Mapping an Island Nation
By Robyn Prochazka
October 08, 2006
The Middle School students are busy mapping the new island nations that have sprung up in the oceans around the world.
Students were paired and given a chance to be be amateur cartographers. They began by finding the location of the new island using latitude and longitude lines. They then developed a 3-D map showing the elevation of their island. Each pair of students had to do research on an island or country that was near their island. The task was to find the climate, temperature, precipitation, resources, and products of that near-by body of land. They will then make climate maps showing temperature and precipitation ranges on the newly discovered island. A resource map identifying different resources and products that can be found on the island will then be developed. Students revealed that being cartographers was hard work but fun at the same time.
