How to Make a Map of Your Neighborhood

A neighborhood map explains and visually describes the network of homes, transportation lines and landmarks.

Mapping your neighborhood is an awesome task, but the task is made much easier when you are already familiar with all the coordinates. The map of your neighborhood can be drafted freehand or with scientific exactitude. This map assignment enables you to plot your surroundings and the end product can be used to inform neighborhood visitors of their whereabouts.

Things You'll Need

• Sketch pad
• Pencil
• Colored markers

Instructions

Neighborhood Mapping

1. Plot the landmarks. Find the locations in your neighborhood such as homes, stores, schools, churches and post offices. These places help define your neighborhood. Incorporate mountainous or low-lying areas in your map and differentiate between them using the key. Having a scale is definitely useful for the map reader. On the map's scale, the map's measurements correspond with literal distances.

2. Route the roadways. In the map of your neighborhood, street names and directions must be noted accurately. As seen in standard maps, the lines would stand for roads, highways or alleys.

3. Perfect the sketch. Adding the finishing touches requires you to neaten up the scratch work and refine the picture. Construct a map legend or key which indicates the physical localities. You can represent vegetation, lawns, lakes or pools on your neighborhood map using an array of color, while the linear tracing would signify the roads or highways.

References

• University of Massachusetts: Neighborhood Map
• Crayola: Neighborhood Map
• Pearson School: Drawing a Sketch Map