Day One: Map Investigations*

*Ahead of today, collect a variety of maps (online or in-person) for students to explore.

One way to get to know one another better and a little bit about where we live is by sharing what our homes look like. We can do this in many ways. One way is by showing friends a map of our rooms or our homes. Ask students, “Have you ever heard of a map before? What is a map?” 

You may need to scaffold the discussion a bit by guiding and being more specific about  maps - for example, you could ask: When have you used a map before or seen someone using one? Why might maps be important? Why are they used? Who uses them? How can they help people understand their community?

Generate a list of what children already know about maps. 

For example: 

Next, have children explore a few different types of maps (whatever is collected and/or virtually sent in). Ideas might include maps of hotels, the zoo, Disneyland or parks.

After children have an opportunity to explore the maps, ask them what they noticed and chart their observations and any questions they have. Anticipate the questions they may have to guide future plans. 

In your discussion, you can highlight vocabulary words such as “map key” and “compass rose,” directing students’ attention to how maps are made from a “bird’s eye point of view.”  

Explain to students that in order to create our  classroom community and learn about each other’s homes, we will create maps - first of a special room in our home, and then our whole home.

If you are in a hybrid or in-person classroom, you could model this by together creating a map of your classroom. 

 Day Three: Map Creation Part 2 (Mapping a favorite room) 

Revisit students’ recorded noticings and comments from their map investigations. Discuss with students that now we have started investigating maps, let’s try creating a map of our own. Explain to students that we are going to create a map of our bedroom or a favorite room in our homes. Discuss with students how drawing a map of their bedroom or any special room in their home can help us get to know each other. This way, we can answer some of your questions - like what your friends like to do? Or what they favorite colors are? Model first building a room using construction materials like Legos or blocks to build the room, and then drawing a map of a room, discuss why it is special to you. While drawing the map, reinforce important map vocabulary, bird’s eye point of view, and being careful to draw what they see in the room. Demonstrate how to add a compass to your map.

Map of my Bedroom (or a favorite room in my house)

Online: Students can upload their map and audio record their explanation of it. 

In-person: Students can use available materials to create their map and the teacher discusses it with students and add dictation/labels. 

Critique/Revision Opportunity: students can share their maps on Flipgrid and provide feedback to each other to encourage them to add/make changes to maps to make things more clear. Consider using a protocol like “Two Stars and a Wish” - where students share two things they like and one question they have about the work.

Finally, consider creating a rubric/checklist of the elements you would like children to include on their maps - for example, pictures, labels, words, shapes etc.