A page has a top edge. A place has directions. Those are different things. Turning your route drawing changes where its marks sit on the table. It does not change which places the path joins.

Many maps place north at the top. A direction arrow tells the reader how the page relates to geographic directions. If the map turns, the arrow must turn with it. An arrow marked N points toward the north represented on that map.

A map can place south, east or another direction at the top. You can still use it if you understand its orientation, how the map is turned. Do not call the page’s top edge north without checking. Your invented arrow is a label within a model, not a measurement of the direction in your room.

Mapmakers have not always used the same top edge. A large world map made by Fra Mauro in the fifteenth century put south at the top. It is a real historical example preserved and studied today.

That choice may look surprising if most maps you have seen are north-up. It does not turn Earth over. A map is a representation, and its maker chooses how to arrange the information for readers.

Different maps also choose different symbols and features. A direction label helps explain orientation; a legend helps explain symbols. Ask what the map communicates rather than deciding it is wrong because it looks unfamiliar. Fra Mauro’s map shows that north-up was not the only choice. It does not settle exactly why north-up became common everywhere you encounter it.

solo · About 10 minutes; untested estimate.

You need

• Paper and pencil
• Large paper marker

Try it

1. Draw three places linked by one route. Label them Home, Bridge and Garden.
2. Add an N arrow pointing to one paper edge.
3. Move a marker from Home to Garden through Bridge.
4. Turn the paper halfway around, keeping the arrow attached.
5. Follow the same route and compare the connections.