places and talk about time at different Washington DC: National Geographic, 2007. p. 78. SCALE
locations.
SOURCES
> Latitudinal lines (or parallels) run horizontally
and are measured in degrees, with the Equator DIRECTION
as zero degrees latitude. They measure the angular distance north and south
of the Equator.
> Longitude lines (or meridians) run vertically and are measured in degrees, with the
Prime Meridian as zero degrees longitude. They measure the angular distance east
and west of the Prime Meridian. Longitude lines that are 15 degrees apart are one
hour apart in time.
In addition, some maps provide an alphanumeric grid. For example, road or atlas
maps often show numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) running horizontally along one edge, and
letters (A, B, C, etc.) running vertically along another edge.
A scale enables readers to relate distances on the map to actual distances on
the Earth.
Both thematic and reference maps often cite the data sources for their topics and
the mapmakers who created the representation.

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 27

 Human Footprint
Thematic Map
Get Ready!
You can prepare your students and generate excitement
for Geography Awareness Week by creating a classroom
environment that is rich in geographic images related
to the Americas—including photographs, travel posters,
magazines, and a mini-library of geography references and
of children’s fiction and nonfiction books related to maps,
travel, and the Americas.
You might collect and display a variety of reference and
Human impact
thematic maps of different types related to your area and
Highest the Americas—e.g., wayfinding maps, weather maps,
tourist maps, road maps, mass transit maps, museum
and mall maps.
Lowest
Make sure you have at least one globe, an atlas, and other geography reference tools.
Access to the Internet is very helpful, too.

28 Geography
Geography Action!
Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit
 Resources
A. Booklist Young Adult
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the
Children’s Books about Maps Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, by Dava Sobel.
Ages 3-6 Publisher: Walker & Company ISBN-13: 978-0802715296
As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps, by Gail Hartman The Maps of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth (Folded Maps), by Brian
and Harvey Stevenson (Illustrator). Publisher: Simon & Sibley and John Howe (Illustrator), John Howe, J. R. R.
Schuster Children’s Publishing ISBN-13: 978-0689717628 Tolkien (Based On Work by). Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Company ISBN-13: 9780618391103
Mapping North America, by Kate McGough. Publisher:
National Geographic Society ISBN-13: 9780792287414 The Oak Island Mystery, by Lionel and Patricia Fanthorpe.
Publisher: Hounslow Press ISBN-13: 978-0888821706
Me on the Map, by Joan Sweeney. Publisher: Dragonfly
Books ISBN-13: 978-0517885574 You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the
Imagination, by Katharine Harmon. Publisher: Princeton
Ages 5-9
Architectural Press ISBN-13: 978-1568984308
Mapping Penny’s World, by Loreen Leedy. Publisher: Henry
Holt Books for Young Readers ISBN 13: 978-0805072624
Maps, by Ari Brennan. Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books About the Americas
Society ISBN-13: 9781426350542
Ages 3-6
My Map Book, by Sara Fanelli. Publisher: HarperCollins
Borreguita and the Coyote, by Verna Aardema. Publisher:
Children’s Books ISBN-13: 978-0060264550
Dragonfly Books ISBN-13: 978-0679889366
There’s a Map in My Lap! All about Maps, by Tish Rabe and
Caribbean Dream, by Rachel Isadora. Publisher: Putnam
Aristides Ruiz (Illustrator). Publisher: Random House
Juvenile ISBN-13: 978-0698119444
Children’s Books ISBN-13: 978-0375810992
Child’s Alaska, by Claire Rudolf Murphy. Publisher: Alaska
Ages 9-12
Northwest Books ISBN-13: 978-0882404578
How Maps Are Made, by Martyn Bramwell, Publisher:
Lerner Publishing Group ISBN-13: 978-0822529200
Map Essentials, Publisher: National Geographic School
Publishing ISBN-13: 978-0792290131
Maps (Make it Work!), by Andrew Haslam. Publisher:
Two-Can Publishing, Inc ISBN-13: 978-1854343994
Maps and Mapping, by Jinny Johnson and Suki West.
Publisher: Kingfisher ISBN-13: 978-0753460627
Treasure Map (MathStart), by Stuart J. Murphy and Tricia
Tusa (Illustrator). Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN-13: 978-0064467384
World Atlas for Young Explorers, >
Publisher: National Geographic
Society
ISBN-13: 978-1-4263-0088-2

Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 29

 Ages 5-9
A Picture Book of Sacagawea, by David Adler. Publisher:
Holiday House ISBN-13: 978-0823416653
A River Ran Wild, by Lynne Cherry. Publisher: Voyager
Books ISBN-13: 978-0152163723
The Legend of the Poinsettia, by Tomie dePaola. Publisher:
Putnam Juvenile ISBN-13: 978-0698115675
This Land is Your Land (with a tribute by Pete Seeger), by
Woody Guthrie. Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
ISBN-13: 978-0316392150
B. Websites
www.MyWonderfulWorld.org
www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions
www.nationalgeographic.com/2000/projections
www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/technology.html
http://earthtrends.wri.org/
http://earthtrends.wri.org/datatables/index.php?theme=3
http://www.prb.org/datafinder.aspx

Ages 9-12 http://www.worldmapper.org/

Canada, by Brian Williams. Publisher: National Geographic http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/

Society ISBN-13: 978-1426300257
Children of the Midnight Sun, Young Native Voices of Alaska,
by Tricia Brown, Roy Corral (Photographer). Publisher:
Alaska Northwest Books ISBN-13: 978-0882406176
Flute’s Journey, by Lynne Cherry. Publisher: Gulliver Green
ISBN-13: 978-0152928537
Paddle-to-the-Sea, by Holling C. Holling. Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin ISBN-13: 978-0395292037
South America, by Carl Proujan. Publisher: National
Geographic Society ISBN-10: 079224382X
The Discovery of the Americas, by Betsy Maestro,
Giulio Maestro (Illustrator). Publisher: HarperTrophy
ISBN-13: 978-0688115128
Young Adult
Ancient Pueblo, by Anita Croy. Publisher: National
Geographic Society ISBN-13: 978-1426301308
Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus,
by Carolina Maria de Jesus. Publisher: Signet Classics
ISBN-13: 978-0451529107
Legends of Land Forms, by Carole G. Vogel. Publisher:
Millbrook Press ISBN-13: 978-0761302728

30 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

C. Glossary
Atlas: A collection of maps in book form.
Cardinal directions: The four main points of the compass—
north (N), south (S), west (W), and east (E).
Cartographer: A person who designs and creates maps.
Compass rose: A symbol on a map that indicates the map’s
orientation in relationship to the four cardinal directions.
Cultural features: Features on a map that have been
created by humans, such as cities, buildings, farms, roads,
and canals.
Equator: An imaginary circle around Earth that divides
the globe into two equal parts: the Northern Hemisphere
and the Southern Hemisphere. The equator is used as the
starting (or zero) point for measurements of latitude.
Geography: The study of Earth’s surface, including the
distribution and interaction of its physical, biological, and
cultural features.
Globe: A scale model of Earth in the form of a sphere.
Grid: A pattern of intersecting lines overlaid on a map that
help readers determine where things are located and how
to get from one place to another.
Hemisphere: One half of Earth—either the northern or
southern half as divided by the equator, or the western
or eastern half as divided by the Prime Meridian and the
International Date Line.
Latitude lines: Imaginary lines (also called parallels) that
run in an east-west direction around the Earth parallel to
the equator, and that are used to measure location north
or south of the equator.
Legend: A key to the symbols used on a map.
Longitude lines: Imaginary lines (also called meridians)
that run in a north-south direction around Earth
connecting the North and South Poles, and that are used
to measure location east or west of the Prime Meridian.
Map: A graphic representation of the Earth, or a portion
of it, that is usually drawn to scale on a flat surface.
Map projection: A method of representing Earth’s three-
dimensional surface as a two-dimensional surface,
attempting to show as little distortion as possible for
a particular purpose.
Physical features: Geography features that occur in nature,
such as mountains, rivers, and vegetation.
Political map: A reference map that shows locations and
boundaries established by governments, such as states
and cities.
Prime Meridian: An imaginary line that runs in a north-
south direction between Earth’s two poles. The Prime
Meridian is used as the starting point (0 degrees longitude)
for measurements of longitude.
Scale: The relationship between a linear measurement on
a map and the corresponding distance in reality.
Symbol: A shape or small image on a map that represents
a geographic feature such as a mountain or habitat.
Thematic map: A map that focuses on a theme or topic
(e.g., population or climate) and that shows the spatial
distribution of that theme or topic.
Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit 31
 Appendix: MAPS
Reprinted with permission of National Geographic Maps. The Continent: North America. National Geographic World
All rights reserved. Atlas for Young Explorers, 3rd Ed. Washington DC: National
Geographic, 2007. p. 63.
Reprinted with permission of National Geographic Books.
All rights reserved. The Continent: North America. National Geographic World
Atlas for Young Explorers, 3rd Ed. Washington DC: National
The Americas. National Geographic Maps Washington, DC:
Geographic, 2007. p. 62.
National Geographic, 2000.
Environmental Hotspots. National Geographic World Atlas
Food and Forests. National Geographic Atlas of the World,
for Young Explorers, 3rd Ed. Washington DC: National
8th Ed. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005, p. 19.
Geographic, 2007. p. 30-31.
Earthquakes and Volcanoes of the Americas. National
The Continent: South America. National Geographic World
Geographic Atlas of the World, 8th Ed. Washington, DC:
Atlas for Young Explorers, 3rd Ed. Washington DC: National
National Geographic, 2005, p. 8.
Geographic, 2007. p. 78.
Cultures. National Geographic Atlas of the World, 8th Ed.
Human Footprint. National Geographic World Atlas
Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005, p. 15.
for Young Explorers, 3rd Ed. Washington DC: National
Energy and Minerals. National Geographic Atlas of the Geographic, 2007. p. 31.
World, 8th Ed. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005,
p. 20.
Cartographic Projections of the Earth. National Geographic
Atlas of the World, 8th. Washington, DC: National
Geographic, 2005, p. 2.

