Staff Room

Welcome to the starter pages of the Oxford Student Atlas website. Over time the site will build to add even more value to the atlas.

The site helps school students understand how maps work by providing interactive tools. In the first two units students can explore the contrasting properties of some common map projections and make a topographic map by adding symbol layers.

Case studies from around the world will link photographs, images and graphics to new, larger scale maps of localities and regions selected for their topicality or geographical interest. Our first two case studies, Nunavut and Hong Kong, provide amazing contrasts. Both places are undergoing a 'new beginning', but they have enormous differences in environment and lifestyle. Students may like to look up the area and population of the UK in the atlas datasets section (page 140 of the Oxford Student Atlas) and compare population densities. The World Wide Web links from these pages guide students to further independent research. We welcome teachers' suggestions for further case study places and themes.

The quiz section provides a useful opportunity for students to review their knowledge of places and themes. The first three quizzes test all the place knowledge required for the National Curriculum in Geography at Key Stage 3 using a bank of random questions. Students can print their scores and return to the quiz after checking incorrect answers with their atlas.

The interactive map zone enables students and teachers to print customised maps. These can be used in conjunction with the atlas as they have the same format. They are designed to be multi-purpose for flexible classroom use. Simply select the layers you require. Then print.

Feedback

If you have any comments, good or bad, about this site, or the atlas, please fill in the form below. You are not obliged to enter your name or email address, and we would only contact you regarding the Oxford Student Atlas.