The importance of maps and other graphic representations has become more important to geography and geographers. This is due to the development and widespread diffusion of geographic (spatial) technologies. As computers and silicon chips have become more capable and less expensive, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers, and remotely sensed images of Earth from airplanes and satellites have become accessible to geography students and faculty at all levels. These developments both allow and require modern citizens to understand spatial information presented on electronic and printed maps and images. For this reason, helping students become competent users and creators of these technologies should be an important element of all of the social studies--maps are not just for geography anymore. In this article, the authors discuss how map learning and spatial thinking should be taught well in the social studies, and describe a recent survey completed by members of the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education, which provides information about teachers' attitudes towards maps, how they use maps, and how they teach map skills. In order to have a revitalized pedagogy of maps and map learning and to help students become more critically "carto-literate," the authors provide three strategies for teachers in teaching map skills and engaging students to map learning. (Contains 2 figures and 33 notes.)