October 28, 2008

Giant Traveling Maps, Oh My!


A giant National Geographic map of North America, measuring 26 feet by 35 feet, is traveling to schools, museums and festivals across the country this year, giving student explorers a geographic experience like no other. The National Geographic Giant Traveling Map brings with it rich content and exciting activities to enliven the study of geography, making it a fun, interactive experience.

The North American map is the third in National Geographic's Giant Traveling Map series. Africa began touring in 2006, followed by Asia in 2007. In the 2008-09 school year, more than 90,000 U.S. students will have the unique experience of walking on a National Geographic Giant Traveling Map.

The new giant map, designed for grades K-8, tours with a trunk full of accessories, including interactive games, geography adventures, atlases and books that teach students about the physical characteristics of North America as well as its rich history and varied cultures. 

Some of the activities included are "A Tale of Twenty Cities," in which students explore the physical and economic reasons behind the locations of North American cities, and "Grocery Store Geography," in which bean-bag-tossing skills are called upon to test students' knowledge of where foods are produced in the continent.

To learn more about the Giant Traveling Map project, for borrowing information, or to download map activities, visit ngsednet.org/giantmaps.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

In regards to exploring the physical reasons behind the locations of cities...I want to pass along this great short video I found that does much of the same for Paris and New York City.


The New York Public Library recently posted an online video entitled “Mapping the World” that provides a behind-the-scenes snapshot of its map collection...which is the largest public library map collection in the world consisting of some 431,000 maps, 16,000 atlases and books about cartography.

The video link is http://www.nypl.org/news/treasures/index.cfm?vidid=3. Great resource! Enjoy!

Linda said...

Looks like a fun activity for children!