Make a Narnian Atlas
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These have been a long time in the making! The idea of making a Narnian atlas was born in the spring of 2015 when Rebecca and I taught a co-op class on The Chronicles of Narnia. It was a ten session class during which we had a lot of fun with over 20 middle schoolers (mostly boys!) learning all things Narnia and making the atlas. Rebecca drew the maps by hand for each class and they’ve been compiled for all of you. Make a Narnian Atlas will show you the maps and the materials you need to make a complete atlas of the world of Narnia created by C.S. Lewis.
The Maps
Each of the map sets are available in the picture links below. Each set contains four copies of the same map:
- black and white outline map unlabled
- black and white labeled outline map
- labeled color map
- unlabled color map
You can use them as you read each story or build the atlas when you are all finished. For tips on making the maps extra special or drawing your own maps keep reading!
Adding Details to Fantasy Maps
Of course you can always draw your own maps for the world of Narnia or any other book world you’d like to draw. Rebecca made these from either the maps in the books or from her memory of the locations in the book. There were some places she had a hard time identifying (like the Beavers’ home in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), but maybe you’d like to try and you can add other locations as well.
It’s fun to add whimsical details to any map but especially to a fantasy map. Here are a few ideas for embellishing a fantasy map:
- Compass Rose– there is one compass rose on each map. Some are quite a bit fancier than others. Old maps were often decorated with an elaborate compass rose.
- Tea Staining the Map– You can do this with an actual tea bath or you can use distress ink pads for the job as Rebecca did in the cover for this atlas. Old maps were often made on parchment type paper which yellowed with age. It can be fun to age your map.
- Sea Monsters– Have you ever seen a picture of an old map with a sea monster in the margin or the ocean areas? A long time ago, when they didn’t know what was in the ocean, they would put monsters in unknown areas. You might add one to your map of The Dawn Treader.
- Banners– Fancy banners often held map titles. You can make your own or use the patterns provided.
We’ve provided a set of embellishments for you. Feel free to personalize your Narnian Atlas any way you’d like.
Map Making Supplies
Some of you might choose to make your own maps or perhaps you’d like to add your own creativity to the maps we’ve provided. These are some of the supplies we like to use:
- Drawing Pencils– These are easy to find and provide a smooth drawing line. We have this set and it has gotten a lot of use.
- Kneaded Eraser– If you’ve never used one, it makes a big difference in removing pencil lines. It doesn’t leave eraser pieces on your surface and works best when it’s warm- which is why you knead it.
- Stainless Steel Ruler– I’ve given up on wood and plastic rulers. The sharpest line and the longest lasting are metal. We can’t go back.
- Colored Pencils– We like Prismacolor best. They make a smooth line that is easy to see and it leaves plenty of pigment on the page. Cheap colored pencils are unsatisfying- even to younger children. Get some of these and teach kids how to treat them well.
- Micron Pen Set– These are wonderful for black line drawings and they work well for making the outlines on your map. We’d been using some cheaper versions and recently invested in these with excellent results.
- Paper– You can use copy paper or you can use parchment paper if you want to make something look older.
Binding the Atlas
Once you’ve complete all the maps for your atlas, you may want to bind it and use it for a reference. Need ideas for successful binding?
- Make a Cover– One is provided for you in the embellishment set, but you can also draw your won.
- Three Pronged Folder– In our co-op class we had the kids keep the atlas together with a simple 3 pronged folder.
- Use a Binding Machine– If you have a comb binder or a Pro-click you can bind it yourself and make a double cover.
- Hand Bind the Atlas– We love to make our own books with a hand made binding. There are many to choose from to make the atlas your own.
Whatever you choose to keep the maps together, you’ll enjoy having your own map book about the world of Narnia.
Other Map Related Posts at Blog, She Wrote
Perfect Gifts for a Cartographer– Our list of materials for map makers of all kinds!
Making Edible Maps– How to go about making edible maps. Ours are fantasy maps, but you can make them for any map you’d like. This post focused on topographic maps.
3 Reasons to Make Hand Bound Books– These tips can be useful to bind your Narnian Atlas.
Learning Geography with Atlases– We have atlases of all kinds including themed atlases for book worlds and regular atlases for the real world.
We’d like to add to our collection of fantasy maps and make them available to you. We’ll take on Redwall or Middle Earth in the future. There’s even talk of mapping The Green Ember.
I love this idea! We’ve just started reading Prince Caspian. This should be fun! Thank you!
Thanks, Robin! Enjoy the maps!