The biggest mistakes in mapmaking history - Kayla Wolf
1,001,280 Views
8,455 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
For thousands of years, people made both functional maps and what are known as cosmographies, illustrating the earth and its position in the cosmos, often including constellations, gods, and mythic locations. These maps were meant to depict the world's geography, but weren't necessarily useful for navigation and contained some glaring mistakes. Kayla Wolf shares mapmaking’s biggest blunders.
About TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Kayla Wolf
- Director Serin İnan, Kozmonot Animation Studio
- Narrator Alexandra Panzer
- Storyboard Artist Gürkan Gürler
- Animator İrem Usta, Gürkan Gürler
- Compositor Serin İnan
- Art Director Gürkan Gürler
- Music Cem Misirlioglu, David Coltun
- Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
- Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam
by Sazia Afrin
Sazia Afrin
New York, New York, United States
Lesson in progress
If you were to draw a map of a place you’ve never been before, what tools would you use to do it? Think of a country you have never travelled to and (without cheating and looking at a map) try to draw a map of it based on what you already know about it.
Comments are closed on this discussion.
Devland Guillory
Lesson in progress
pencils erasers extra paper and color pencils
Weston Barker
Lesson in progress
Art supplies
Linh Le
Lesson completed
A piece of paper, pencils, and color pencils.
Bryan Hernandez-Perez
Lesson completed
I would use paper, a pencil, and an eraser. I would fail miserably but at least I tried.
Joshua Rosales Alfaro
Lesson in progress
After successfully learning how to make an official map, I would still have the years-long journey of traveling around asking people who have been there, for a mental image of the geographical features of the land that they have visited.
Shianne Matlock
Lesson completed
A pencil, pen, paper, and colors.
Luka Vilchis
Lesson in progress
I would bring a pencil and a big sheet of paper to draw the map. Once I have my stuff I'll go around the border of the country and draw it as I past by.
Ethan Sanchez
Lesson completed
Just a pen, pencil, and some paper to draw it on.
Freddy Trejo
Lesson completed
Draw pencil
Brandon Ingersoll
Lesson completed
I would use a large piece of paper, pen, pencil, and some colors for possible borders for countries. I would try to make it as accurate as I possibly could.