Discusses the importance of harnessing children's natural tendency to make maps. Argues for a geographic curriculum based on building a relationship between the structure of the local landscape and the shape of children's lives. Lists mapping activities that can be used with various age groups. (CCM)

The current crisis in geography education has spawned several books on mapmaking, many of which advocate either recitation and drill or a conceptual top-down model that ignores children's interests. Maintaining that there is no substitute for hands-on experience, this book presents an alternative model. The initial emphasis is on local projects…