All students need to build an understanding of the 5 themes of geography. To help them, teachers must find literature which brings the themes to their level. By building this foundation in the elementary grades, students will be able to use the themes to establish an understanding of geographic information.
PURPOSE:
This activity will help students understand location and map making.
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM:
(As part of an integrated unit):
Social Studies, Language Arts, Math (measurement), Science
GRADE LEVEL: K-8, with adaptations
TIME: Two class periods
MATERIALS:
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
5-1/2" squares of paper
pencils/crayons
chalkboard/chalk
chart paper - one for each group, about 3' x 3'
Places can be located on maps.
People find their locations on maps.
OBJECTIVE ONE:
Students will draw locations from the story.
ACTIVITIES:
Students will read the book and focus on the locations in the story. This may be actual locations on a map of the area, or it may be locations on the cay.
Students will brainstorm the locations in the story.
Students will discuss the order in which the locations occurred.
Students will work in groups to make drawings of all the locations of the story, one-two drawings per child. (4-8 drawings total for the group)
EVALUATION:
Monitor and adjust student discussions.
Groups will turn in a minimum of one picture for each location, and one for each member of the group.
EXPANSION:
The same kind of activity can be done with other books such as Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. For a shorter lead time on the lesson, there are many picture books, such as Worse than Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos, which will also work.
Students will put their pictures on a map.
ACTIVITIES:
Students will go through the book a second time, focusing on the order of the locations in the story.
Groups will place their pictures on a piece of butcher paper as they think they belong.
All group members must agree on placement of their pictures before they can be glued down.
Students will add details to map.
Students will include a map key, compass rose, cartographers' names, date, scale and title on the map.
EVALUATION:
Monitor and adjust student discussions.
Students will write a short paragraph explaining why they placed the pictures where they did on the map.
Students may take pictures or draw pictures of things they find in their neighborhood or town and place them on maps in the same manner.