Lesson One: Big Map of Asia

Objective:
This activity will introduce students to the geography of Asia and form a foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of the history of ancient India and the relationship of different cultures in Asia.

Procedure:
Download the Outline Map. You can print the map onto a transparency and project it onto the wall using an overhead, or you can use a digital projector. Project the map onto a large piece of paper or oaktag, or even a bedsheet. Be sure that the medium you are projecting onto is thick enough that pens and markers will not transfer to the wall underneath!

Have students trace the Map with pencil 1st (unless you really trust them!). Then divide them into groups and give each group an atlas or detailed map. Have one group add geographical features, another group add modern political borders, and anything else you like, each in a different color. See this handout for lists of features, and click here for the corresponding political map.

Labeling a new map for each unit in World History and linking them together on a large wall/hallway/bulletin board (freestanding rolling boards are a nice option) helps students visualize and make connections between distinct cultures. Adding new features, like the boundaries of the Roman, Chinese and Mongol empires, the path of the Silk Routes, the expansion of Islam or the spread of Christianity, to the map as you progress through history helps students stay connected to earlier units and to see the possible relations between culture areas.

Assessment:
You can grade each group on the accuracy of their work on the map, or quiz the class a few days after the activity on the features that were put on the map.

Additional Resources:
Map of Indian River Systems
Additional online resource for outline maps of Asia and elsewhere
National Geographic Map Machine