Map-Making 101

The class will start with a slideshow/lecture introduction to maps.  We will look at some projects where kids are mapping their neighborhoods in order to propose changes in their community and show grown-ups how they experience their environment. 

Then we will delve into how to create your own map: basic skills such as orientation, scale, legend and palette, and steps to map-making while out in your community or the world: noticing, engaging, recalling and mapping.  Learners will be given a mapping activity to do and will be encouraged (but not required!) to share their work with the class.  Map-making is a creative exercise and the primary objective is to empower kids to express themselves and have fun with it.  Every map will be different, and there is no right or wrong way to make a map!  

Making maps is a creative act, but it can also be challenging, with decisions to make on how to represent places, what to include or exclude.  Kids' maps can include memories, subjective qualities of spaces, and the paths they take, making each map a unique story.