Where do you really begin with maps in a classroom? The good news is that you can basically count on the fact that all students have had some encounter with a map at most ages. The more challenging news is that there are so many maps from so many eras that once you begin exploring maps you fall into a black hole out of which you may find it hard to climb.
In The Sovereign Map, Christian Jacob points out that maps have been around for ages and have taken form in various media. Maps are created on all kinds of surfaces. They can be created on the body, or as mosaic maps, as maps on clay tablets, as maps on glass, parchment and other materials. Like many works of art, maps are often framed in a variety of decorative and informative artwork. Although they can be plain and undecorated, maps can be colorful, digital, illustrated and highlighted. Give students a copy of the Ptolemaic system of the universe and ask them “What do you see?” as you might with any piece of artwork in a museum and watch the magic of art and maps unfold and intertwine before your eyes.
As we follow the travels of Phineas Gage in this unit, telling students of Phineas’ journey around Cape Horn of South America versus showing them the route on a map, brings depth and deeper understanding to the lesson. For this particular unit, after introducing an initial plethora of maps, there are several specific maps or types of maps that I will focus on to help us follow the trail of Phineas Gage:
- Basic Wall Map-Although it is a simple source, the pull down map that is on my wall in my classroom is one that I constantly refer to throughout the year. It is easy and convenient to use and helps students get their bearings. The old fashioned pull down maps has many layers, which prove to be useful for multiple lessons. There is a world map, a map of the United States, a map of South America, one of Africa and other regions of the world. The wall map in my room is actually a small collection of basic maps that can help students get their bearings when discussing certain aspects of literature or non-fiction.
- Maps of US rail system-Phineas Gage was a railroad worker and his job laying tracks in Vermont was an important turning point in American history. There are plenty of copies of map routes and the transcontinental railway that led to America’s expansion to the West. Invite students to take a look at the Library of Congress collection, Railroad Maps, 1828-1900 (https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/about-this-collection/). The digital collection has thousands of railroad related maps including an 1867 map entitled Map showing the line of New Haven, Middletown and Boston Railroad and its connections. Challenge students to find the Rutland Burlington line that runs right through Cavendish, VT, the site of Phineas’ accident.
- Timelines-Students will create a timeline on the life of Phineas Gage as a part of the unit. This mapping exercise will help students to sift through and summarize the material being read. It also gives students a chance to be creative and decorate their work. When we think of timelines, we often think of the basic timeline, a straight arrow like line with bulleted stops and information much like markings on a ruler. But a quick look online gives teachers dozens of creative ideas to make timelines including a scroll timeline that opens like ancient scrolls, another timeline uses butcher paper to keep posted on a classroom wall and add to as the story progresses. Still other ideas are vertical, folding timelines, paper link timelines (for younger students) and storyboard timelines. I have used Padlet to make timelines with students both individually and as a class. There are other digital resources that teachers can use to make timelines including Popplet, Sutori and Time graphics. Google slides can also be used to make digital timelines.
- Globes-Like the timeless classroom wall map, the globe has been an object of great interest to scholars and students for ages. There is something about putting your hands on a globe, spinning the earth on its axis, randomly running your hands across the continents and the oceans that makes a globe a tactile tool that will appeal to some students more than a digital or paper map. Not only are globes more accurate than their one dimensional cousins, but they are by their nature interactive. Put a globe in your room and see how long it takes for a student to approach it and trace the imaginary routes and travels of all of our dreams. Ask student to trace the route of his voyage from the east coast around Cape Horn and up the coast of Chile. Raised relief globes allow users to run their fingers across mountain tops and feel the trenches of the ocean. A truly incredible digital globe is Google Earth. Students will surely enjoy exploring this digital globe as dive into the wide range of maps and globes available for them to discover.
- Atlases- From Mercator’s first atlas to the modern day atlases that populate our homes and classrooms, the Atlas is a great introduction to maps and the placement of maps in a series or set. Students can be introduced to atlases by discussing the placement of the maps within the atlas. Discussions on the placements of maps in an atlas can stimulate students to visualize and analyze the structure of the world in ways that they might not have otherwise.
- Science-related maps- As the title of the text we are utilizing suggests, the story of Phineas Gage is not only a story of a person’s journey to overcome a challenging brain injury, but the book is very much about brain science. Scientists have been mapping the human body, including the brain, for hundreds of years. There are a host of maps that can be explored in the study of Phineas Gage. From the nineteenth century science of mapping of personality traits on diagrams of the brain, known as Phrenology, to modern day mapping of the billions of neurons which race through our nervous system, migrating to specific areas of the brain where they position to make our body work, the story of Phineas Gage is a story about science. In his book, Fleishman gives us some maps on Phineas’ accident with several illustrations mapping the angle and route of the tamping iron through Phineas’ skull. The author also provides a map of the human body when discussing the theory of four humors, the medical theory that asserted four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, black and yellow bile) determined the physiological makeup of humans. Maps and images of the theory are plentiful on the internet as are images of the Phrenological head that was a part of medical theory during Phineas’ time. Part of Phineas’ journey is psychological. His personality actually changed dramatically after the three foot iron damaged his frontal lobe. When discussing Phineas’ psychological changes and during our discussion of Phrenology, I invite students to map their own “Phrenological selves” in an attempt to reflect on their own personality and what characteristics they can identify as their own. Fleishman also includes a large number of maps of the brain. Brain mapping has come a long way since Phineas’ time. On their website, The Center for Brain Training asserts that brain mapping “is one of the most vital diagnostic tools available in the field of neurofeedback for use with people who have brain based conditions.” (https://www.centerforbrain.com/services/eeg-brain-mapping/) Finally, any discussion of brain science must include a discussion of the billions of neurons that interact through our brain and nervous system. As advances in technology increase so too does our ability to see and map the brain. Have students check out the USC’s Humanconnectome Project (humanconnectomeproject.org) and browse the gallery for numerous detailed images as neurologists become more skilled at mapping the brain.
- Digital Maps- There are dozens of digital mapping sources online that students and teachers can utilize to explore and create maps. Start with Google Earth and Google maps, most likely somewhat familiar to your students, but which still provide a lot to explore. Jamboard allows students to insert and manipulate maps. National Geographic Mapping Resources, Mapmaker, Scribble Map, Story Map and GeoGuessr are just a few of the many resources available for exploring and creating maps online.
- Personal favorites-I will surely punctuate this part of the unit with some of my favorite maps from my years as a traveler. From the AAA triptiks which allowed me to navigate from CT to TN from the backseat of my parents car every summer, to a map of Taiwan where I traveled extensively, utilizing local maps for both recreational and practical purpose to navigate around the island, and finally to an illustrated map of Germany’s Fairy Tale Road on which I followed the footsteps of the Brothers Grimm several years ago. All of us have favorite maps and stories about maps to share with our students and by doing so we are making connections and bonds that are an integral part of any healthy classroom atmosphere. After sharing your favorites, invite students to come up with a map that they find interesting or has touched their lives in some way.
