Abstract: Maps are commonly studied within cartography as representations of geographic space, often evaluated in terms of spatial accuracy, completeness, or adherence to cartographic conventions. Research on children’s maps has followed similar approaches, frequently using map drawings as indicators of spatial cognition or geographic learning. While these perspectives have produced valuable insights, comparatively little work has examined how children themselves conceptualize the form and function of maps through the maps they create and the explanations they provide. This dissertation addresses that gap by examining children’s perspectives on maps through their own map-making practices.

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This research draws on a large dataset of mental maps created by schoolchildren during educational field trips to the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment in San Marcos, Texas. Using a multi-method approach across four articles, this dissertation investigates how children describe maps, what content and representational strategies they use when composing them, how mapped features are organized within the graphic space of the page, and how relationships among mapped elements are structured when spatial positioning is not the primary organizing principle. Analytical methods include corpus linguistic and semantic analysis of written descriptions, visual content analysis of both the mental maps and their non-spatial relations, as well as a grid-based spatial framework for examining map feature distribution.

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Across these analyses, the findings demonstrate that children conceptualize maps not only as depictions of spatial environments but also as graphical systems for organizing experiences, narratives, and relationships. Children’s maps frequently depict meaningful locations and activities from their experiences and employ flexible representational strategies that do not necessarily rely on conventional cartographic elements; in some cases, the spatial layout of the map is even used to structure temporal or conceptual relationships rather than geographic position. By foregrounding children’s perspectives and integrating multiple analytical approaches, this dissertation contributes to cartographic scholarship by expanding understanding of how maps function as representational systems and how mapmakers conceptualize and employ them.