Exhibits
Mapping the World Around Us
Fascinating Methods of Representation
The world of maps is one of infinite possibilities. They help us navigate from here to there, but they can also be abstractions, diagrams of relationships or interactions over time. This exhibit shows several samples of different types of maps, and it also invites visitors to create their own.
Maps can represent different regions of the earth, but they can also reveal how diseases spread, or how plants and animals form food chains in an ecosystem. Here, you can learn about the oldest map in the world and the stick maps used by Pacific Islanders and the Inuits. Browse a large digital collection that includes maps of the World Wide Web, human chromosomes, and Renaissance maps of the globe. Survey all the known galaxies of the universe, or plunge into the bedrock of North America.
Discover how different geometry projections allow map makers to transfer spatial information about the Earth's curved surface to the two dimensions of a piece of paper.
Learn to read a topographic map, or pretend you are an explorer sailing around a mysterious island to map its coastline. Use a special digital video player to fly over Alaska or Yosemite, or even the surface of Mars. You can build a map of your room at home or discover hidden meaning by comparing different kinds of population maps.
Curiously, while some maps may be more accurate than others, there is no perfect, universal map. The same region can be represented by many different maps, each one emphasizing different features according to the user's needs.
| Format | Exhibit |
| Grades | K – Adult |
| Location | Blue Wing, Level 1 — Museum of Science, Boston |
| Website | n/a |
Support Provided By:
Mapping the World Around Us
+ View Detailed Standard Connections
Secondary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Earth and Space Science > Mapping the Earth (Grade: 6 – 8)
References:
National Science Education Standards (1996)
(National)
- Science as Inquiry > Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (Grade: 9 – 12)
– View Concise Standard Connections
Secondary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Earth and Space Science > 01 Mapping the Earth (Grade: 6 – 8)
Recognize, interpret, and be able to create models of the earth's common physical features in various mapping representations, including contour maps.
References:
National Science Education Standards (1996)
(National)
- Science as Inquiry > Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (Grade: 9 – 12)
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models.
Mapping the World Around Us
Evaluated on n/a
Comments:
Mapping the World Around Us
Schedules
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