Maps

Let’s explore a map of Canada!

This is a map of Canada. The map has all ten provinces and three territories. From left to right, or from the west coast to the east coast, the provinces are: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The territories are on top of the provinces. Moving from the west to the east, the territories are: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Early societies and maps

Maps have existed for thousands of years and were used by early societies to mark the boundaries of their empire and locate towns and trade routes.

Maps can also indicate the physical features of a region and indicate directions:

North East South West (N E S W).

The earliest maps can be dated to several thousand years ago and were engraved in stone tablets, carved in temples, and later drawn on paper. The boundaries of the maps eventually grew over time as more cultures interacted, and the true size and scale of the world was recognized.

Let’s explore a modern map of the world and then several ancient maps.

This is a map of the entire world with all seven continents, from left to right, or west to east. On the west side of the map is North America and South America. In the middle of the map, there is Europe and Africa. On the east side of the map is Asia and Australia. Lastly, extending from west to east is Antarctica on the very bottom.

The modern map of the world includes the seven continents: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica. Within the continents, regions are divided into a total of 195 countries or nation-states.

Maps have changed a lot over the centuries. Let’s consider how earlier maps compare with modern maps.

Ancient Greek

Let’s examine the following ancient Greek world map:

The map is of the known world from the ancient Greek perspective created by Herodotus in 450 BCE. It illustrates Europe, parts of Africa, and Asia. Although, Africa is not mentioned, it was frequently referred to as Libya, and Herodotus used the term Ethiopians. As for Asian, he only goes as far to the east, which is India.

Sumerian

Let’s explore the following ancient Sumerian map:

The Sumerian map illustrates Nippur in 1500 BCE. This map is a clay tablet from the Kassite period of Babylonia. It is engraved with lines, drawings, and buildings with titles.

Let’s think!

After examining the Sumerian map, reflect and respond to the following questions:

1. What features do you notice on the map?
2. How do you think the map was made?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Press ‘Hint’ to access additional prompts to help guide your thinking.

Hint

Ancient Chinese

Let’s analyse the following ancient Chinese map of the world:

The map is based on Chinese mythology and comes from the ancient book, Classics of Mountains and Oceans. It shows a mythological figure in the middle with little islands surrounding its head. There is another land mass around those islands, which is surrounded by what appears to be water with three islands. Everything is presented in a circle with blue water surrounding everything.

I wonder…

After examining the ancient Chinese map, reflect and respond to the following questions:

1. What details are included in the map?
2. What does the map have in common with the Greek map and the Sumerian map?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Press ‘Hint’ to access additional prompts to help guide your thinking.

Hint

Indigenous trade routes

Maps can also focus on one detail. For example, the following maps concentrate on the Indigenous trade routes.

Let’s explore the following map of Indigenous trade routes in Ontario and Quebec.

This is a trade route map in northern Ontario and Quebec used by the Ojibwe, Achirigouan, Nipissing, Algonquin, and Montagnais First Nations prior to and after contact with European settlers. There are five routes illustrated in this map: 1. The Ojibwe’s route started from the coast of Lake Superior, and heads north east through the Albany River to James Bay. 2.The Achirigouan’s route began from the outskirts of Georgian Bay, and heads north through the Moose River to James Bay. 3.The Nipissing’s route started from Lake Nipissing, and heads north through the Moose River to James Bay. 4.The Algonquin’s route began from the St. Lawrence River, and heads north west through the St. Maurice and Nottaway River to James Bay. 5.Lastly, the Montagnais’ route started from the St. Lawrence River, and heads west through the Saguenay and Rupert River to James Bay.

Interactive

Please press the following link entitled Interactive Map(Opens in a new window) to access the interactive Indigenous trade routes map in Alberta.

This interactive map is based on Indigenous oral traditions (the stories passed on from one generation to the next about past events) and European accounts.

When using this map, click on traditional territories, river systems, and trade routes. The result shows that trade routes and rivers were deeply connected.

After exploring the interactive map, consider:

• What do all of the routes have in common?

Press ‘Hint’ to access an additional prompt to help guide your thinking.

Hint

Hiawatha Belt

The Hiawatha Belt, which is the wampum belt, has information on the relationship between the members of the Haudenosaunee, including the Seneca. The belt has five symbols woven from white beads, each one representing a member of the Haudenosaunee. From left to right: the Seneca Nation, the Cayuga Nation, the Onondaga Nation, the Oneida Nation, and the Mohawk Nation. The sixth nation, Tuscarora Nation, joined after the belt was created.

