Lesson:  #3

Lesson Title:  Using Map Skills

Grade:  3rd

Duration:  45 minutes

Primary Discipline:  Social Studies

 

Aim:  How do we tell directions and distance on a map?

 

Objective:

The learner will be able to…

  • Apply basic map skills
  • Distinguish the different symbols on a map

 

NYS Standards:

  • SS Standard 3:  Geography

 

Integrated Standards:

  • ELA Standard 1:  Language For Information and Understanding

 

Materials:

  • Smartboard
  • Large pull-down class political map
  • Individual political maps (students’ atlas)
  • Rulers
  • Compass worksheet
  • “I have…Who has…” game cards

 

Procedure:

The lesson will begin with students sitting at their desks.

 

  • Motivation

o       The teacher will begin by telling students to close their eyes.  When they are closed students are to point in the direction they think is North.

o       Typically, students will give mixed directions.  Some will point upward, while others point forward, or in a different direction altogether.

o       The teacher will then go on to say that those whom pointed to the right are correct because to the right is the north.  He or she will then explain why others may have pointed upward (because that is what North looks like on a map’s compass.)

 

·         Key Questions

o       Which direction is North?  South? East? West?

o       Can anyone name a state South of New York?

o       Why do we need a compass?

o       Why is it important to be able to read a map scale and legend?

 

·         Lesson Instruction

Students have prior knowledge of reading map such as knowing states, state abbreviations, and capitals.

 

o       The teacher will introduce important vocabulary terms as the timing is fit with the lesson.  For instance, introduce compass rose and cardinal directions, then work with finding directions

o       Vocabulary:  compass rose, cardinal directions, inter-cardinal directions, map scale, legend, political map

o       After the motivation, the teacher will explain how a compass works and what the directions are.  The Smart board will be used to show a picture of a compass rose and the directions.

o       It is often difficult remembering which direction is where on a compass.  Therefore, students will learn a mnemonic device for remembering the order of the cardinal directions.  “Never Eat Shredded Wheat” is the mnemonic for the directions when you place them in a clockwise order around the compass.

o       The teacher will then ask students to determine which direction places on the map are from New York.

o       Next the teacher will introduce and explain what a legend or map key is.

o       The final terms will be introduced, which is a map scale.  The teacher will explain how it works and then ask students to use their rulers to determine the distances between various places in the US.

 

·         Activity

o       Students will have their own worksheet with a compass rose on it to fill-in the directions while the teacher goes over them.

o       Throughout the lesson the teacher will be asking students to try things for themselves by asking them to find various places using directions, distances, and symbols from the legend.

 

Closure:

  • The class will review some of the practices they have learned by playing a review game called “I have…Who Has...”  Students will be broken up into groups of 7 or 8 to play the game while the teacher walks around to each group.
  • For future reference, the teacher will label each wall of the classroom with extra large index cards, as it corresponds to the cardinal directions.

 

Accommodations:

·         Whenever possible, the teacher will supplement instruction with pictures which will be helpful to ELL students, as well as students whom learn better with visual explanations.

·         During the game students will be mixed within each group.  There will be on-level students as well as AIS students in each group.

 

 

 

Assessment:

Students will be informally assessed throughout the lesson when the teacher explains each map skill, and then has students measure distances between cities, determine the direction on a compass a city is from New York, or to find state capitals.  Students will also be assessed when the teacher walks around during the “I have…Who has…” game.