Spatial Concept Perspectives

We have gathered ~300 excerpts from published works about fundamental spatial concept terms. These have been cross-referenced with the concept lexicon appearing on the left. Those terms were drawn from the U.S.National Science Education Standards (NSES 1996) for topic areas B - Physical Science, C - Life Science, D - Earth and Space Science, as well as from the 1994 U.S. Geography Teaching Standards for grades 9-12. Those standards can be browsed here.

spatial concept terms

disciplinary perspectives on "map"

map

The concept of geospatial representation (p. 95); a complicated concept...[that] requires knowledge of location, identity, magnitude, space-time, grid, coordinate, direction, distance, scale, orientation, frames of reference, symbol, legend, and other concepts (p. 86)

Geography

Golledge, et al. (2008)

Matching geospatial concepts with geographic educational needs

map

Planimetrically correct representations of the spatial distribution of phenomena; maps (whether topographic or thematic), simplify and scale the world. "Historically, maps have been the primary means to store and communicate spatial data. Objects and their attributes can be readily depicted, and the human eye can quickly discern patterns and anomalies in a well-designed map.

Geography

de Smith, et al. (2008)

Geospatial Analysis: A comprehensive guide to principles, techniques, and software tools

map overlay

...Two or more layers are combined in various ways to produce additional new combined layers...Areas in the composite layer each have multiple attributes derived from the attributes of their "parents"...(p. 21)

Geography

O'Sullivan and Unwin (2002)

Geographic Information Analysis

map perspective

Because the spatial relationship among observations is crucial..., students must become proficient in locating themselves on the topographic base map by comparing observed features of the terrain with features on the map. Many students find this task difficult. Learning how to figure where you are on a topographic map has a counterpart in ordinary life in figuring out where you are on a road map or walking map.

Earth Science

Kastens and Ishikawa (2006)

Spatial thinking in the geosciences and cognitive sciences: A cross-disciplinary look at the intersection of two fields

map projection

Represent curved surface on a flat sheet of paper (p. 92)

Geography

Golledge, et al. (2008)

Matching geospatial concepts with geographic educational needs