Map Projections and Mercator

Some current events have me thinking about cartography. I've been teaching Human Geography for a handful of years now. Generally the way of it is that by your third year of teaching AP, you're finally starting to get a handle on it. As I said in a previous post, I am currently redesigning my curriculum again, and it so far feels like a success. The students are engaged, they're retaining, and they seem excited. Which is amazing because the first unit is also the most dull: Unit 1 is Thinking Geographically. To quote College Board: "This first unit sets the foundation for the course by teaching students how geographers approach the study of places. Students are encouraged to reflect on the “why of where” to better understand geographic perspectives. Many other high school courses ask students to read and analyze data, but for this course, students also apply a spatial perspective when reading and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data." (College Board Advanced Placement Human…