Previously posted on June 5, 2015, at homescool.ph
In part 1, I encouraged homeschoolers to include Geography in daily lessons. In this post, I will share how to copy maps as they learn about their own country and the world.
Here are the maps which the kids have done:
Steps to copying, reducing or enlarging:
- Use an old map or download and print the map you wish to copy/enlarge/reduce.
You can introduce the measurements in this activity and teach the children the proper use of rulers.
With boxes in your paper/cartolina, it will be easier to copy the image as you copy in an orderly manner, using the boxes and their labels as guides. The details of the forms of the islands, the presence of rivers, and other landforms can be copied as well.
All your students have to do is to also label the boxes in his paper (where he will draw the map from scratch) with the same labels on the map to be copied (A1, A2, A3, etc).
Now you can start drawing!
Such projects cannot be accomplished in one sitting. The world map was done by three students for around 2-3 weeks (as they worked on it around three times a week). However, it is very good exercise to help children (and the teacher as well!) familiarize (and not memorize) provinces and regions in our country and countries all over the world. They can also map all the oceans and the continents easily. Without knowing it, as they daily outline, color and add details, they are actually memorizing while having fun. You can continue to talk as they do these tasks, “Imagine what is it like to be a cartographer?” or “Could you imagine how it was like when there were no maps?” And try to listen to their answers! We hope to make more maps, Luzon and Visayas are definitely in our bucket list.
Merry Map Making!
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
1 Chronicles 4:10
Donna P. Simpao, M.D. 
