How to Create a Map
Maps are extremely useful tools for travel and construction planning, both globally and even in your back yard. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), maps have been used for thousands of years to help people get from one place to another. Even with contemporary, digital adaptations such as Google Maps and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, traditional mapping remains important for many individuals. If you need to create an accurate map, the process can be fairly simple with a few basic steps.
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Instructions
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Obtain a large piece of paper---the bigger the better. While a larger map may be more time consuming to create, it will be more accurate. George Mason University's History Matters website indicates that scale can "distort features on a map. When extensive areas are shown (a small scale map) the potential for distortion is great." A larger map will accommodate a larger scale rather than cramming detailed items into a small space with a smaller scale.
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Determine an easily represented verbal scale. A verbal scale is the distance on the map that is equal to the distance on the ground. According to Mark McNaught, associate professor of geology at Mount Union College, a verbal scale is "the simplest form of map scale," written in a "1 inch = X" format. Use the largest scale that your paper will accommodate: for example, a "1 inch = 3 feet" scale is larger than a "1 inch = 5 feet" scale because the mapped items do not have to be shrunk as much to fit the 1 inch = 3 feet scale.
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Create an easy-to-follow map key. Cover all possible bases in your key. Don't expect someone reading your map to know that the blue-shaded area represents water or that a green dot stands for a tree; you must indicate such important details in your key. The colors and graphical representations you use are entirely up to you, but everything must be recorded in a key for easier map readability.
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Lightly draw a grid on your paper with a pencil and ruler. A grid will provide more accurate mapping. If you know that each inch represents a certain distance, creating a grid in inches lets you better visualize the scale and map accordingly. If you don't want a permanent grid, you can erase it when you're done.
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Convert your real-world measurements to the appropriate scale, and draw the objects on your paper. Conversion with a verbal scale is relatively simple using some basic math. Let's say you're using a "1 inch = X feet" scale. If you measure something and determine it to be "Y" feet long, you can figure out its scaled length in inches by dividing "Y" by "X." For a "1 inch = 3 feet" scale, you'd determine the scaled length of a 4.5-foot object by dividing 4.5 by 3---the resulting number tells you that the object should be 1.5 inches long on your scaled map.
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