New York, NY (May 17, 2004) -- Kids across the country have once again demonstrated their love for geography in Junior Scholastic® magazine’s annual “Can You Find The Mapman?” contest. This year’s grand-prize winner is seventh grader Nancy Flewelling of Gulfview Middle School in Naples, Florida, who found the Mapman in his mystery destination of Costa Rica, a country in Central America. The contest results were announced in the May 10, 2004 issue of Junior Scholastic, the leading social studies and current events magazine for middle school students. For the tenth year in a row, the Mapman contest received an overwhelming number of entries. This year’s contest drew in nearly 10,000 entries from students in grades 6-8 throughout all 50 states and Okinawa, Japan. Created by Scholastic’s resident cartographer, Jim McMahon (Mapman), the “Can You Find The MapmanÔ?” contest challenges kids’ map-reading skills – from recognizing political boundaries and locating cities using latitude and longitude to understanding time zones and measuring distances with a scale of miles or kilometers. Once students discovered where Mapman went, they had to draw a map of that location. “The ‘Can You Find the Mapman’ contest encourages students to apply many of the skills they have learned throughout the year, while testing their creativity and originality,” said Mapman, Jim McMahon. “Nancy Flewelling’s entry won because it displayed an advanced level of creativity, originality, and skill. Her diorama, aptly tilted ‘Let’s Take a Peek-A Into Costa Rica,’ was replete with a fiery volcano, summit lake, canopy of tropical trees, crystal-blue sky, and one elevation map drawn in the clouds. It captured a slice of Costa Rica’s countryside in a box.” To participate, contestants were required to trace the Mapman’s route to the undisclosed destination by answering eight questions that would stump many adults. To qualify for a prize, kids had to answer all of the questions correctly then draw a map of the area. The grand-prize winner and runners-up were selected based on their maps’ cartographic accuracy and creativity, including design and color treatment. The questions were (answers in parentheses): 1. I rafted south along a river that flows into the Gulf of California. What is the name of the river? (Colorado River) 2. Then I kayaked along the shores of Baja California as I headed toward La Paz. That city is located on what type of landmass? (Peninsula) 3. Next, I chartered a plane to a city located at 19° N, 99° W. This city is the capital of which country? (Mexico) 4. My interest in turtles led me almost 1,800 miles to an island group also called the Tortoise Islands. What named line of latitude passes through the islands? (Equator) 5. I followed the migratory path of leatherback turtles to a nesting site on Cocos Island. In which direction did I travel? (Northeast) 6. Next, I headed for a waterway built to connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. What is the waterway’s name? (Panama Canal) 7. I flew to San José, arriving at 1:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. What time was that in Miami? (2:00 p.m.) 8. I reached my final destination at 10° N, 84° W – a volcano that boasts two summit crater lakes. In which country is this volcano located? (Costa Rica) Nancy Flewelling wins a $500 U.S. Savings Bond, a Mapman T-shirt, and a Franklin® Electronic Merriam-Webster’s® Dictionary. Twenty-five runners up from schools nationwide will also receive a Mapman T-shirt and a Franklin Electronic Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Runners-up are: ·Mohammed Ahmed, O.A. Thorp Academy, Chicago, IL ·Brandi Anderson, Aledo Junior High, Aledo, IL ·Lauryn Ando, St. Francis School, Honolulu, HI ·Aaron Brooks, Hughes Middle School, Burleson, TX ·Devon Bysinger, Aledo Junior High, Aledo, IL ·Louie Catizone, Randolph Middle School, Randolph, NJ ·Kelly Cholko, Holy Guardian Angels Regional School, Temple, PA ·Chelsea DaSilva, Gulfview Middle School, Naples, FL ·Aubree Dinning, Woodland Middle School, Coeur d’Alene, IN ·Lacey Durham, Hughes Middle School, Burleson, TX ·Mark Ferraiulo, Gulfview Middle School, Naples, FL ·Mariel Fresse, Randolph Middle School, Randolph, NJ ·Amanda Hemm, Fairfield Middle School, Fairfield, IA ·Carolyn Horst, Saylesville School, Rubicon, WI ·Max Ison, Ceredo-Kenova Middle School, Ceredo, WV ·Taylor Kellogg, Watertown Middle School, Watertown, SD ·Brady Krumwiede, Watertown Middle School, Watertown, SD ·Josh Manning, Gulfview Middle School, Naples, FL ·Shelby Marshall, Fairfield Middle School, Fairfield, IA ·Niko Salinas, Woodland Middle School, Coeur d’Alene, IN ·Alyssa Scheider, Randolph Middle School, Randolph, NJ ·Edward Silva, Sacred Heart School, Turlock, CA ·Glen Waldner, Cascade Colony School, Sun River, MT ·Aimie Young, Bemus Point Elementary, Bemus Point, NY ·Chrissy Youngborg, Sacred Heart School, Hilmar, CA Junior Scholastic’s® geography content is consistently popular with teachers and students, offering classrooms nationwide an additional fun and interesting resource for geography instruction. Several entire classes submit entries to the “Can You Find The Mapman?” contest. In response to “Ask The Mapman®,” his regular column in Junior Scholastic, the Mapman has received thousands of letters from kids. Scholastic is the world’s largest publisher of educational magazines for grades pre-K through 12. Junior Scholastic, a current events magazine for grades 6 – 8, provides social studies teachers with timely articles that can be incorporated into their curriculum, including current events, global studies, geography, economics, American history, world history, and government. Each issue of Junior Scholastic features rich editorial, full-color maps, political cartoons, graphs, and photographs that make social studies come alive, giving teachers a powerful tool to engage kids in the study of the world beyond the borders of their own communities.

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