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1st Grade Geography Skills

What stories do maps tell?

Learning Module

Abstract

This module leads first grade students through an investigation of maps and exploring how and why we represent the physical world the way we do on maps. It.encourages students to consider our ability to represent real-world places on a map. Students will explore the meaning and purpose of maps, the tools that help us represent places, the purposes of those tools, and how we use those tools to read and make maps. This module will give students a foundation to develop their geographic reasoning and map literacy.

Keywords

Social Studies, symbols, compass rose, geography

Module Description

This module will lead students through an inquiry to answer the question, "What stories to maps tell us?" Students will create map symbols, use a compass rose and practice the use of vocabulary centered on directionality, create map keys, and discover relationships between types of maps as they strengthen their map literacy.

Students will understand the purpose of they different types of maps and the stories they tell. They will be able to evaluate a variety of information that maps provide.

The summative assessment at the end of this inquiry module will be to create an evidence-based argument explaining the different ways maps tell stories and why they represent different things.

 

Learning Objectives

Illinois State Social Studies Standards 

SS.G.1.1: Construct and interpret maps and other representations to navigate a familiar place.

SS.IS.1.K.-2: Create questions to help guide inquiry about a topic with guidance from adults and/or peers

SS.IS.2.K-2: Explore facts from various sources that can be used to answer the developed questions.

SS.IS.5.K-2: Ask and answer questions about arguments and explanations.

 

Introduction to Inquiry

In addressing the compelling question “What stories do maps tell?” students will work through a series of supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and sources in order to complete the summative assessment of an evidence based argument.

 

 

For the student

What is a map?

What do you already know maps?

Watch the video below Let's Explore! Learning about Maps by Anna Crocker.

Media embedded February 10, 2019

In a response below, list at least two different types of maps.

What types of things can you find on a map?

Have you ever used a map?

For the teacher

The purpose of this introduction is to gather students' prior knowledge of maps.  What is there schema?

This video presents a nice overview of the types of maps and what maps are used for by way of song.

By the end of this section, students should be able to name at least two different types of maps.  

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461056080592575776/?lp=true

  

 

Media embedded March 3, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How are symbols used on a map?

For the student

Look at the following pages from My Map Book by Sara Fanelli.

http://www.willowday.net/2013/04/my-map-book/

Then, listen to the story, Me on a Map by Joan Sweeny.

Media embedded February 16, 2019

How did the narrator in the story depict the items in her bedroom on her map? 

Symbols are pictures that are used represent real items or places on a map.  Think about some of the symbols used in My Map Book and Me on a Map.

Finally, watch the following video on map symbols.

Media embedded February 16, 2019

Answer the following questions in a post below.

  1. A symbol is ____________________________________________?
  2. What is a physical characteristic? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  3. What is a human characteristic? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

For the teacher

This section offers students the opportunity to learn what map symbols are, why they are used, and what they mean on a map. The task at the end of this section asks students to define the terms symbol, physical characteristic, and human characteristic.

Students are asked to think about how we decipher the language of maps. THe variety of maps presented provide numerous examples of maps and map elements.  Students should be encouraged to closely examine a place (real or imaginary) noticing all of the details that should be included on a map.

Additional Resources:

Media embedded February 17, 2019

 

How are symbols used on a map day 2

For the student

https://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1106579

In the last lesson, you learned about how symbols are used on a map. There are symbols drawn for both physical and human characteristics on a map.  For a review of those terms, click on the link below.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/mapping-the-physical-and-human-characteristics-of-the-united-states.html

 

 Complete the chart below with five physical characteristics that you would find on a map.

Name 5 physical characteristics

that you would find on a map.

Draw a symbol of each 

physical characteristic.

1. Lake

 

 

 

2.

 

3.

 

 

4.

 

 

5.

 

 

Think about the human characteristics that can be found on a map.  Complete the chart below

Name 5 Human Characteristics that you would find on a map. Draw a symbol of each characteristic. 

1.  Road

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

 

4.

 

 

5.

 

 

How do symbols help people read a map? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After completing each chart, review another classmate's drawings.  Are his/her symbols clear in what they are trying to convey? 

For the teacher

Continuing from the previous lesson, students are now asked to think of ways to represent physical and human characteristics as symbols.

Students are asked to give examples of symbols they might find on a map. 

How does a map key and compass rose help people read maps?

For the student

Think about how a map, or illustration of a place, tells a story.  How does it tell us the story? What does it use?

Listen to the story Mapping Penny's World by Loreen Leedy.

Media embedded February 16, 2019
https://dogfoose.com/2013/10/maps-and-how-to-read-them/

I want to delete the above image, but I cannot for some reason.

