Unit 1: Nature and Perspectives Mental Map
Mental Map of Camarillo (or the city you currently live in)
On a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 piece of plain white paper, draw your mental map of the Camarillo area.
Please make sure you include your home/neighborhood and ACHS in your map.
Show as much detail as you can, and remember to make the map accurate in terms of what is
important to you, such as the places you eat, work, walk, friends’ houses, etc.
Leave off things that are not important (remember, this is YOUR mental map, not the actual map of the city).
Finally, make sure you include your own made-up symbols and associated legend for landmarks
(prominent points of interest), pathways (streets, routes to…), districts (“downtown”), nodes
(meeting places, centers where streets or pathways cross), edges (obvious breaks or boundaries
between areas)
Do NOT look at a map to do this assignment. This is YOUR MENTAL MAP.
When your map is complete, please answer all of the following questions on a separate piece of
paper and attach to the back of your map.
1. What do you personally consider to be the most important features you drew on your map?
Why? How do these features/places shape your “sense of place”?
2. Briefly infer as to why certain businesses or houses are located where they are located on
your map.
3. Briefly discuss how you think people have influenced the physical and/or cultural environment
in a particular area noted on your map.
4. How long have you lived in the Camarillo area? How has this affected your mental map?
5. Do you have a car, a bicycle? Do you walk everywhere? Do you think your mode of getting
around has affected your mental map?
PART II: The 6th and final question. ONLY WHEN YOUR MENTAL MAP IS COMPLETE, YOU
MAY LOOK AT A STREET MAP OF THE CAMARILLO AREA (Google Maps is a great
source) FOR PART II OF THIS ASSIGNMENT.
6. a) How does your mental map compare to the street map? Consider area and the detail,
distances, directions, etc.
b) What do the differences between the way you think of the Camarillo area and the way
it “actually” is on a street map imply?