How to Create a State Map
Kids often need to create state maps for school projects. Sometimes there is a lot of detail required on their projects. Making state maps is a great way for children to learn geography, get to know what the states look like and to learn more about any particular state. As a student, you can create one, large state map or make various kinds of maps for one state and include them all in a state notebook.
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Things You'll Need
- Atlas
- Plain white poster board
- Overhead projector or document camera
- Projector or tracing paper
- Pencil
- Colored pencils
- Markers
- Ruler
Instructions
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1
Select your state in the atlas. Draw an outline of the state with your pencil by making a copy of the state onto tracing or projector paper. Use the overhead projector to enlarge the image on the wall. (If using a document camera, simply enlarge the image directly from the atlas.)
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2
Hang the poster board on the wall and trace around the projected picture with a pencil. Take the poster board off the wall and outline the state with your marker.
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3
Use the projector method, again, if you want to outline the county boundaries. Shade in each county using a differently colored pencil.
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4
Study the state map in the atlas. Look for additional information on different kinds maps, such as topographic maps, and expand your research to maps on the Internet.
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5
Draw in squiggly lines for the rivers in the state with your pencil. Use a blue marker to go over the pencil marks. Write the names of the rivers alongside the drawing of the river.
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Mark with a blue marker any lakes that are in the state. Try to draw the actual shape of the lake on your map.
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Check to see if the state has any mountains. Draw triangles on your map to re-create the mountains, using a gray marker. Make sure to write the name of the mountains or any mountain ranges on your map.
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Draw a star to mark the capital of the state. Write the name of the capital in black marker.
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9
Use a dot to represent major cities in the state. Write the names of the cities next to the dots.
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10
See if there are any major parks or monuments in the state. Use a green marker to highlight park areas on your map. Use a gray marker to draw small pictures to represent the location of monuments.
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Make a key to show what the different marks on your map represent. Draw a box in one of the corners of your poster board. Illustrate that the blue lines are rivers, the gray triangles are mountains, the star is the capital city and the dots are other major cities.
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Study the atlas and, using a ruler, make a scale key for your map. Estimate how many miles an inch represents and add that to your map.
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13
Create a smaller outline of the map for your state notebook. Use projector sheets and markers to view different aspects of the state. Draw all the counties on one projector sheet. Draw the bodies of water on another sheet. Do one with the state parks and other tourist information. Lay them over the outline of the map to view alone or layer two or more projector sheets on the map to view them together.
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Make sure to proudly label the map with the name of the state.
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Tips & Warnings
You can make another box in another corner of the poster board and add the state flower, song, motto, bird and tree. You can also add a box that gives the population of the state.
