Raised Relief Maps - Useful Learning Tool

Raised relief maps are vacuum formed vinyl maps with gradations of altitude showing contours and elevation. They provide a great visual reference for travelers, enthusiast and more importantly they make a good learning tool for children. Kids adore the bumpy vinyl raised relief maps that represent a terrain in tactile detail. Although little kids will not use the maps for any practical purposes such as utilizing the maps to locate a destination and chart a course, young children may gain second hand knowledge of geography through reading the raised relief map. Whatever the eventual benefits the children will gain from the maps, kids just love the feeling of tactile vinyl topography of these finely crafted maps on their fingertips.

Oftentimes when it comes to learning a subject, a child’s attention span may wane because the presentation of the subject, in this case Geography, is presented in a dull way.

It is my firm belief that any subject in the hands of a dedicated and experienced teacher will be anything but dull. Using vinyl raised relief maps in a Geography lesson will certainly pique the interest of young students. Studies have shown that children respond well to visual stimuli because of the three dimensionality effects of the maps. And they can feel free to touch them without causing damage too.

Raised relief maps are a great way to introduce Geography and Planet Earth’s diverse terrains in such a way that young children will find the subject interesting. Hopefully they can be spurred to take the subject more seriously and do well in it and let that disciplined approach carry over to other fields of interest.

These maps are usually made from vinyl, rubber or plastic. Relief maps made from vinyl or rubber are longer lasting while plastic ones provide finer detail.

Click here for a list of companies that produce Raised Relief Maps.

Our thanks to David Atkinson for this informative article on Raised Relief Maps.