Have you ever looked at a map and wondered how it can tell stories about the world around you? Maps are more than simple representations of space—they are powerful tools that help us visualize, understand, and navigate our environment. Every symbol, colour, and contour on a map carries meaning: from showing where rivers flow and mountains rise, to revealing patterns of population, climate, or even digital connectivity. Learning to interpret and create maps is therefore not only a matter of geography but also an essential skill for problem-solving and spatial reasoning in everyday life.
American Population Change 1790–1860.
Credits: Dan Allosso. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Original source: Wikimedia Commons —
Spatial literacy—the ability to understand relationships between objects, places, and data in space—is a foundational component of scientific thinking. It allows students to read their surroundings critically, estimate distances, interpret directions, and use spatial technologies such as GPS or Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Developing these skills helps learners move from simply seeing maps to thinking spatially, a competency that connects geography, mathematics, art, and digital technology.
