The Aesthetics of Maps

This Friday will be about maps. There will be an introduction to the aesthetics of maps, but also maps as highly functional objects. Then we will look at how to make maps together with children, and we will have a short field trip, exploring some of the campus’ surroundings. Our task will be to figure out how we can represent these surroundings in different ways as maps. An important aspect will be to think about how to design a project in order to make it feasible tasks for small children. We will spend some time outdoors, but close to the campus.

Aesthetics of Maps

Making maps

At the end we go back to the classroom to hear about maps from a mathematical perspective.

Readings

This will be on the basis of the article “A Study of Kindergarten Children's Spatial Representation in a Mapping Project.”

In addition to the article above, you should read James, J. (2008). Making Sense of Place: Sarah’s Story. Early Childhood Education Journal,. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10643-007-0219-y

According to Piaget and Inhelder (in The Child's Conception of Space - 1967) perceptions of surroundings include events, and not just objects.

The four basic topological concepts are as follows:

• Proximity

• - the relative nearness of an object or event to any other object or event.

• Order

• - the sequence of objects or events (in time) according to size, colour or some other attribute.

• Separation

• - an object, event or 'space' coming between other objects or events. It also involves distinguishing between objects and parts of objects.

• Enclosure

• - an object or event surrounded by other objects or events, which involves the ideas of inside, outside and between.

Not part of your required reading, but additional: I have made a summary of Richard Sennett’s talk on The Architecture of Cooperation. He proposes that it is at “edges” of territories that public space emerge. Edges comes in two forms, as borders and boundaries – boundaries being limits or edges which separate one territory from another and borders being a zone of interactive edge between territories. The terms “boundaries” and “borders” can be useful to have in mind when working with making maps.

Here are some additional articles, for those with a special interest in mapmaking.

Three books, which are interesting when working with maps, but these are not part of the required reading:

Sobel's book is specifically about mapmaking with children. "Die Macht der Karten" (The Power of maps) is more about maps in a historical context. Finally, in Norwegian, "Kart i barnelitteraturen" is about how maps are used in children's literature. Maps in books will be an important reference to mant kids, maps that the often explore together with adults. Thus, maps made for kids can be quite complex when there is someone there to support the reading og the map and answer the child's questions.