Walking the World

Photo by Bridgette Morris. 

Something big has come to Concord University. National Geographic’s Giant Traveling Map of Europe paid a visit to Concord’s campus from Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27. Close to 1,000 school children ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade paid a visit to the gigantic map throughout the week. The map was located in the Ballroom of the Jerry and Jean Beasley Student Center and was later moved to University Point on campus to make room for the 2015 West Virginia Geography Bee.

The interactive map measures 26 x 26 feet, and allows students to explore and discover the diverse geography of the world’s second smallest continent. Students played different educational games, such as finding countries, major landmarks, and cities by using latitudes and longitudes given on large colorful cards. They were also able to observe the climate, natural resources, and demographics of Europe among other things.

The event was organized in accompaniment with the 2015 West Virginia Geography Bee by Linda Poff and funded by the West Virginia Geographic Alliance. Poff explains that the purpose of the map is to help “enrich the student’s Geographic knowledge, and […] is a motivator to encourage the students to want to learn more about the world they live in.” She says the students were mostly amazed by the size of the map, but not all students shared this enthusiasm, one of the students commenting that the map looked smaller compared to the others she has seen. 

The Giant Traveling Map of Europe is not the first to visit Concord. Maps of Asia and North America have also spent some time on the Campus Beautiful. 

When asked why they thought it important for students to learn more about Geography and how to utilize maps one student’s reply was that “it would help you find your way out of a forest if you were lost.” 

Poff says she thinks the map “is an excellent means for teaching students about map skills and allowing them a ‘feet’ on experience.” She hopes to bring in another map next year and really bring it to its full potential. “I hope to do a Family Geography Challenge with parents and their children on the map, [and] bring community members in for a Big Map Attack.

This event was possible through the National Geographic’s Giant Traveling Maps program, which is managed by National Geographic Live, the public programming division of the National Geographic Society. 

National Geographic has a total of six giant traveling maps: North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean. To learn more about these maps or how to rent one, visit nationalgeographic.com/special-events/giant-traveling-maps.