Cultural Regions
Sketch Map
In this topic, you learned how culture can influence a map. Similarly, your knowledge and experience help you construct mental maps. A mental map is a map you create in your mind using your own understanding and perceptions. You use a mental map whenever you give directions, discuss world events, or complete various other activities. Your ability to create a well-developed mental map improves over time, based on new experiences.

For this assignment, you will create a sketch map of the state of Virginia. When drawing a sketch map, use your own observations and knowledge as a reference, instead of exact measurements. The image above depicts an example of a sketch map of the world. Notice in the example that the map is not a precise representation. Similarly, your sketch map should be a representation of how you see Virginia, not how a published resource like an atlas would represent it. There are multiple ways to develop your mental map.
When completing your sketch map, describe the location of Virginia using at least three examples of each the following:
- reference points (examples: North of the Equator, South of Maryland);
- geographic features (examples: East of the Mississippi River, East of the Appalachian Mountains); and
- human characteristics (examples: language, types of housing, dress, recreation, customs and traditions).