Maps, Globes and Projections

1. Look at Mapping Our World > Lesson 1 > Part A: The Globe Unwrapped.
   • What happens to the shapes of the land masses when the globe is flattened into this map?
2. Watch Mapping Our World > Lesson 2 > Part A: The Chat Show.
   • Who was Gerardus Mercator?
   • In which century was he alive?
   • When did he produce his map?
   • Why did he produce his map?
   • Who was Arno Peters?
   • When was he alive?
   • Which countries or continents seemed to change the most between the two versions?

3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the maps?
4. How would you feel if you looked at a map of the world and saw that your country seemed much smaller than it really was?
5. Why is it so difficult to create a 'perfect' map of the world?