Geographic maps
A geographic map is a reduced picture of the whole or part of Earth’s surface on a flat sheet, shown with symbols. By coverage there are world maps, maps of continents and oceans, and maps of individual regions. By content, general-geographic maps (physical and political) show the overall look of an area; thematic maps are devoted to one theme (climate, minerals, natural zones); a map that shows several related components is a complex map. By purpose there are educational, scientific, tourist and military maps. To fit large areas on a map, real sizes are reduced thousands or millions of times: the ratio of reduction is the scale. For example at 1:100 a 10 m room becomes 10 cm on paper. What the colours and signs mean is explained in the legend. A globe is a ball-shaped model of Earth; it distorts the surface less than a flat map does.
“Secrets of maps”: the teacher shows various maps (world, Uzbekistan, a city plan, a climate map). Groups fill in a table for each map: 1) title and theme; 2) scale; 3) three legend symbols; 4) which question it answers. Safety: handle maps carefully without tearing; if scissors are used they should be blunt-tipped.