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Lesson Topic: Maps and Globes
Essential Questions:
How have mapmakers chosen to represent the earth, which is shaped like a ball, on a flat piece of
paper?
What happens when you try to make a ball flat, or make a flat map into a ball?
Grade: 2
Standard/s:
Massachusetts History & Social Studies Standards
2.4: Describe how maps and globes depict geographical information in different ways.
Content Objective/s:
Students will be able to describe how maps and globes teach us about the world in different
ways.
Language Objective/s:
Students will be able to describe how maps and globes teach us about the world in different
ways.
Materials:
Easy-to-peel clementines or tangerines, one per student
Globe gore cutouts
10” plastic ball-pit balls, (optional)
World Map
Hendrick Hondius Projection map
Venn diagram templates
Vocabulary:
projection
map
globe
3-dimensional (3D)
2-dimensional (2D)
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Preview:
Show your school on Google Earth on a smartboard, projector, or individual computers or
tablets. Zoom out progressively until you see a view of the earth in space. Discuss what students
notice about the earth. Write what you noticed in Preview section of your Interactive Social
Studies Notebook (ISN) (http://www.teachtci.com/interactive-social-studies-notebook.html)
Mini-lesson/Note-making Activity:
1. Show the students a globe. Discuss how the globe is similar and different from the photo of
the earth in space.
2. Give students a clementine and a Sharpie or ball-point pen. Ask students to draw some
continents of their own design on their clementine. Then students should peel their clementine,
keeping the peel whole if possible. Notice and discuss with your partner how the “globe” has
changed when it is made flat.
3. Look at a world map. How is it different from the globe? Look at the Hondius map attached
to this lesson plan. How is it different from the contemporary world map and the globe? Be sure
to point out the round sections, and show how they represent different perspectives on parts of
the globe. Why would someone want to make a flat map? [It’s more portable, it’s cheaper, it can
be easily printed and disseminated]
4. If there is time, print out copies of the globe gores from
http://www.3dgeography.co.uk/#!make-a-globe/cdox or historical globe gores from
http://www.oshermaps.org/education/lesson-plans/introduction-cartography
The documents are also attached to this lesson plan at the end. Students can carefully cut along
the edges of the gores and tape to a 10-inch diameter ball to make a globe. This may be best
done as a demonstration, as little hands will likely have difficulty with the careful cutting
necessary.
5. Students should turn and talk about maps and globe. How are they similar and how are they
different? When would you want to use a map and when would you want to use a globe? Then,
students complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting maps and globes. Glue or tape the
Venn diagram on the right (content) side of the ISSN.
Processing Activity:
Imagine you are sailing around the world in a ship. Would you want a map or a globe to find
your way? Why?
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Resources:
Hendrik Hondius map: http://maps.bpl.org/id/15510 (use zoomify feature online)
Earth Photo gores
17th Century globe gores
Nova totius terrarum orbis geographica ac hydrographica tabula
Author: Hondius, Hendrik
Publisher: Hondius & Jansson
Date: 1630
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