Students can prepare a community map that indicates local services and resources. A community map can include the school, school bus depot, community center, hospital, library, TV studio. (See Reference 3) Symbols can be used to indicate playground equipment, sports facilities and cultural centers. Students can color local rivers, lakes and other terrain features. The map can include road and traffic hazards to alert every student and their family to dangers en route to school and around the community. For example; the map can indicate the intersection where a tree branch heavy with snow obscures a stop sign or a sidewalk under construction which forces pedestrians to walk onto the street.
A large world map, posted in the school hall or library, can chart the migrations of the student population. Students who are immigrants can trace with marker pens their journey from their birthplace to their current location and include the year of migration. Students born in the U.S. with parents who are immigrants can trace their parents' journey in another color. This map can be utilized with a multicultural theme to show the school population's cultural diversity.
If your city has an overseas sister city, students can draw a map of their city and it's corresponding city. The map of the sister city can also include city halls, university campuses, downtown financial districts, railway tracks and other man-made features. One color can denote man-made or terrain features common to both cities. For example, if both cities feature a major harbor, one color can indicate the outlines of the two waterfronts.
A map project can include locating a city in the opposite hemisphere located the same distance from the equator as your city. For example, a city at a latitude of 40 degrees north will have a corresponding city at a latitude of 40 degrees south. Students can draw a map that includes that city's features. Perhaps an email message to a school in that city can tell teachers about the map project and inspire their classes to draw a map of your city.
A map of your country can include natural resources and population figures. For example, the map can depict forestry, agriculture and mining resources. Government statistics, obtainable from the United States Census Bureau and Statistics Canada, can help indicate population ranges. (See References 1 and 2) A color in the darkest shade can indicate the densely populated cities; a light tint can indicate sparsely populated areas. A discussion about the relationship between the location of the important resources and urban areas can include trade and transportation of primary and secondary resources.