Renowned American writer Jacqueline Woodson once said: “If you have no road map, you have to create your own.” This is truly motivational to hear, but have we ever wondered how we can remember geography maps with ease and how it can help us in our lives?
Learning maps can be a fun process. Both school and college students must write answers to map reading questions in full sentences. Children must also properly understand the four main directions and sub-directions to read the map effectively. A child should practise reading maps at least three to five times a week with full dedication.
Memorising various locations of countries on a world map can be quite challenging, but there are many ways to make the process easier. One should use an up-to-date map and review it continent by continent to aid memory. Make studying fun by downloading geography apps, visiting geography-related websites, and hanging a map at home. Surround yourself with map printouts and try solving a world map jigsaw puzzle regularly.
Five vital tips to remember maps include:
- Fill in the index on the map.
- Use appropriate sign codes and symbols.
- Avoid using different colours.
- Use various styles of shading with a pencil.
- First, read the map graph thoroughly, then give an accurate solution. Avoid guessing — you may be wrong and lose marks.
Another effective technique is to have a world map somewhere in your house where you can see it clearly. Divide each continent into parts and locate all the relief features like mountains, plains, valleys, and rivers. After going through a particular continent, pick up a practice map and mark all the features on it. See how much you can recall and make this a regular habit.
One should first try learning their own country’s map, as it helps to know your country’s neighbourhood better than distant nations. Remember, a map is a map — whether it’s of the world, your city, state, country, or continent. There’s always a scale and a N-E-W-S axis. Online maps allow you to zoom in and out at any level. Buying a globe or an atlas is also helpful, as it will arouse your interest in the subject and make you feel happy. As the saying goes: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
India has 28 states and 8 union territories. It is truly amazing to learn the Indian map. Students should be trained to draw a rough map of India with all the states and territories and test how much they can remember. Note the northern states at the foot of the Himalayas — the world’s tallest mountain range. Also mark the cluster of northeastern states of India, which border China and Myanmar.
Also read: Does visualization help to enhance your memory?
About the writer: Minoo Jokhi is a Mathemagician cum Memory Development Trainer based in Mumbai, India. He trains people of all ages right from 4 to 80 years of age and shows them how to increase their Memory-Power and once and for all shatter the myth that memory is neither good nor bad but in reality, is trained or untrained. Readers can contact him via email at [email protected] or follow him at http://www.minoojokhi.in/
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