Every year, I assign my students countries to investigate as the school year progresses, 7 to be exact. These countries range in region and levels of development. At least once every thematic unit, I have students investigate key variables for each country.

One of the first tasks for my students is to find an outline map of their country and identify some key physical features. But, with a good outline map, the possibilities are endless. Here is a list of 50 ways that you can use an outline map in your next lesson:

1. National Symbols Map: Students decorate a map with symbols representing key aspects like national animals, sports, or monuments.
2. Climate Zones: Students color-code the map based on different climate zones and discuss how climate impacts the country’s politics and culture.
3. Historical Borders Activity: Students draw historical borders on their map and discuss how these have changed due to political events.
4. Create a Resource Map: Identify and mark major natural resources on the map, discussing their impact on the country’s economy and conflicts.
5. Population Density Project: Students shade areas based on population density and analyze urban versus rural populations.
6. Drawing Trade Routes: Illustrate ancient and modern trade routes and discuss their importance for the country’s development.
7. Cultural Diversity Showcase: Highlight areas with significant cultural or ethnic groups and explore their customs and influence on national identity.
8. Historical Timeline: Create a timeline showing key historical events affecting the country’s political or hydrological landscape.
9. Conservation Zones: Identify and create conservation zones on the map, discussing environmental challenges and protection measures.
10. Disaster Preparedness Plan: Map out potential natural disaster zones and develop an emergency response plan.
11. Debate on Water Rights: Students use the map to identify major water bodies and debate issues surrounding water rights and usage.
12. Election Results: Color the map based on historical election results and analyze voting patterns and political shifts.
13. Migration Patterns Analysis: Illustrate migration inflows and outflows and discuss reasons and impacts of these movements.
14. Language Distribution Mapping: Color different regions by the predominant language spoken and discuss language’s role in cultural and regional identity.
15. National Park Design: Design a national park for the country, considering its unique geographical and hydrological features.
16. Create a Peace Treaty: Using border disputes from the map, students create a mock peace treaty that resolves a long-standing conflict.
17. Economic Development Zones: Mark regions of economic development such as tech hubs, industrial regions, and agricultural zones.
18. Tourism Campaign: Students design a tourism campaign highlighting attractions based on geographic features marked on the map.
19. Hydroelectric Power Potential: Identify rivers and discuss the potential for hydroelectric power generation.
20. Conquests and Colonization: Trace the conquests or colonization of the country and their lasting impacts on political boundaries.
21. Cultural Exchange Diary: Imagine a cultural exchange trip to different regions marked on the map and write diary entries about experiences.
22. Comparative Constitution Study: Compare the political systems of their mapped country with another, focusing on constitutional differences.
23. Comic Strip Creation: Create a comic strip within the map’s border that narrates a historical event or cultural story from the country.
24. Traditional Festivals Calendar: Create a calendar marking important festivals across different regions of the country.
25. National Security Strategy: Identify potential security threats based on neighboring countries and geography, and devise a security strategy.
26. Environmental Laws Review: Review the country’s environmental laws and their effectiveness based on geographic features.
27. Historical Battlefields Tour: Mark historical battle sites and create a documentary script explaining each battle’s significance.
28. Geopolitical Alliances: Discuss the country’s geopolitical alliances and mark allied and adversarial nations.
29. Mock Archaeological Dig: Identify potential archaeological sites and discuss what might be discovered there.
30. Mythology Mapping: Map locations associated with local myths or legends and narrate the stories.
31. Agricultural Yields Analysis: Discuss the types of crops grown in various regions and the factors affecting their yield.
32. Renewable Resources Report: Identify potential for wind, solar, and biomass energy production across the map.
33. Fashion and Textiles Tour: Highlight regions known for traditional textiles and fashion, discussing how geography influences fashion.
34. Wildlife Spotting: Attach pictures of wildlife native to the country on the map where they are found.
35. Wildlife Conservation Podcast: Record a podcast discussing wildlife conservation issues in areas marked on the map.
36. Expedition Plan: Plan a hypothetical expedition across major the landscape, discussing geological features.
37. Toponym Investigation: Label X-amount of local and national placenames and give their meaning and history.
38. Architectural Styles: Illustrate different architectural styles prominent in the country’s history on the map.
39. Heritage Sites Preservation: Identify UNESCO World Heritage Sites and propose preservation strategies.
40. Comparative Religion Study: Map predominant religions and analyze religious influence on the country’s politics and culture.
41. Urban Planning Design: Design an ideal urban area considering geographical constraints shown on the map.
42. Sea Levels Impact Forecast: Forecast the impact of rising sea levels on coastal areas and propose mitigation strategies.
43. Island Biodiversity Expedition: Focus on islands and their unique biodiversity, discussing conservation challenges.
44. Mining Impacts Discussion: Mark major mining areas and discuss the environmental and economic impacts of mining activities.
45. Tech Industry Growth Map: Identify regions with significant tech industry presence and discuss factors leading to industry growth.
46. National Cuisine Map: Map regions by famous dishes or ingredients and discuss how geography influences cuisine.
47. Historic Migration Trails: Trace historic migration trails and discuss their impact on the current demographic and cultural landscape.
48. Sporting Heritage Sites: Identify key sporting sites and discuss how geography influences sport popularity in regions.
49. Legislative Influence on Environment: Discuss how legislation has shaped environmental conservation in different regions.
50. Water Body Names: Label rivers, lakes, and seas with their local names and any folklore associated with them

Sourcing these maps is always the most difficult task. I usually steer students towards D-Maps where they can download what they need, but ensuring they grab the right one is always a crapshoot and it takes a good chunk of time.

So with permissions, I finally got around to downloading every single country map available, added the respective country name, and created one giant PDF where I (or students) can quickly grab what I need. This took a ton of time at the frontend, but will end up saving me years down the road. If you have an interest in this resource, it is available HERE.

Use or refuse.