Mapping and Navigation: Explore the History and Science of Finding Your Way with 20 Projects

Build it Yourself

by Cynthia Light Brown, Beth Hetland (Illustrations)

How did we get from 20-foot-long maps to GPS devices small enough to fit in the palm of our hands? How does GPS work and what can it tell us? How do ancient mapmaking techniques used by the Romans and Greeks influence the satellite technologies we use today? The history of mapmaking is full of remarkable characters who charted the unknown with an ever-changing set of tools. In Mapping and Navigation: The History and Science of Finding Your Way, kids ages 9–12 will learn the history and science behind the evolution of mapmaking, and how much is still out there for discovery.

Readers will explore ideas through hands-on experiments while learning new terminology and interesting facts. Projects include using triangulation to measure distances, creating contour lines on a mini-mountain to understand elevation changes on a map, and inventing a sundial and compass to understand the basics of navigation. Whether mapping the solar system or mapping their own backyard, all readers will be able to understand mapping technologies and see the world in new and exciting ways.

Genres: Science, Geography, Reference

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Cynthia Light Brown is the author of multiple non-fiction books for children, among them, Amazing Kitchen Chemistry Projects You Can Build Yourself , Explore Fossils!: 25 Great Projects, and Explore Rocks and Minerals!: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments, all from Nomad Press. Her books are consistently ranked in Amazon's top 100 in their category and have received multiple 5-star reviews.

Cynthia holds a Master’s degree in Earth and Planetary Science from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor's degree in Geology from Williams College. She's worked for twenty-five years as an environmental consultant specializing in pollution prevention, toxicology, and risk assessment. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, any of their three children who happen to be visiting, their adorable cat, Mika, and about 70,000 bees.