Cartographic Response to Changes in Teaching Geography and History - Maps for the Future Children Education and Internet - page 203

Chapter 17
Cartographic Response to Changes in Teaching
Geography and History

Temenoujka Bandrova

Abstract We live in a time when many GI specialists recommend the usage of
electronic maps and atlases and will not develop traditional cartography based on
paper version products. This report considers both aspects: why we are not ready to
use only electronic versions of maps and atlases, and how we can improve the
traditional cartography by introducing new topics and modern visualization. Sev-
eral examples are given from the latest school atlases that are used in the education
of geography and history in Bulgaria. Some new aspects in cartographic products
and visualization were created because of the permanent changes in school curric-
ulum and in the content of the geography and history atlases. Experiences and
research in schools motivate cartographers try to improve the maps and atlases.

17.1 Introduction

The specialists working in cartography should respond to the everyday changes of
life. However, several months or years are necessary to enter changes in the school
curriculums. New important topics appear so quickly that the cartographic products
illustrating them become outdated by the time they come out of press. Were we
ready to respond to Haitian children after the earthquake that struck the country on
Jan. 10, 2010? “ A study by the Inter-American Development Bank estimated that the
total cost of the disaster was between $8 billion and $14 billion, based on a death
toll from 200,000 to 250,000. That number was revised in 2011 by Haiti's govern-
ment to 316,000 ” (The New York Times 2011 ). Are we ready to respond to the
technically most developed nation and its children—Japanese children? Let us see
what happened in the first 3 months of 2011: floods, earthquakes, landslides! Some