Ms.

Quanrud Map Skills Lesson 1

Grade: 3


Subject: Social Studies and Geography
Topic: How does a map show our world?

Objectives:
After looking at a variety of maps, students will be able to explain how a map
shows us where things are located.
Students will be able to identify map features and use five map features of
them in their own map with 90% accuracy.

NCSS Standard:
This lesson meets strand three People, Places, and Environments of the
NCSS standards. With this lesson the students will be working with maps and
map features as a way to understand how people and themselves interact
with their surroundings. They will work with the features and vocabulary
usually found on maps to communicate a sense of place.

Materials Needed:
Iowa Map
Magnets (use to display map on whiteboard)
Chart paper
Markers
Book: Follow that Map! By Scot Ritchie
Construction paper
Crayons, markers, colored pencils
Rulers
Pencils

Before the Lesson:
Before the start of this lesson/ unit I will ask the students to write in their journals
any memories they have about using a map, why they used a map, if it helped them
or not etc. thus activating students prior knowledge. By doing this activity before
presenting the lesson to the students I will be able to differentiate where needed
(see modifications below).

Introduction:
With students in whole group, I will show a map of Iowa. (This map will be
displayed at the front of the classroom and displayed on our bulletin board
when social studies period is over allowing students to view the map at all
times).
As students and I start to discuss the features of the map I will ask the
following questions:
o What do we notice on this map?
Ms. Quanrud Map Skills Lesson 1
Grade: 3

o What did the cartographer, the person who makes maps, put on the
map to help us find information? (lines indicating borders, dots
indicating cities, star indicating Iowas state capital etc.)
o What kind of information can we get from this map?
o What are we able to learn about Iowa from this map?

As students list out the map features identified when looking at our map, I
will be writing them down on chart paper to be displayed on our social
studies bulletin board.

Literacy support:
With students in a whole group, I will read aloud the book Follow that Map!: A First
Book of Mapping Skills by Scot Ritchie. Students and I will discuss and point out the
similar map features we found on our map versus the ones within the book. After
reading, I will ask the students if they think we should add or adjust our list of map
features.

Activity:
As a class we will revisit the book Follow that Map! And note the different maps
within the book. I will ask the students the following questions:
What are the differences between the maps?
What do the differences help us identify within the particular map?
What is the purpose of having different forms of maps?

I will inform students that at this point students will be creating their own maps.
Students will be asked to brainstorm in their table groups the different types of
maps they could create based on the ones we saw within the book and other maps
they know of from prior knowledge. Students then will proceed to brainstorm
places that they could map out: the classroom, playground, bedroom at home, a
room within their home, their doctors office, etc. By brainstorming both topics
students will have the opportunity to have their right/ left side of the brain
activated. As a whole group students will share out their ideas and I will write them
on the whiteboard next to our map of Iowa.

At this point students will have to decide which type of map they will be interacting
with and what location/ room they will make a map of. Each student will be
responsible for his or her own map, which will need to include at least 5 map
features weve learned about.

Though students will complete their maps individually they will have the
opportunity to share their ideas with their elbow partner throughout their creation.
Students will have the book we read, other map books found within our classroom
library; the map features chart paper and their assigned partner as resources for
their own maps.
Ms. Quanrud Map Skills Lesson 1
Grade: 3


This may be finished during this day or students may not finish until the next day,
however, when all students are done creating their maps, students will have a
chance to share their maps with their peers. The peers will evaluate their partners
map and then the partner will make adjustments before the final presentation. Each
student will display their maps using the Elmo pointing out the following points:
(Checklist Below)
What type of map did you use?
Show and explain what five text features they used throughout their map?
What significance do they hold to helping you and others read your map?

(Students will be given the rubric below showing them what I will be looking for in
their final draft.)

Differentiation:

Gifted learners: will be asked to map rooms that are connected such as kitchen and
living room or they can map a route such as their schools tornado/ fire drill routes.

Challenged learners: will be pulled into the back to work on their maps reviewing
what each map feature is and the commonly used symbols within maps. Hopefully
this individual time reviewing and expanding ones knowledge students will be able
to create a map containing at least 3 text features and explain their significances.

Assessment:

Peer Evaluation
Peer Evaluation

Name:
Partners Name:

What is your partners map depicting?



What text features are you able to identify?







Ms. Quanrud Map Skills Lesson 1
Grade: 3

What did you learn by viewing your partners map?







Map Skills
Beginning (1) Approaching
(2)
Meeting (3) Advancing (4)
Map Features Two or fewer
map features
are present
within the map
and used
majority used
properly
Three map
features are
present within
the map and
used majority
used properly
Five or four
map features
are present
within the
map, with 2-3
of them used
properly
Five or + map
features are
present within
the map and
properly used.
Neatness Map is messy
and is unable
to be read.
Messy, but
fairly easy to
read the labels,
features, etc.
Clear, and
fairly easy to
read the labels,
features, etc.
Clear and no
trouble
reading the
labels,
features, etc.
Map Title No title Map title bare
conveys the
kind of map
created.
Map title only
partially
conveys the
type of map
created.
Map title
accurately
illustrates the
type of map
created.




References:

Smith, A. (2013). Social Studies and Geography Lesson Plan

Watson, K. (1999, July 02). Retrieved from http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1151.html.

https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=F8A52X&sp=true&






Ms. Quanrud Map Skills Lesson 1
Grade: 3