World Map Project

After digging around through my old blog posts, I realized that I never posted about my World Map Project! I participated in a few different World Map projects during my time in Ukraine, and randomly stumbled across this post about a Peace Corps film documentary, with a shout out to the World Map that I worked on with my friend Alison. We painted a patchwork map on wallpaper at her school with her students, and she later hung the map on the wall by mounting it on some type of wooden frame. I also helped out with my friend Sasha's World Map at her school, where we painted just the continents outside on the side wall of the school.

So I think what happened was I got too busy with volunteering at EuroCup 2012, that I didn't have time to write a post about my World Map project... I just uploaded all the photos onto my Facebook page instead. I'm really ashamed that I never posted about my own World Map project here :( but I guess its better late than never!

My World Map, painted directly on the wall in the hallway of the 3rd floor of my school. 

From May 25-30, 2012, my students and I finished up our community HIV/AIDS awareness campaign by painting a World Map as an AIDS memorial mural in our school. This was the last step in the project funded by my PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) grant from Peace Corps. I worked with a team of about 15 different students ranging from 5th to 10th grade, and with the help of my PCV friends Erika Hornli and Sam Choi, we painted this map in just 4 days. If you're interested in learning more about the World Map project or painting your own world map, you can download a pdf version of the Peace Corps World Map Manual here.

Day 1

First we measured out the space for the map on the wall. The ideal size that I wanted to have for the map was 1.5 meters by 3 meters, but that didn't quite work out evenly because we had to calculate the exact size based on 6 x 6cm squares. The actual size of our map turned out to be 168cm by 336cm, so that we could have an even number of squares for the map (according to the World Map Manual). We sketched out lines in pencil, taped down the edges with scotch tape, and then painted blue paint for the ocean. Day 1 was actually a Friday, and we let the paint dry and harden completely over the weekend before coming back on Monday.

Starting at the top and working down was best, because otherwise the paint dripped onto the floor. 

Rolling the paint onto the wall. 

Filling up the space for all the water! 

Day 2

We marked off 18 large squares on the wall, each forming a block of 10 by 12 squares. Then we drew in all the squares, making our map 28 by 56 squares. We used the grid method to draw outlines of the countries in pencil, then darkened the outlines with black permanent marker. Originally, I had planned to use the projection method with a projector. However, it didn't work out because the image wasn't detailed enough to trace for such a large map (or the quality of the image was distorted by the projector).

Measuring straight gridlines takes teamwork, even when you have a 2m long ruler. 

I colored all of the map plans ahead of time, so the kids would have a better understanding of which country was which. 

Starting the outlines. 

About halfway done... we've progressed to using the markers. 

Sam single-handedly drew most of Africa by himself. 

with the finished outline of the map after day 2. 

Day 3

Day 3 was everyone's favorite day because we painted the wall! We mixed concentrated colors with white paint in plastic cups, and basically just painted in the colors according to the World Map Manual. At the end of the day, all the kids who helped out with the map got to put their handprint on the wall.

Anya and I mixing the paint. 

Dasha and Erika painting Russia and India. 

About halfway done! 

Katya working hard on Africa. 

Painting the title.

The finished map, after day 3!

Day 4

On the last day, I labeled all of the countries (in English, of course) with a black permanent marker. All of the students came by to sign their handprints, and we painted a clear coat of sealant onto the wall. Then we were done, and everyone got to take photos with the map!

Dasha signing her name on the wall. 

Katya carefully writing her name in English. 

with Anya and Dasha - my 2 rockstar 10th graders and Erika. 

The finished World Map! 

When we returned to school in the fall, I was glad to see that the map was still there... not that I had expected anything to change over the summer. Our school staff had strategically placed some potted plants in front of the map, to deter little kids from running up and touching the wall. Of course, this didn't stop them anyways because they all like to measure their hands and point out different countries. I'm proud of the team of students that I worked with, and I hope that this map will last my school for many years into the future!

The world map on September 1, 2012. 

