Name_______________________________________Date_______________________Core____
Guided Reading 1-3 (WE p. 19-22)
Using the Tools of Geography
Look at the map on p. 10 and read the caption. Answer the Comparing Maps questions.
1.
2.
Read the first two paragraphs and the caption on p. 19. Describe how people made maps before modern
satellite technology existed. Be sure to include at least two important details in your description.
Globes and Maps
Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of maps and globes.
Globes
Maps
Advantages
Disadvantages
Use the glossary to define scale (p.667)
Use the glossary to define distortion (p.659)
Making Maps
1. Mercator Projection (Be sure to read the caption too.)
 Made by ____________________________________________in the year_____________
 Describe how Mercator made his map:

Why is a Mercator projection map useful (advantage)?

What is the disadvantage of a Mercator projection map?

Answer the map study question on p.20.
2. Interrupted Projection (Be sure to read the caption too.)
 Describe how an interrupted projection map is made.

What is the advantage of an interrupted projection map?

What is the disadvantage of an interrupted projection map?
3. Robinson Projection (Be sure to read the caption too.)
 Made by ____________________________________ for the Rand McNally map company in 1963.
 Describe how a Robinson projection map is different than a Mercator projection map.

What is the advantage of a Robinson projection map?

What is the disadvantage of a Robinson projection map?

Answer the map study question on p.21.
The Parts of a Map
Complete the following vocabulary boxes.
compass rose
Define:
Draw:
Use:
distance scale
Define:
Draw:
Use:
map key or legend
Define:
Draw:
Use:
grid
Define:
Use:
Answer questions #6-8 on p. 22 on separate paper
Draw:
Name_______________________________________Date_______________________Core____
Guided Reading 1-3 (WE p. 19-22)
Using the Tools of Geography
Look at the map on p. 10 and read the caption. Answer the Comparing Maps questions.
1. Look at the map on this page and compare it with the amp of the world in the Activity Atlas on page 6. What
differences do you see?
 There are major differences in the sizes and shapes of the continents.
2. What are some reasons for these differences?
 This is the result of the differences between the knowledge of the Earth in 1859 and today. For
example, the words Terra Incognita at the top of North America are Latin for “unknown land.”
Read the first two paragraphs and the caption on p. 19. Describe how people made maps before modern
satellite technology existed. Be sure to include at least two important details in your description.

Before modern satellite technology existed, people made maps out of whatever was available.
The Inuit people carved detailed, accurate maps on pieces of wood. The Marshall Islanders
used palm sticks to show wave patterns and ocean currents and shells to show islands.
Globes and Maps
Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of maps and globes.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Globes
Accurately depict to scale the shape
of the Earth’s features and the
distances from point to point.
Difficult to transport; shows little detail
Maps
Convenient to use
Always include distortions
Use the glossary to define scale (p.667)
Scale is the size of an area on a map, as compared with the area’s actual size.
Use the glossary to define distortion (p.659)
Distortion is a misrepresentation of the true shape.
Making Maps
4. Mercator Projection (Be sure to read the caption too.)
 Made by Gerhardus Mercator in the year 1569.
 Describe how Mercator made his map:
To make his map flat, Mercator expanded the area between longitudes near the poles.
 Why is a Mercator projection map useful (advantage)?
Mercator maps are used by nearly all deep-sea navigators. They are useful to navigators, because the
longitude and latitude lines appear straight.
 What is the disadvantage of a Mercator projection map?
By stretching the spaces between the longitudes, Mercator distorted the sizes of some of the land.
Land near the poles appears much larger than it actually is. The image is distorted.
 Answer the map study question on p.20.
Other areas that might look larger than they are include Antarctica, northern North America, and
northern Asia.
5. Interrupted Projection (Be sure to read the caption too.)
Describe how an interrupted projection map is made.

It is like the ripped peel of an orange. By creating gaps in the picture of the world, mapmakers showed
the size and shape of land accurately.
What is the advantage of an interrupted projection map?

Interrupted projection maps show the real sizes and shapes of continents, which make it possible to
figure distances correctly.
What is the disadvantage of an interrupted projection map?

You could not use this projection to chart a course across the ocean.
6. Robinson Projection (Be sure to read the caption too.)
 Made by Arthur Robinson for the Rand McNally map company in 1963.

Describe how a Robinson projection map is different than a Mercator projection map.
A Robinson projection map is oval shaped with a flat top and bottom, while a Mercator projection map
is rectangular.

What is the advantage of a Robinson projection map?
It is the best world map available. Robinson projection maps show the size and shape of the land quite
accurately. Sizes of the oceans and distances are also fairly accurate.

What is the disadvantage of a Robinson projection map?
Robinson projection maps contain distortions, especially in areas around the edges of the map.

Answer the map study question on p.21.
Do you think the Robinson projection would be as useful to a navigator as the Mercator projection?
Why or why not?
The Robinson projection would not be as useful for navigation as the Mercator projection, because the
lines of longitude are not straight.
The Parts of a Map
Complete the following vocabulary boxes.
compass rose
Define: A compass rose is a model of a compass. This map feature
usually shows the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and
west.
Draw:
Use: provides a frame of reference to map readers
distance scale
Define: the size of an area on a map as compared with an area’s
actual size.
Draw:
Use: to determine what a certain distance on the map stands for on
the surface of the Earth
map key or legend
Define: the section of a map that explains the symbols for the map
features, including landmarks, such as roads or towns.
Draw:
Use: by using the map key or legend, readers understand the various
features that are indicated on the map
grid
Define: lines of latitude and longitude on the map or globe or letters
and numbers along the perimeter of a map or globe
Draw:
Use: makes identifying a location on the map easier
Answer questions #6-8 on p. 22 on separate paper
6. Some of the obstacles faced by mapmakers are the challenge of dealing with map distortion and allowing
navigators to figure distances correctly.
7. The road map provides information on how to get to the park, while the park map shows how to reach
features inside the park.
8. You should include specific directions and landmarks in your directions. Your maps should include a scale,
compass rose, or a legend/key.