Overview

Students often think of history as tattered documents, worn photographs, and musty books, all of which have little or no relevance to their lives. Maps provide an often-overlooked source of information and a new and compelling perspective on the past. By revising the work of early twentieth century cartographers, and understanding the underlying motivation for their work, students can claim a historical spot of their own.

In an era of great mobility and immigration of families from other countries, students' homes are a haven and an anchor in a neighborhood. By learning about architectural styles and periods and identifying the best features of their homes, students begin to see their homes as places of value in relation to the broader community portrayed on the panoramic map of their town.

Students create their town’s history for coming generations and place themselves on the map in a literal as well as figurative sense, by producing portions of an updated version of an early twentieth century panoramic map from the American Memory collections. To complete this project, they gather information from a variety of primary sources, including the early twentieth century map, photographs, drawings, and site visits. Each student contributes to the revised map by creating a contemporary map of her or his block.

Objectives	Students will: become familiar with panoramic and other kinds of maps as primary sources of historical information and become proficient at observing and interpreting maps; build a working vocabulary of architectural and cartographic terms; appreciate their own role in affecting and making history; and contribute to a revised panoramic map of their town.
Time Required	3-4 weeks
Recommended Grade Level	Grades 6-8
Curriculum Fit	Language Arts, Social Studies National Council for Social Studies Curriculum Standards Theme II - Time, Continuity and Change Theme III - People, Places and Environments
Standards	McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks Geography Standard 1. Understands the characteristics and used of maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technologies Standard 4. Understand the physical and human characteristics of place Historical Understanding Standard 1. Understands and knows how to analyze chronological relationships and patterns Standard 2. Understands the historical perspective
Resources Used	American Memory Dover, New Jersey 1903 panoramic map Panoramic Maps Additional sources Architecture Glossary from about.com House Styles from about.com Schoonmaker and Laurie. Images of America: Dover. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 1999. Local tax assessor's office Local daily newspapers Historical and geographical sources such as globes, atlases, local and state maps, photographs, and drawings (not all need be current) Templates of local architectural styles

Overview  |  Teacher's Guide