10 Things to do with Maps
1. Ask what names of geographical features have changed.
2. Have them place modern villages and towns on pre settlement maps
See the “Up – To – Date” or “Updates” Project in the Project List
3. Find an unusual twist and turns in a rail line – ask why.
4. Teach the section – township – range format for identifying locations. A quick activity would be to map locations when given the S-T-R. numbers, and the reverse – given a municipal map with locations marked – give the S-T-R location.
5. Place the neighbourhood on a map. (Start small to build basic skills.)
6. Have students make “Then” and “Now” map sets for the town or the region. Fire Insurance Maps exist for many communities that would be quite useful. (Wawanesa, Rivers, Virden are currently available.)
7. Have the students create a series of “Transportation” maps for you region that show the transition from Cart and Boat routes, to Rail Lines and to Roads.
8. Connect maps to photos by creating illustrated maps featuring settlers, buildings, and geographic features. This can be done with paper and glue – or using a variety of computer application.
9. Getting There in.. 1881 (1892, 1907….)
Select a trip that early settlers might have often taken, from your home town to Brandon for instance. How would you trip be different as we move through the decades?
Consider:
Route
Method
Time
Stops
Cost
Possible Difficulties
10. Make an illustrated route map for a trip to another village or town in 1890 – what would one see and experience along the way. What things from today would be there?