Sasha's World Map Project

This past week, I've been helping my friend Sasha with the World Map Project at her school. Due to some schedule changes, my own camp was canceled this week at my school and my teachers allowed me to travel to Sasha's town. There are many different ways to paint a World Map, here is a link to my blog post about when I helped with my friend Alison's World Map project. This time, instead of painting on wallpaper, we used the Peace Corps world map manual and followed their guidelines for a grid method and painted the continents instead of every individual country - that way the map will stay more current, as more new countries are created (such as South Sudan). Here is a photo of our finished World Map!

Our map of the world, with handprints from the students and PCVs who helped us make it happen!

Sasha had help from a few other Peace Corps volunteers with her project, and the first step was to prime and paint the wall blue for the ocean. The day before camp started, Sasha measured out a 2m by 4m rectangle on a wall behind her school's sports gym. After measuring out the rectangle and painting it blue, Sasha, Margo and Samantha spent the first day of camp preparing the kids to draw grid-style by using the worksheets provided in the manual.

Samantha and Sasha teaching about how to draw maps using the grid technique.

Sasha and I talking about how we will paint the world by continents.

On the second day of camp, after practicing on the gridding worksheets once more, we went outside and drew a grid of over 1,500 squares that each measured 7cm by 7cm. This was not a simple task since most of the kids only brought little 6-in rulers, but we were able to get the grid drawn accurately with the help of some teachers' meter-sticks.

Measuring out squares on the grid.

Accuracy is important!

Me with Kate and Oksana.

Sasha starting the grid lines on the top of the map.

Working with the meter stick really helped keep the lines even and straight.

After drawing the grid, the next step for the third day of camp was to outline the continents in pencil. We only had about 10 students, so we divided them up into groups and assigned them each to sections of the map. According to the manual, there are 18 sections of the map, but the bottom 3 sections are mostly ocean and Antartica. The most difficult section of the map was the area where Europe, Asia, and Africa were all in the same square. We spent a lot of time on creating an accurate and recognizable contour for as much as the map as we could. we had the kids outline each continent in Sharpie permanent marker. We decided that outlining the continents would make painting go much easier since the basic shape would already be drawn clearly on the wall.

The students drew carefully on the wall, according  to the numbered squares in the grid.

Igor (an English teacher) working on finishing Asia while I am drawing the Peace Corps logo.

Sasha using blue paint to "edit" where the students accidentally outlined the Rio Grande instead of Texas haha.

On the fourth and last day of camp, we started out the day by mixing concentrated colors into white paint. The kids loved recycling their popsicle sticks and getting their hands a little bit dirty. We painted each continent a different color, and then outlined the continents in black paint. Here are a few photos of the progression of painting :)

We added concentrated color to white paint.

Mixing the paint.

Most of the kids outlined the continents again in paint anyways, before they painted the middle with larger brushes. Each kid had their own technique of painting, and since we only had 9 students, almost all of them got to paint their own continent!

Lilia painting Australia.

Kate outlining South America.

Washing their hands off in the water bucket.

After getting started painting, we were all really exciting that the map was actually taking shape on the wall. Asia, Europe and North America needed a lot of small details to be painted in carefully.

Sasha is so proud of her students!

Kate painting in Africa.

Vika painting carefully around North America.

Oksana helping Kate with South America.

Bogdan painting the Pacific Islands around Australia.

Yulia preferred to use her fingers to paint in details instead of a paintbrush, which was very interesting but turned out quite well... to each their own!

Yulia working on Europe.

Sergei, Lilia and Bogdan working together on the wall.

A few hours later, we had made a lot of progress on the map! All of the students were very proud of their work and their teachers were just as excited to have such a beautiful map on the wall.

Putting the finishing touches on Europe and Asia.

The map is almost finished!

After the map was finished, the kids all painted their hands and put their handprints on the wall next to the map. We took a few photos with the map and then called it a day!

Lilia and her purple hand.

Serhiy writing his name on the wall.

The trail of handprints on the right side of the map, plus the Peace Corps logo that I drew.

Sasha, Dan, Thomas and me.

Me and the world :)

Overall, this project was great and I was so glad to be able to help Sasha out with it at her school. I definitely want to do this project at my school in the fall, maybe I can show my teachers these photos and convince them to let me paint on the wall in the hallway by the English classrooms!