Create a map key for the classroom.  Whay symbols would you use to express what features are present in the room?  Include a compass rose.  

For the teacher

In this section, students are asked to to think more critically about the ways in which maps tell stories and how we decode the language of maps.  The different types of maps presented for this section provided various examples of maps and map elements.

Students are encouraged to closely examine a place noticing all of the details that should be included on a map.  This also continues to build upon the previous inquiry on map symbols.  

Additional Resources:

Media embedded February 17, 2019

Kat's Maps by Jon Scieszka. This is a good source for emerging readers or independent reading. It reinforces using maps to show how to get people to specific places.  

How do the grid lines help us focus in on details on a map?

For the student

Media embedded February 17, 2019

Someimes grid lines are put on maps to help us find what and where we want quicker.  

Look at the map below, then answer the questions using the grid lines.

https://diamondmomstreasury.weebly.com/blog
https://diamondmomstreasury.weebly.com/blog

Answer the questions about the Classroom Grid Map in a post below.  

For the teacher

In this section students will learn about the gridlines found on a map and how to use them to find things more quickly on a map.

Additional Resources:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/using-grid-zoo-map/

If there is time, students could play Battleship in a center utilizing their knowledge of gridlines to find each other's ships to sink.  

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/the-basic-rules-of-battleship-411069

 

How can the same place be represented by different types of maps?

For the student

We have seen that there are many different places shown on maps.  Did you know that different kinds of maps can all tell different stories about the sameplace?

Below are some maps of Illinois. What different kind of information are you learning abour Illinois using each of these maps?  

http://ontheworldmap.com/usa/state/illinois/pictorial-travel-map-of-illinois.html
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/218706125626673124/?lp=true
http://www.myhometown-lebanonpa.com/weather_-_il.htm

 

http://exhibits.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/1890/maps/index.html

In a post below, share what you learning about Illinois just by looking at and reading the maps above.  

Create a 2 different kinds of maps for our town. Here are some suggestions:

1. A map with points of interest

2. A map of the parks in your town

3. A map of natural resources in town

4. A road map of the town 

*Your map must have a key.*

Then review two other maps created by your peers.  

What type of map did they create?

Were the illustrations and key clear in tell their story?

 

For the teacher

This portion of the lesson requires students to think about the variety of types and purposes of maps.  Sometimes putting everything on a map causes too much confusion.  

Additional Resource:

Media embedded February 17, 2019

 

Summative assessment-Make a Map

For the student

As a conclusion to this module, use the program map builder to tell as story of the place where you live.  

https://mrnussbaum.com/mapbuilder2/

Below you will find a rubric for this project

Map Final Project Rubric

 

For the teacher

Using what they have learned from this module, students will create a map telling a story of a place they know.  

Below is the rubric used for common grading.

 

making_20a_20map_20activity_20rubric.doc

Additional Resources for extension activities:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/mapping-storybooks/

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/mapping-classroom/

 

What stories do maps tell?-Learning Survey

For the student

Use the link below to take the Quizlet on first grade maps.

https://quizlet.com/137222839/test

For the teacher

After completing this learning module, students will take the learning survey.  If a students needs more clarification on a term or concept, the following reseources may be helpful for reteaching.

https://www.wartgames.com/themes/geography/maps.html

 

Resources

Crocker, A. (2013, April 14). Let's Explore! Learning about Maps. Retrieved February 21, 2019,

     from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIr4aj6Xt2g&t=22s

{{CurrentPage.Title}}. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Social-Science.aspx

 

Jenmad4. (2016, February 03). MAPPING PENNY'S WORLD. Retrieved February 16, 2019,

     from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSBpg3JLJXQ&t=60s

Kahle, L. (2015, August 17). Me on the map by Joan Sweeney. Retrieved February 21, 2019,

     from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cjSXC2rHE&t=11s

Learners, T. I. (2017, October 07). Map Skills: A Key. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBzRq04rliY&t=36s

LeapFrog. (2015, June 19). What are Maps? - Learn & Grow Kids Geography Lesson |

     LeapFrog. Retrieved February 16, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?            v=Czk4p5QmLSA

 

PSDtechnology. (2013, August 28). 2nd Grade Understanding and Making Maps Symbols.         Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9nOie2mmr0

Scieszka, J. (2016). Kats maps. Minneapolis, MN: Spotlight.

Sieradzki, H. (2016, December 01). Using a Map Grid. Retrieved February 16, 2019, from

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8kOZkiJI8M&t=44s

 

Willowday. (2016, December 04). My Map Book. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from

http://www.willowday.net/2013/04/my-map-book/