Photo Credits
cover, ©Danny Warren/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 1, ©iStockphoto.com/Irina
Tischenko; p. 3, ©Doug Lemke/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 7, ©Iamanew-
bee/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 9, (top) ©Invisible, (middle) ©Sandra Cun-
ningham, (bottom) ©Radu Razvan/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 13, © Chris
Howey/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 15, © Holger Ehlers, ©javarman/2008 Used
under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 16, ©iStockphoto.com/John Pitcher; p. 18 (top) Thomas J.
Abercrombie/NGS, (middle) Volksmar K. Wentzel/NGS, (bottom) Thomas J. Abercrombie/NGS; p. 20, (top)
©Tom C. Amon, (middle) ©Mario Lopes, (bottom) © Mikael Damkier, (left) ©Joshua Haviv/2008 Used
under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 21, Albert Moldavy/NGS; p. 22, ©Joe Barbarite/2008 Used under
license from Shutterstock.com; p. 23, ©Morgan Lane Photography/2008 Used under license from Shut-
terstock.com; p. 25 Sam Abell/NGS; p. 28 (top) ©WizData, inc., (middle) ©Jim Lopes, (bottom) ©Thomas
Barrat, (left) ©Olena Savytska/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com; p. 29, ©Boguslaw Ma-
zur/2008 Used under license from Shutterstock.com, National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explor-
ers, 3rd Edition Reprinted with permission of National Geographic Books. All rights reserved.

32 Geography Action! Mapping the Americas Toolkit

 Largest Country in size
Canada

Credits and Acknowledgements

Published by the National Geographic Society
John M. Fahey Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer
Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman of the Board

National Geographic Society Education and Children’s Programs

Daniel Edelson, Vice President
Kathleen Schwille, Kim Hulse, Sheryl Hasegawa, Kristin Dell, Nicole Leung,
Ashley Pipkin, Brittany Dobbins

National Geographic Society Maps

Charlie Regan, Vice President and General Manager
Allen T. Carroll, Chief Cartographer and Executive Vice President
Kevin P. Allen, Vice President Operations
Dierdre Bevington-Attardi, Robert E. Pratt, Juan J. Valdes, James E. McClelland, Jr.

Geography Action! Materials

Sharon Barry, Writer; Carol Gersmehl, Geography Consultant and Mapmaker; Michal
LeVasseur, Geography Consultant; Mary Cahill, Educator Consultant; Laure Hunter,
Educator Consultant; Alice Manning, Editor; Chelsea Zillmer, Researcher; Daniel
Banks, Art Director-Project Design Company; Kerri Sarembock, Designer-Project
Design Company; Carol Cowie, Designer; Sarah Clark, Reviewer; Daniel Beaupre,
Reviewer; Andrew Pudvah, Reviewer

Teachers are encouraged to copy materials in this toolkit for use in the classroom.
© 2008 National Geographic Society