Lab 1: Maps

The "Marauder's Map" from the book "Harry Potter" is one of my favorite maps. It was created by James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew during their school days at Hogwarts. It is a magical map that gives a detailed layout of Hogwarts, including its hidden passageways and other mysteries. The map appears to be a blank sheet of parchment that is only activated when the user points his or her wand at the map and says, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The map will return to its original blank state when the user says, "mischief managed." What I find interesting about the map is that it also shows where the people are located. The last picture above shows Albus Dumbledore pacing around in his room. The map is very trustworthy in that it cannot be fooled by disguises such as Polyjuice Potion and Invisibility Cloak. ( From the blog "99 Red Balloons" http://ninety9-redballoons.blogspot.com/2009/08/click-click.html)

This is a map of the Taipei MRT( Municipal Rapid Transit). The map shows the rail lines as well as the stations, letting travelers know which lines to take in order to go to their desired locations. The map also provides a key of the rail lines and their corresponding colors. What I find interesting about the map is that it also shows future lines in faded colors. According to Taipei Times, "The MRT line connecting Taipei to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is scheduled to open in 2014," which will be a lot more convenient for travelers because currently they have to take buses to go from the airport to other places. The MRT is a popular transportation in Taipei and is widely used by children and adults alike. ( From the blog "Memoirs on a Rainy Day" http://range.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/mrt-taipei-taiwan-status/)

This is a map of the Disneyland theme park. The map provides a general layout of the park and has drawings of the rides to allow people to easily find what they are looking for. The map uses numbers to designate where the restaurants and shops are in the park. It also has symbols of the restrooms and the telephones. What I find interesting about the map is that each of the eight themed areas ( Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, Tomorrowland) has its own color, which makes it a lot easier for people to find the numbers in that area. The map also uses bold and vivid colors that appeal to the people. ( From "Chip & Company" http://www.chipandco.com/2010/01/disneyland-refurbishment-schedule-2010/)