Archaeo-Tech: Introducing Critical Cartography
This lesson plan is intended to introduce students to critical cartography, a subfield of geography that recognizes maps as inherently political objects subject to bias and hidden meaning. In this lesson, students will learn the basic principles and applications of critical cartography and explore how maps are not neutral representations of the world. In this lesson, the teacher will introduce concepts of critical cartography by building on the students’ understanding of maps as two-dimensional symbolic representations of space. Students will then divide into groups and examine historical maps as case studies and present their findings to the class. In the final part of the lesson, students will discuss the applications of critical cartography in other disciplines, such as in anthropology and archaeology.
Lesson Created By: MegGaillard
Lesson Partners: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Essential Question
How do maps serve not as neutral reflections of reality, but as powerful political artifacts that reveal the perspectives, biases, and values of their creators?
Grade(s):
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Recommended Technology:
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
· For Warm-Up Activity (optional):
o Pens, pencils, and/or markers
o Paper for drawing (could use grid paper for older classes)
o Rulers
· For Case Studies:
o Pens, pencils, and/or markers
o Large, printed maps. (Maps should be large enough for fine details and text to be legible. You may use your own maps for this lesson or use the links provided in this document to download and print the maps referenced in the provided case studies. If using the maps referenced in the provided case studies, it is recommended to print them as large as possible and in the highest resolution as possible).
o Sticky notes and/or stickers (for students to mark information on their map).
o Case study handouts if using the provided case studies (the teacher may create their own handouts if they opt for using their own maps; 1 handout for each student)
Lesson Progression
1. The case studies in this lesson plan can be changed to best match the regions or periods of study for each grade level. It is recommended to print the maps as large as possible and in the highest resolution as possible so fine details like text and illustrations are legible. Each student will receive a handout that corresponds to the map they are working with for their case study (see the handouts at the end of this document). Alternatively, this lesson can be completed online by using the links provided to access the maps digitally.
2. Warm-Up Activity: (This activity can be skipped for high school classes) Begin the lesson by distributing pens, pencils, markers, crayons, rulers, and sheets of paper. Tell your students that they will be constructing a map from memory depicting the route from their home to their school. Encourage them to include as much detail as possible, such as street names, elements of the natural landscape, and other places they might be familiar with. Review necessary map skills and vocabulary as necessary, depending on grade level and previous experience studying maps. All maps should include a map legend, scale, and orientation.
3. Allow time for your students to draw their mental maps.
4. When finished drawing their maps, have your students break off into pairs or small groups and compare their maps. Have the students observe and discuss the differences between their map and their peers’ maps. Explore why that is beyond them living in different locations and having different commutes. How do their individual mental maps present a different perception of a place’s identity?
5. Explain that humans have been creating maps to document and express information about their surroundings for thousands of years. Consider how maps are important resources for studying the past. Not only are maps helpful in providing information about past landscapes, they also, when read critically, provide insight into the worldview of the mapmaker. Like other primary resources, maps support a particular viewpoint and contain hidden meanings.
6. Lecture: Introduce the key concepts of critical cartography and discuss how all maps embody the privileges and interests of those empowered to make maps. You can bring in your own examples of maps to aid in the lecture.
a. Map projections are helpful examples for explaining the concepts of critical cartography. The Mercator projection and Gall-Peters projection can be framed as examples of cartographic data manipulation with wider implications for how map users understand the world. The Mercator projection puts increased visual emphasis on higher-latitude regions at the expense of equatorial latitudes, resulting in Greenland’s area appearing greater than Africa’s. The Gall-Peters projection, which sparked debate on the political implications of maps, correctly preserves the size of the continents while distorting their shape (Briwa and Wetherholt 2020:162).
7. Case Studies: If using the case studies provided in this document, divide your class into three groups and assign each group a map to critically analyze. The first case study is of a map titled “A Map of New England” created by John Foster in 1677. The second case study is of a map of South Carolina created by James Cook and published in 1773. The third case study is Alfred O. Halsey’s “Historic Charleston on a Map” created in 1949.
a. Links to each map, as well as resources that discuss each map, can be found under the “Resources” section.
b. Students can use sticky notes or stickers to mark specific map elements in their analysis.
8. After your students are finished studying their maps and have answered the questions on the handouts, have each group share their findings with the class.
9. Discuss the application of critical cartography in archaeology and anthropology. Discuss counter-mapping as a practice.
10. Students can explore various ESRI StoryMaps on the South Carolina Heritage Trust Program’s website. Have your students pick a map used in one of the StoryMaps and, using what they have learned about critical cartography, discuss the map’s purpose and what narrative or perspective of a place it presents.
Teacher Notes
differentiate: Focused Bias- Direct students to look for only one major type of bias in their map (e.g., omissions—what is missing; or hierarchy—what is drawn largest/boldest), rather than seeking multiple, complex biases.
extend: Multi-Source Analysis- Require these students to analyze their assigned historical map alongside a modern map of the same area. They must compare and explicitly contrast how the maps differ in scale, purpose, and visible bias.
Standards
- 6.3.CO Compare European motivations for exploration and settlement.
- 6.3.CE Explain the impact of increased global exchanges on the development of the Atlantic World.
- 6.3.CX Contextualize the experience of indigenous peoples due to expansion and the conflict that arose from it.
- 6.3.E Analyze the short- and long-term impact of the Atlantic World's growth using primary and secondary sources across multiple perspectives.
- 7.5.4.HS Compare and contrast the dynamic physical and human conditions that lead to the creation of ethnic, gender, language, and religious landscapes of North American societies.
- 7.5.5.HS Identify and analyze the current political borders using maps, explain the economic, political, and social inequalities present in North American societies, and explain the connections between North American places and other continents.
- 8.1.P Summarize major events in the development of South Carolina which impacted the economic, political, and social structure of the colony.
- 8.1.E Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to examine multiple perspectives and influences of the economic, political, and social effects of South Carolina’s settlement and colonization on the development of various forms of government across the colonies.
- HG.3.5.PR Compare and contrast cultural landscapes in various regions, and analyze the human imprint on different landscapes.
- HG.4.1.HS Identify and analyze patterns of territoriality and the relationships of power and spatial organization at various scales using maps and other geographic representations.
- HG.4.6.AG Gather evidence on boundary issues at different scales, construct a map to explain changes in control over people, land, or resources, and communicate findings.
- MWH.1.P Summarize the motivations of worldwide exploration and the influence of exploration on world civilizations.
- MWH.1.E Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to analyze multiple perspectives of global exchanges.
- MWH.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the effects of commerce, innovation and expansion on global affairs and interactions during the period of 1450–1815.
Assessments
Use the performance task linked in the resources tab to assess student learning outcomes.
