Highlighting the growing geospatial skills gap, this presentation demonstrates how early career exposure influences life paths. It encourages primary educators to integrate Esri and National Geographic’s MapMaker, connecting classroom learning with real-world, location-based data.

Year 5 teacher Alice Walker from Greystoke primary schools explains how MapMaker has been implmented across key stages, using a wide range of features like layering, historical swipes, and the measurement tools to enhance geographical skills, cross-curricular learning, and practical problem-solving.

Headteacher Katie Usher explains how Esri's MapMaker has been integrated across EYFS and Key Stages 1 and 2, transforming geographical inquiry and cross-curricular teaching in history and maths through dedicated CPD, whole-school planning, and staff support.

Arron Hutchinson, Year 5 Teacher, Whitefield Primary School, Liverpool, explains how he uses the platform with his pupils to develop. 

sense of place across the curriculum. 

The Mapmaker Pilot offers a successful implementation of National Geographic MapMaker in primary schools through a collaborative pilot led by Bob Usher from LGfL and Esri UK and Nat Geo.

MapMaker was used across different year groups, from early years integrating geography with literacy to older students exploring topics like plate tectonics.

Exning Primary School integrated Esri’s MapMaker across all year groups, utilizing 2D/3D views, live data, and historical map overlays to foster intuitive, inquiry-based geographical exploration on touchscreen devices.

This live demonstration illustrates using Esri’s MapMaker across devices, highlighting imagery overlays, measurement tools for spatial scale, base-map options, and multilingual options to foster engaging geographical inquiry and classroom discussion.