SWT’s Department of Geography develops atlas for TX school children

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — The Geography Department of Southwest Texas State University will put its mark on the maps of children’s minds with the release of the School Atlas of Texas.

The 48-page color atlas is currently in press at W.S. Benso & Co. in Austin and was release today, Oct.1. The first of its kind, it is targeted at the seventh-grade students of Texas.

The atlas includes historical, physical, political, cultural, economic and environmental thematic maps of Texas. The maps will include natural regions, climate information, major aquifers, fault lines and earthquakes, the people of Texas, major archaeological sites, native cultures, Mexican land grants, Texas borders through time, endangered species, railroad development, Texas cities, parks and public lands, presidential and gubernatorial election results, major festivals, oil and gas production, and agricultural and ranching.

The atlas sells for $9.95 and will be formally unveiled at the annual meeting of the Texas Council for Social Studies in Galveston on Oct. 5-6. To purchase a copy of the School Atlas of Texas e-mail geography@swt.edu or order by telephone by calling W.S. Benson & Co. at (800) 835-2197.

A series of outline maps of Texas that accompanies the atlas for student class work will soon be available for downloading from the SWT geography web site, http://www.geo.txstate.edu.

The production staff of the school atlas included Lynn Resler, staff leader, Diana Marie Zamarripa, Kristine Egan, Gayla Malson, Matt Ramspott, Wade Martyn, Jamie Smelser, Marcus Ollington, Yongxia Skadberg, Brian Dopp, Michelle Shuey and Renate Yonke. They were responsible for gathering data, creating the maps and performing quality control.

Department Chair Lawrence Estaville, the managing editor of the atlas, oversaw the project throughout the past three years. Geography Professor Byron Augustine, an expert on Texas and associate editor of the atlas, assisted in quality control and contributed several photographs from his personal collection for the atlas. Graphic designer Glynis Christine advised on color and design and created the final atlas layout.