Grade Levels: 6,7,8
Goals:
*The students will learn about basic map information--map scale, longitude/latitude, cardinal directions.
*The students will create maps of their own.
*The students will understand what ratios are and how they affect map making.
Materials:
*Guides A, B, and C
*Blank paper
*Atlases and other maps
*Rulers
Content Areas:
*Social Studies--geography
*Math
Concepts:
*geography
*map skills
*ratios
Procedure:
1. The teacher will give each student a copy of a map. (State of Wisconsin)
2. The teacher will ask the students to what they recognize on the map--degree lines, cities, geographical items (mountains, rivers, lakes, etc.)
3. The teacher will begin by explaining to the students what latitude and longitude are. He/she will show the students how to write and say the position of a city/place using degrees of latitude and longitude. The students will then work on a guide sheet that will help them practice what they just learned. The teacher should allow the students to ask any questions that they may have. This guide sheet is not to hand in but just to reiterate that the students understand the material that was presented to them. (Guide A)
4. Then the teacher will begin discussing directions--not just north, south, east and west but also the intermediate directions (northeast, south-southeast, etc.). The teacher will ask the students a few questions to see if they are understanding the material. The students will work on another guide sheet and go over it after they have completed it. (Guide B)
5. The teacher will then discuss with the students the idea of scale and how it is important to map making. The teacher will then describe ratios and why they are important to scale. The students will be given another guide sheet that will display their understanding of the idea of scale. (Guide C)
6. After completing the third guide sheet, the students will review all of the concepts that were covered in the guide sheets. Ask the students how they would start to create their own map. What would they include? How are oceans drawn on maps? What role do they play in map making?
7. The students will then work in groups to create a map of their own dealing with the six port cities. There will be six groups and each group will deal with a different port city. The students will be able to create their own maps using books, etc. The students will have a blank piece of paper that they will use to make their maps.
8. The students maps should include landmarks (if any), geographical/geological formations, lines of latitude and longitude, direction rose, and scale. Their map should be their own; that is, they should focus on a specific area of the city that they're interested in, yet the map should be very accurate and include the information that they found in the atlases and other books.
Evaluation: The students will be given a checklist of things that they will need to include in their maps. The teacher will double check that the criteria has been met. The activity will not be graded but it will be a pass/fail activity. See notes on checklist.
Approximate Time: 3 hours
Resources:
~Baynes, John. How Maps are Made. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987. ~Cartwright, Sally. What's in a Map? New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1976.
~Ganeri, Anita. Maps and Mapmaking. New York: F. Watts, 1995.
~Rinkoff, Barbara. A Map is a Picture. New York: Crowell, 1965.
Internet Resources:
~http://subspace.warzone.com/mmg/guides/mixman.html
Extensions:
*You may also teach the students about other types of maps--topographical, precipitation, agriculture, geographical, etc.
Back to Schedule of Lessons
Back to Main Page
Back to Lesson #4
Go to Lesson #6