Make Your Own Sundial

Shadows change direction depending on the time of day. As the earth rotates and the sun moves across the sky, shadows also move. In the morning, your shadow will stretch out behind you to the west, but in the evening it will stretch to the east. The shadow on your sundial does the same thing.

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Featured in Mapping and Navigation

Design Your Own Official Seal

From Micronations

Now that you have some ideas for symbols for your country, use them to create your micronation's official coat of arms and a seal. Seals were originally designs pressed into a soft piece of wax with a mold. A seal put on a document shows that a person or government official has approved it. Today, seals are usually stamped on with an inkpad or pressed into a piece of paper with a special tool so...

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Reviews

School Library Journal
“The book has many good ideas for teachers to implement.”

Dr. Ian Muehlenhaus, Department of Geography and Earth Science, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
“Mapping and Navigation is written in an exciting manner that children will immediately gravitate toward. I highly recommend this book for any child that is curious about geography, maps, and exploring the world around them. My daughters will certainly be reading it in the near future!”

Marla Conn, Educational Consultant
“Mapping and Navigation is a perfect STEM title and a wonderful resource for students in grades 4-7. It encourages students to draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.”

Detailed Book Description

How did we get from 20-foot-long maps to GPS devices small enough to fit in the palm of our hands? How does GPS work and what can it tell us? How do ancient mapmaking techniques used by the Romans and Greeks influence the satellite technologies we use today? The history of mapmaking is full of remarkable characters who charted the unknown with an ever-changing set of tools. In Mapping and Navigation: The History and Science of Finding Your Way, kids ages 9-12 will learn the history and science behind the evolution of mapmaking, and how much is still out there for discovery.

Readers will explore ideas through hands-on experiments while learning new terminology and interesting facts. Projects include using triangulation to measure distances, creating contour lines on a mini-mountain to understand elevation changes on a map, and inventing a sundial and compass to understand the basics of navigation. Whether mapping the solar system or mapping their own backyard, all readers will be able to understand mapping technologies and see the world in new and exciting ways.

Available In:

Hardcover, $10.45
9781619301948

Paperback, $7.45
9781619301986

Specs: 8 x 10 size | black and white interior | 128 pages

Subject: Social Studies

Content Focus: Geography

Leveling: Ages 9-12 |Grade Level 4-6 |GRL V |Lexile 1010L

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Timeline

Introduction
Finding Your Way

Chapter 1
Ancient Maps

Chapter 2
Explorers Cross the Seas

Chapter 3
Mapping New Lands and New Skies

Chapter 4
Mapping from Satellites: GPS and Landsat

Chapter 5
What Is GIS?

Chapter 6
Oceans: The Least Known Surface on Earth

Chapter 7
Space: Navigating the Final Frontier

Glossary
Resources
Index