MAP READING - A USEFUL SKILL FOR GEOGRAPHY - HISTORY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

The cover image (right) list three uses of this unit. It can be a ready made standalone unit concentrating on the skill of map reading. The inclusion of black and white and colour attachments provide flexibility in providing hard copies. The visual inclusions of drawings, maps and graphs provide ample opportunity for students to find, consider and provide answers to set questions. Project the maps in the series and discuss the questions in class. Provide the attachments to find out why the the 5th generation descendants of the pioneer settlers decided to leave the farm .However this unit could be used as an introduction to other units which examine the broader issues contained in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan - an issue very much in the current news (2017). For history students this unit touches on the issue of farmers who were "squatters" before the advent of land surveys and titles. For those involved in environmental studies this unit shows impact and change within a river system due to population increase, land use and technology changes. The attachments provide the guidelines for investigation and interpretation. Follow the McNab family through 5 generations of change which a revealed in the map series. Some of the answers are obvious but others may require debate. See how many of the changes your students can discover in the "spot the difference page".
Maps reveal visually information that would take many words to provide.