Mental Mapping activity
Return to: Unit 1
Mental Mapping Activity
Setup: Mental mapping is being able to “picture” a place or location where one is, where one wants to go, or what is happening out of one’s sight. These internal maps are based on an individual’s experiences and perceptions. It is a learned skill which can be used in geography but is also essential in reading with comprehension.
Background: Please review this video on Spatial Concepts and the Spatial Perspective to familiarize yourself with this and other geographical concepts to provide a foundation for our exploration of GIS. Participants should take down some notes about the geographic concepts covered as there will be questions based on this information on the Unit Quiz. Next, participants should review the five main Geographic Concepts which can be expressed in mental maps:
Location (Where something is found on the earth's surface)
Place (A space with a label and meaning attached, such as your hometown)
Human-Environment Interaction (How humans impact, and are impacted by, the physical environment, such as through natural resource use)
Region (A basic area of study in geography that can be defined at different scales, such as the southeastern United States, or Central America), and
Movement (The means by which people and things are transported around the globe, as well as the causes and effects of this process)
Activity: Two Options (please select one option to complete).
1. Draw a map of your city or town (Location). Identify the major North-South and East-West streets (Movement) and include your home address (Place) and major destinations or points of interest you like to visit (Human-Environment Interaction).
2. Draw a map of the route to your favorite store, restaurant, or other destination (Movement; Human-Environment Interaction) in current city or your hometown (Place). What are the streets, landmarks, signs, and directions you use to navigate to your destination (Location)?
- Participants may use any medium they choose to complete their mental maps so long it is sharable via the course Google Docs site under Unit 1: Lesson #1.
Reflection: Reflect on the definitions provided in the Background section as well as the map you created for the activity. How familiar were you with the five main geographic concepts? Was it easy or difficult for you to remember the different geographic elements when drawing your map? Why do you think certain geographic features or elements stick out in your mind more than others?
- Please upload your mental map and reflection to the Course Google Doc for review and comment; all participants will be able to review content on this page.
Links
Return to Unit 1.
Return to Course Homepage.