World map

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/world-map

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the historical mapping milestone?Most world coastlines were mapped by the mid-1700s
2. What is the thematic mapping examples?Choropleth maps use color to show statistical differences between regions
3. Why do world maps look different?Because the Earth is round but maps are flat, cartographers use different tricks called projections. Each trick changes size, shape, or distance a little to fit the map on paper or screen.
4. How does the Mercator map help sailors?The Mercator map keeps angles and shapes the same, so a straight line on the map is a constant compass direction. This makes it easier for sailors to follow a straight path.

Map Projection: A systematic transformation of the geographic coordinates of locations from the Earth's surface onto a plane.
Cartographic Distortion: The alteration of shape, area, distance, or direction inherent in representing a sphere on a flat surface.
Geographic Information System (GIS): A system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data.