TODALSIGS the Guide to Great Map Making

TODALSIGS – The Guide to Great Map Making!!

Map definition: A VISUAL representation of the Earth’s surface, drawn to scale and made for a specific purpose.

When you look at any map you will find that the most interesting and useful maps all have certain things in common. We will call these things, TODALSIGS

TODALSIGS is an acronym that stands for the following:

T - Title…………..(what, where, when) Example: The World in 1995 (choose an appropriate title OR use the one specified by the teacher)

O – Orientation….(compass rose) This helps you orient or use your map properly using the compass points of north, south, east, and west.

D – Date…………This tells you when the map was made – usually the date assigned.

A – Author…….This is the person who made the map – student name

L – Legend……. (or key) This tells you what the symbols used on the map mean

S – Scale……..This tells you the distance a unit of measure represents in the area shown on the map. Example: 1 inch = 100 miles

I – Index……..This helps you find the address of a place. Many street or city maps have an Index.

G – Grid……….This is the series of lines on a map that match the index. Sometimes these are line of latitude and longitude.

S – Source……This tells you the place where the mapmaker (student) found the information on the map. Example: Source: The World Atlas, p. 55

TODALSIGS Special Notes: - EVERY map should have TODA - most maps need TODAS or TODALS - some maps need S or IGS *Use TODALSIGS, Labeling, and Coloring instructions on EVERY map throughout the year when you look at or produce your own maps as a self- check for accuracy, understanding, and quality.

Labeling: *Be Accurate and NEAT PRINT in Black ink ONLY (NO Markers) for mountains, states, cities, etc. PRINT in BLUE ink ONLY (No Markers) for all water features: river, lakes, oceans

Countries and States and Major Oceans: Use all CAPITAL letters Print HORIZONTALLY

Cities: Capitalize the first letter only Use a star (*) to indicate the capital Print HORIZONTALLY

Physical Features: Capitalize the first letter only Print along the physical feature –Example: along the river or mountain range

Coloring: NEATNESS IS IMPORTANT AND WILL BE GRADED *Color in one direction in even coverage – not dark or waxy NO white spaces should be showing on your map Use solid coloring ONLY, no patterns or any other alternate design Use map colors (pencils) ONLY – NO markers or gel pens of any kind Use the blue map pencil for WATER ONLY – not on any land

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