Students Become Cartographers

At Springville Junior High School, eighth-grade students in Mr. Greg Shields's U.S. History class are learning to be cartographers.  A cartographer is someone who makes a map. Students are in charge of making a map of the United States. Students will add all of the rivers, mountain ranges, regions, and most of the lakes. Students get to use their personality and imagination as they make their maps. They are allowed to decorate the maps in any way that they want. The project is worth 180 points and is due on October 21st. Students will be graded on creativity, neatness, completeness, and total effort put into the project.

According to Mr. Shields, students learn best by making maps instead of looking at them. He also said, “I want the students to experience what it is like to make a map. By doing this they can also appreciate the people who make maps, especially a good map.”

Michelle Herrera, eighth-grade student at SJHS said, “We need maps so that we know where to go. And so that we don’t get lost while reading directions.”  Students are learning that maps are very important. Maps help people gain knowledge, and also help people understand where they are and where they might be going.