• explaining uses of cardinal directions on the compass rose
• measuring distances using nonstandard means
  
  

Learning About Maps and Colors  Students will develop basic geography skills by reading neighborhood maps.  They will learn how to interpret map symbols and identify the specific colors used for each. Students will learn to identify primary and secondary colors, then use them to create their own map, map symbols, and colored map key.

Come With Me to the Islands  Students will explore several islands by watching a multimedia presentation prepared by the teacher on islands and how they were formed.  Students will then use globes and maps to find various islands using cardinal directions given by the teacher.  Students will work to make models of islands and draw and write about islands using software.

Over the River and Through the Woods
This lesson introduces the concept of mental maps and their development.

Maps as Pictures of the Earth
The student will identify a map as a picture of the Earth and locate land and water on globe and map.

Symbols and Legends
Students will become familiar with the concepts of symbols and learn to use a legend to identify features on a map.

Map Reading
Students will locate their home on a city map, create their own map using appropriate symbols and make a milk carton house which they will use to demonstrate the locate of their house on a city map.  (Adaptable for K-1, written for 2-3)

First Grade Tour Guides
Plan a tour of your school that will show parents all of the important places, let them know what happens in these places, and introduce them to the people who work there.

Expanding Children's Geographic World
Using concrete materials such as blocks and milk cartons, students construct a three-dimensional table or floor map of their immediate geographic region.

Where Were U.S. Presidents Born?
Students will create a map, including a key for the map's symbols, to display presidential birthplace data, draw inferences from, and answer questions about the geographical information displayed in the map.

Maps and Globes: Where Are We?
Scroll down to History and Geography.  Lesson is under Spatial Sense.  This lesson focuses on introduction to maps and globes and why they are important.  Includes land forms and oceans, cardinal direction.

Investigating Our Place in the World
Scroll down to History and Geography.  Lesson is under Spatial Sense.  This is a year-long geography unit designed to foster the students' geographical awareness of city, state, country, continent, and world.  Includes hands-on activities, centers, and literature connections.

Passport to the World
Scroll down to History and Geography.  Lesson is under Overview of the Seven Continents.  Come join us on a field trip around the world!  To determine our mode of travel we must identify each geographical location on a map or globe.  We will explore climate, people, customs, landmarks, and animals of each continent or ocean.

Geography Alive!
Scroll down to History and Geography to find this lesson link.  This unit includes locating continents and oceans, cardinal directions, map symbols and legends.

Where in the World Am I?
Scroll down to History and Geography to find this lesson link.  This series of lessons includes maps and globes, cardinal directions, spatial sense and bird's eye view, geographic features and terms, compass rose, and making a model.

Mapping the Garden  The learner will understand the legend, the key, the symbols and the area on a map by viewing several maps and discussing the mentioned features of the maps.

Scavenger Hunt: Ideas for several map-based scavenger hunts.

Spatial Concepts: This site is great for reinforcing basic location sight words in Language Arts and Social Studies. Would make a great small group activity as you discuss the location of the objects on the page.

Maps: Where Am I?  It's hard for kids to relate the three-dimensional, horizon-oriented world they live in to the two-dimensional, vertically oriented "world" of maps. This film will help to solve that problem.  Short video from United Streaming.

Understanding Maps: Key to Everywhere:  This program gives an overview of maps. It explains direction, distance, scale, elevation, and grid maps. It also demonstrates points on a compass, how different types of maps show different things, what symbols are, and what a globe is.  Short video from United Streaming.

Suggestions for English Language Learners: 
(E/B=Entering/Beginning, D=Developing, E=Expanding)

(E/B) Students locate reference points on local or world maps or globes from oral commands (i.e.around the school/community; or mountains and oceans) by pointing, labeling or stating.
(E/B) Students identify neighborhood signs from pictures (i.e. traffic lights, schools or railroad crossings).
(E/B) Students identify buildings in neighborhoods from pictures (i.e. "Firefighters work here.").
(D) Students identify directions and cardinal points on local maps or scales based on a series of oral directions (such as the compass rose or legends).
(D) Students locate places in neighborhoods from maps (i.e. "The house is next to the park.").
(D, E) Students explore and compare a map and a globe.
(E) Students distinguish among geographic locations on local or regional maps based on oral descriptions that include directionality.
(E) Students find locations using maps of neighborhoods (i.e. "The school is at the corner of First and Oak.").
(E/B, D, E) Students point to areas on the map dictated by teacher in response to reading.

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