Mapping Skills
Grade Level: 3rd-6th Grade
Length: 8 weeks
Reason of Study:
In studying events, it is important to also know places. This is much easier if one understands the world's mapping and how to locate an area. This study will attempt to aid in that skill, as well as review land forms.
Unit's Objectives:
- After a study of mapping, the student will be able to plot out countries and cities using a graph grid.
- After this study, students will identify different land forms
- During this study, students will discover climate regions within the different hemispheres.
Concepts:
Map plotting
Land forms
Mapping terms
Vocabulary
latitude Prime Meridian cartography
longitude hemisphere equator
direction peninsula island
mountain hill lake
gulf river ocean
plateau valley canyon
bay plain map key
Resources:
Teacher Resource Books:
- Aims Education Foundation, Finding Your Bearings, 1990
- Tribune Education, Learn at Home, Grade 3, 1999
Activities:
Week 1:
- View world maps and locate map concepts. Use Aims handout on concepts.
(Geography)
- Go over vocabulary list. Practice matching of vocabulary.
(Language Arts)
- Practice map plotting together (Aims Activity A) (Geography and Math)
- Discuss differences in climate of Southern and Northern atmosphere
(Geography)
- Students independently does map plotting activity B (Geography)
- Discover new country activity, name your new country, and show where it would be on the globe. (Geography)
- Add plotting of physical features using map symbols and Aims activity sheets. (Geography)
- Play outdoor directional game. (Physical education and Geography)
Week 2:
- Hypothesize on economic factors based on physical features for potential businesses (Social Studies)
- Count graph paper squares for area on each physical feature covers. (Math )
- Complete graphs on area of physical features of country. (Math and Geography)
- Complete circle graph on country's economies. (Social Studies and Math)
- Find country location on globe. Look up climate, animals, and foods for country. (Social Studies)
- Make a travel brochure for country. (Language Arts)
© Tamra Monroe, 2000
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