The Hiawatha Belt represents the unity between the five original Haudenosaunee nations, which were connected by the Great Law of Peace. The tree in the center and each white square represents one of the original five nations.

The Hiawatha Belt served as a map, with the Seneca being the most western nation in the confederacy known as the “Keepers of the Western Door.” Since the Onondaga were geographically located in the center of the group of Nations, it was known as the “Keepers of the Central Fire,” and the heart of the Five Nations loyal to the Great Law of Peace. The Mohawk Nation, being the most easterly, was known as the “Keepers of the Eastern Door.”

What do you think?

After exploring the various kinds of maps from several societies, what information do we need to have in order to understand the information we get from maps?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Press ‘Let’s check!’ to access a few possible answers.

Let’s check!

Mapping skills

Let’s review our mapping skills!

Explore this video entitled “Maps” to learn more about how to read a map, and the importance of a compass.

After exploring the video, reflect on the following questions:

• Why do you think maps are important?
• How do maps help us understand a society or specific moment in history?
• How can the location of an early society affect life in that society?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Locating early societies

In order to understand how climate and the physical environment can affect an early society, it is important to locate these societies.

You can refer to the map at the beginning of the Action section in order to review the location of the continents and the countries.

Then, using a blank world map, let’s explore the following steps:

1. Name the 7 continents and identify them on a map. This will help to understand where in the world these early societies are located.
2. Locate and label the following countries: Canada, the United States of America, Greece, Iraq, China, India, Ethiopia, Peru, Mexico, and Thailand.

Complete the Mapping Early Societies activity in your notebook, in the following fillable and printable document, or in a method of your choice.

Mapping Early Societies

Pause and think!

• What and where is the equator?
• What directions do the letters N, S, E, W represent on a compass?
• Why are these directions important?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Press ‘Let’s check!’ to access more details.

Let’s check!

Physical geography and early societies

Reflect on the countries you explored in the previous activity.

Now, consider what the climate and physical landscape may be for the communities living in those countries:

• Canada
• The United States of America
• Greece
• Iraq
• China
• India
• Ethiopia
• Peru
• Mexico
• Thailand

Respond to the following questions:

• How close or far away from the equator were they?
• What would the climate have been like in these areas?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Parts of a map

Press the following tabs to explore some parts you may find on a map of the world.

Physical maps

Physical maps are maps that are used to understand the physical environment around the world. Using these maps helps us understand how elevated or flat the land is. To illustrate the elevation, these maps are colour coded.

This is a colour coded map to understand the elevation in the different continents of the world. Starting from left to right. North America is colour coded with brown on the west coast, yellow in the middle, and green on the east coast. There Arctic regions are covered in white, with tiny bits of green and yellow. South America is colour coded with brown on the west coast, and the rest of the continent is a mixture of yellow and green. Africa is colour coded with a mixture of brown, yellow, and green. Europe is colour coded mostly with green, and with a bit of yellow towards the south coast. Asia is mostly covered in green, with some yellow and brown towards the centre of the continent. There is also a small patch of white before the south coast. Australia is colour coded with a mixture of green and yellow. Antarctica is the southern point of the Earth, and is completely covered in white. In between all of the continents, there are large and small sections of blue.

On this particular physical map, the colours have a specific description:

• brown: high elevation, mountains, and dry
• blue: water
• white: frozen ice and snow covered
• green: vegetation and/or forests
• yellow: dry and/or desert

After exploring the map, think about the following question:

• How can this map help us understand more about an early society?

Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.

Press ‘Let’s check!’ to access a possible response.

Let’s check!

Climate and early societies

Let’s consider how the climate affected societies around the world:

Press the following tabs to access more details about climate around the world.

Learning check!

Let’s consider the relationship between climate, physical geography, and society.

Select the correct answer, then press ‘Check Answer’ to see how you did.

Compare and contrast

Compare and contrast the climate and physical features of two of the societies that we explored in the previous Action section.

Consider:

• What similarities do you notice between the climate and physical features of the location of these two societies?
• What are two ways climate and the physical features of a location can affect a society?

Complete the Compare & Contrast: Climate and Physical Features activity in your notebook, in the following fillable and printable document, or in a method of your choice.

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

Discover More