Pirate Map making

We have been doing a bit of a project on maps over the last few weeks, and have a done a variety of things from surrounding ourselves with a wide selection of maps, from tourist maps to OS maps, and old street maps and atlas's (should the plural be atlii?)

Anyway, our first little bit of the project was making a scale map of our walk from the road to Forest Friday spot.  Evan really got into the idea of doing a key, and doing representative pictures rather than accurate drawings.

We have referred to maps more in our comings and goings, and particularly using appropriate terminology.  Though it reminds me how much Evan already knows before I explain anything.  his knowledge and understanding of so many subjects is so great and deep.  I am so glad that home education allows him to explore these things at his own pace and depth, and not spend oodles of time on acquiring unnecessary facts, or already understood concepts.  Instead he can spend time enjoying his passions - mainly Octonauts and craft.

We had a free morning this morning and I suggested that we do something to do with the map project, and Evan decided to make a treasure map... he started by showing me a "make video" from the cbeebies website of how to map a treasure map look authentic.  He then set about doing this with my facilitation of the teabag from my morning tea :) Whilst it dried off I suggested we look through some images of some treasure maps that others have done to ensure that we included common features of that style of map so that it could be as authentic as possible (largely as the make on cbeebies of this was very basic, and simplistic.  Evan is working at a higher level than that, and could do with the challenge.  On this page are some of his favourite images from our search.  (Do be careful when doing google image searches with kids, as I always seem to encounter some sort of disturbing image with each search.  Even with tame search terms. Children should not do this activity unattended.)

I encouraged Evan to draft some of his ideas whilst he waited for the tea stained paper to dry. He reluctantly agreed when I reminded him how he might feel if he made a mistake on his proper paper. Whilst we took Autumn to a drama class, Evan completed the the map. 

I burned the edges when we got home, and hey presto Authentic looking treasure map. :)