Webquest: Maps                                     Name________________________

Go to http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/hall/  

Xpedition Hall is an interactive geography “museum” that takes you on geography journeys. Click on number 1 above World in Spatial Terms, then click on the screen to enter the exhibit.

1.  Notice the changing projections of the Earth.  What countries or continents are changing size or shape? List two and describe the change.

       a.___________________________________________________________________________

       b.___________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain why no map can perfectly portray our world? __________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3.  Click the arrow-shaped indentations on each side of the viewer to swap projector lenses and see the world in new ways.  Fill out the chart below with your observations.

4.  What different information is presented with the right-hand tabs?

Living Earth-____________________________________________________________________

Physical-_________________________________________________________________________

Political-_________________________________________________________________________

Now go to http://www.pinnaclefarms.ca/ORIANAsite/DownsideUp/DownsideUp.html

1.  Clips on Maps or scroll down to the 1^st section called Maps, answer the following questions.

       a.  A globe is a perfect model of the world what component remain        accurate? 1________________________________   2___________________________                      3________________________________   4___________________________

2.  Continue reading, what is the main problem with a projection? _______

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.  Reading about the history and significance of the Mercator Projection.  Masters of the seas, or powerful countries, gained political power and influence by conquering other lands.  Their map of choice?  The Mercator, excellent for sea travel.  This map become the defacto map throughout classrooms in the world.  What does that mean? _________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.  What’s the main problem with the Mercator projection? ____________________________________________________________________________________

Example: ________________________________________________________________________

5.  What’s interesting about North America and Europe? _________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

6.  In a world where might is right and bigger is better, it can and has been argued that the Mercator projection has the psychological impact of demeaning people who are already downtrodden, mostly those in the Southern Hemisphere, while enhancing a position of superiority for the first world nations, those countries in North America and Europe.  What do you think?  Explain you reasoning and back-up your opinion. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.  Scroll down to the Peters Projection, notice the difference map projection.  Read the section on the history of the Peter’s map projection.                                                                                                  Arno Peters chose to embroil the Peters Projection in controversy from Day 1 and, in so doing, aggravated some sensitivities in the scientific community.  What was the controversy with the Peter’s projection?  Hint:  The issue or debate centered around something besides his map, reread the first paragraph of this section if you forgot. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8.  What’s unique with the spinning globe? _________________________________

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