Instructional Activity 1: X Marks the Spot
Curriculum Area
Grade Level
Key Standards/Benchmark
Elementary Social Studies
2nd
Standard 2 The student will examine communities from a spatial perspective.
2.1 Name major landmarks in the community; construct simple maps showing some of these landmarks,
the roads connecting them, and directional indicators (north, south, east, and west), and give titles to the
maps (e.g., the name of the town).
Essential Question(s)
How do we use the four cardinal directions on a map to find local landmarks?
Title of Lesson
Bloom’s Taxonomy
X Marks the Spot
Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis
Multiple Intelligences
Materials/Resources:
Visual-Spatial, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Linguistic
Smartboard or Promethean Board, Google Earth or Mapquest, teacher created map of local area around
school marked with streets only, pencils, crayons
Essential Vocabulary:
Neighborhood, Community
Procedures
1. Teacher led discussionWhat is the name of our school? What street are we on? What are the major streets near us? So, our
location is (in Tulsa, on Main Street, by the river, etc). Does anyone know what a landmark is?
(Students are not likely to know the word landmark, so we need to lead them to it.)
*If you were to tell someone where you lived, you may say is it next to the _________. That would be
a landmark.
*What are some of the things in our neighborhood that you think people would want to see if they were
here on vacation (such as a museum, famous home or restaurant, or historical spot)? These are
landmarks.
*What are some things that everyone living here should know about (such as the hospital, library,
school, post office, and park)? These are also landmarks.
Landmarks are easily recognizable buildings, monuments, or physical structure that may help people
navigate from one place to another.
2. Hand out a neighborhood map to students and ask them to turn it over to the blank side.
3. Ask students to write down various landmarks in any community (copying from a list you create on the
board if necessary). I.e. park, school, hospital, library, museum, stadium, Blue Dome, church, etc.
4. Open Google Earth or Mapquest on your Smartboard or Promethean Board. You will type in your
school name in the search box on the upper left side of the program and click on the spyglass (Google
Earth) or the “get map” button (Mapquest). You should always look at the map prior to using it in class
to ensure you know where the various landmarks are located, should your students not find them. On
Mapquest, be sure to change from map to satellite view on the upper right hand side of the map.
5. The teacher should lead students around the map identifying the school, main streets, and highways.
6. Students will locate the position of the school on the map and mark it for a reference point.
7. Point out the title and compass rose to students and let them know we will be studying these items in
the lessons to follow.
8. Ask students to identify local landmarks on the Board map and translate them over to their own map.
What are some landmarks that are unique to our area? Students will color code the landmarks with a
colored X and add them to their legend with the corresponding colored x and the name of the
landmark. Each landmark must be a different color
9. Writing Activity- Students will choose one landmark from their map and compose a five sentence
paragraph about the landmark answering who, what, when, where, why, how. Example- where is it,
what is it (describe it), how did it get there (was it built by man or is it a part of nature), who is
responsible for it (being built or running it i.e. principal, librarian, doctors, postal workers), when do they
see it, how was it made?
Assessment
Differentiation
Notes
See rubric below
Students can work in pairs
Words can be written on board for students to copy
Writing assignment can be shortened to meet student needs
This lesson should take 45-60 minutes to complete
SAMPLE ONLY
NAME:_________________________________________
Making a Map: Local Landmarks
DATE:________________________
Legend/Key
Student Name:
________________________________________
Making a Map: Local Landmarks
CATEGORY
Expert
Almost
On My Way
Getting Started
Neatness
Very Neat and
completely colored
Neat and mostly colored
Not very neat and little coloring
Very messy and little coloring done
Labels - Accuracy
All of the items are labeled and
located correctly.
Most of the items are labeled and
located correctly.
Some of the items are labeled and Few of the items are labeled and
located correctly.
located correctly.
Map Legend/Key
Legend has all the colored
symbols labeled.
Legend has most of the colored
symbols labeled.
Legend has some of the colored
symbols labeled.
Legend has few of the colored
symbols labeled.
Who, What, When,
Where, Why, How
Each key word is addressed.
Most of the key words are
addressed.
Some of the key words are
expressed.
Few key words are addressed or
the sentences are not complete.
Each key word is addressed
correctly in a complete sentence.
.
Most key words are addressed
correctly in complete sentences.
Some key words are addressed
correctly in complete sentences.
Some key words are addressed
correctly but, sentences are not
complete.
Quanitity
Who, What, When,
Where, Why, How
Quality