Social Studies Mapping Unit- Geography
Have the children send in examples of maps if you need them (ski map, zoo
map, trail map, street map).
Take out map puzzles and follow suggested enrichment activities on the Social
Studies wiki.
Day 1: Intro to Map?
Essential Question: What is the purpose of a map?
What maps have you seen?
 Look at examples. Include a poster map, globe, atlas, as well as
examples from students
Day 2:
 Make a map of the classroom with student help on the Smartboard
Notebook. Have a student exit the room and you hide an object in the
room. Note directions on the map with a different colored pen and print
it out. Have the student find the object.
 Challenge the students to make their own classroom maps and play this
game on their own.
 OR provide a print out of the already made- classroom map to skip a
step.
Day 3: Google Earth
Essential Question: What can a map tell us? Zooming in
from big to little!
 Begin with picture of the whole solar system (see file). Point out earth.
 Go to Google Earth and spin the planet. Discuss the blue sea. Discuss the
white at the north/south poles. Why is it white?
 Go to Brazil. Discuss: why is it green? Rainforest habitat.
 Go to Africa. Zoom to northern desert. Discuss: why isn’t it green?
 Go to New York, NY. Discuss: why is it gray? Note: so many buildings and
not a lot of nature (Earth Day tie in). Zoom to see rectangle of Central
Park. Why is this green formed in a perfect rectangle right in the middle
of the Manhattan Island? Is it natural?
 Go to Connecticut. Are there beaches in Darien? Where in CT do you
think our town is (on the water)? Zoom to Darien (you may mention Long
Island is the land they see across the water when at the beach).
 Go to your school and challenge them to recognize it. Where is our
classroom?
 Literacy Connection: Me on the Map
Day 4: Essential Question: How can I read a map? What is a legend/key?
 Look at examples of maps with legends on the Smartboard (see 3 in file)
and have students find objects of the various maps.
Sandy Henry and Kim Egan
Student Learning Goal 2010
Day 5: Legends continued
 Use the map with legend created on the Smartboard notebook (see filemapLEGEND.notebook) and model creating a map on the Smartboard.
Pictures have infinite cloning option, so click on them to place them on
your map, or show how easy you can draw your own items in the legend.
 Note the items on map have to match the legend exactly by design and
color.
 Have students come up and place things on the Smartboard map
 Give out a plain piece of paper with a rectangle in the corner marked
“LEGEND”. Have students create their own legends and corresponding
maps.
Day 6: Essential Question: How can I read a map? What is a compass rose?
 Go to Fair Direction Map (see file)
 Display on Smartboard and discuss the need for a compass (you can’t
turn up or down).
 Make a compass design with 4 points to the side, using the pen
 Ask students if they know any of the cardial directions
 Label the compass (N, E, S, W) and teach “Naughty elephants squirt
water” to help them remember
 Have fun moving the fireman icon (infinitely cloned) around the fair using
cardinal directions.
Day 7: Essential Question: How can I read a map? Using a legend and
compass together.
 Go to Town Direction Map (see file)
 Add a compass again like above
 Challenge the students to give directions to the girl, biker, or skateboarder
(infinitely cloned) using the legend AND compass together.
Day 8: enrichment: Brainpopjr.com
 Watch the Reading Maps video (under Social Studies) and use
corresponding activites
Sandy Henry and Kim Egan
Student Learning Goal 2010