Geography Lesson Plan

Anna Penland 1

History/Geography Lesson
3rd grade
Understanding Map Keys
Lesson Objective
The students in the third grade class will explore and understands features of a map,
zoning in on map keys/legends. They will listen to the story Theres a Map on my Lap and
then receive a chance to explore a variety of maps. The students will be asked to create their
own map and key with at least six symbols represented and write an explanation with a minimum
of 4 errors to explain purpose behind these specific symbols.
NCSS Standards
This lesson will relate to the third NCSS standard which is the People, Places and
Environment concept. The students are going to be exploring different maps and geographical
concepts that are going to be including things they will go beyond their personal locations. They
students are going to be required to form an understanding of why things are located in certain
areas and be able to create a map and map key.
Materials Needed
KWL Chart Paper
Maps-one for each group
Worksheet to fill out when exploring maps
Paper to create own maps
Markers, crayons, pencils etc. (art supplies to use when creating own map)
Theres a Map on My Lap
Lesson Procedure
1. The teacher will begin the class period by explaining the students that they are going to be
learning about maps over the next few weeks. Explain that today they will be focusing on map
keys and/or legends.
2. Bring the students attention to the KWL chart that is located in front of the class. Ask the
students if anyone already knows anything about map keys and/or legends.
Take a variety of answers from the students to get them involved
from the beginning. Once a student responds, write their answer in the K column
of the KWL chart.
Guide the students responses if no one is responding by stating
things such as,
What are they used for?
Where can we find them?
Are all keys the same on every map? Why or why
not?

Geography Lesson Plan

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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It students are still struggling to respond to the question, have them

turn to the person sitting next to them and come up with a variety of ideas
together and then come back to whole group discussion to share these ideas they
formed when talking with a partner. (Sometimes helpful when students dont feel
like they are correct or it is hard to get conversation flowing.)
Once the students have provided a variety of responses about what they want to know about
maps, ask them what they want to learn about maps and fill out the W column on the KWL
chart.
After the students have participated in the group discussion about what
they already know and what they want to learn about maps and map
keys, move on to reading Theres a Map in my Lap.
Stop and pause on the pages that directly talk
about map keys. Ask the students what they are
noticing about the key/legends and what kind of
information they are providing for the maps.
Once finished reading the book, break the students up into groups. To
do so, have the groups broken up before beginning this lesson to split up
the different ability learners.
Once the students are arranged in groups, have each group gather around a different group of
desks. There will be a different map at each station that the groups are meeting at. Explain
to the students that they are going to get a chance to explore these maps and then answer a
few questions as a group about what they are discovering while exploring the maps.
Give each student in the groups a worksheet to fill out to make
sure everyone is accountable and participates in the activity of exploring the
maps.
Have the students pass each of the maps around to the different
groups every couple minutes. The students should have a chance to view all four
maps in order to get an understanding that a key can represent a wide variety of
things.
Give the students time to work and then bring the groups map to whole group discussion to
fill out the last column of the KWL chart.
Ask the students what they learned while listening to the book and
having a chance to explore their maps in groups. Tell them to refer back to their
worksheets if they are struggling to come up with responses. Try to get a variety
of answers to show the students the wide range of information they learned while
exploring and the wide range of information that is gained from knowing how to
read maps. However, make sure students are focusing in on characteristics and
knowledge about map keys/legends (the worksheet that they filled out will be the
best guide for this-attached).
Leave the KWL chart up for the students to refer back to when
they are creating their own maps.

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8. Now tell the students to head back to their own seats. They are going to be independently
creating a map of their own.
Explain to the students that their map can be of anything they want
it to be. Provide examples such as a house, a state, a country, a city etc. It doesnt
have to be something that actually exists in real life because it is their own map.
However, within their map, the students need to include at LEAST
six symbols that represent different objects, characteristics, places or people that
are included in their map.
Remind the students that the map doesnt have to be any certain
shape or size. Everyone is going to have a unique map that is their own personal
so they dont need to be looking at their neighbors map for ideas. This an
independent project!
Once the outline of the map and the symbols included in the map
have been created, the students are going to create a key/legend to explain the
different symbols they used throughout the map. Each of the symbols should be
represented in the key.
Make sure the key is easy to read and that anyone would be able to
understand the different features on the map that are represented in the key.
9. Tell the students they can use markers, crayons, or any necessary art supplies they feel are
needed to create their map.
10. Once the students have completed creating their maps and keys, they will write a journal
entry. In this entry the students will be required to write an explanation of what symbols they
used to represent different objects throughout their map. They should also try to explain why
they chose those specific symbols and features to be included in their map.
The journal entry should be 1-2 paragraphs long.
11. The students will have until the end of the day to complete both portions of the project.

Grouping
Whole Group-The students are participating in whole group discussion when creating the KWL
chart as well as listening to the read aloud book and participating in discussion. By calling on a
wide variety of students and taking responses from many students, majority of the students in the
class should get an opportunity to participate in group discussion.
Group work-The students are then exploring and working as a group to fill out the provided
worksheet to explore and understand how map keys work and are used while reading a map.
Each student has their own worksheet to fill out so everyone in the group is held accountable for
paying attention and participating.
Individual-The students are creating their own personal map and map keys on their own. The
will be able to use all the previous knowledge the have collected from the whole group and small

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group activities and use it during their independent work. They will also be writing a journal
entry explaining their map independently. This will allow the student to express their
understanding of what they created as well as practice their writing skills.
I broke down the activity from whole group to small group and ended on independent work. The
students are gradually being released to understand and form their own ideas and understanding
about the topic. They will have more confidence in their independent final creations after they
have participated in the other group activities.
Differentiation
Gifted Learners-These students will be given the opportunity to add more than six symbols on
their map that they can include in their key. They can also chose to add other map features
(boundaries, lakes, names etc.) if they still do not feel challenged enough with the original
assignment. They can use the maps that were looked at during group work to get an
understanding of what other features they may chose to add.
Struggling-These students will receive examples of symbols that they might want to include on
their maps. They will also have a writing prompt that will help them form their written
explanation of what kind of map they drew and what their symbols were. Of course, the teacher
will be consistently checking in with the students to provide guidance and assistance when
needed and necessary.
Assessment
Rubric:
4 (Excellent!)

3 (Good Work!)

The student
participated in the
group activity and
turned in a filled out
worksheet by the end
of the day.
Student draws map
with at least six
symbols.
Student includes key
with all six symbols
represented.
Student turns in 1-2
paragraphs of written
explanation of map
and symbols chosen
for the map.

The student
participated in the
group activity and
turned in a partially
filled out worksheet
by the end of the day.
Student draws map
with at least four
symbols.
Student includes key
with four symbols
represented.
Student turns in of
a paragraph of written
explanation of map
and symbols chosen
for the map.

2 (Needs
Improvement)
The student
participated in some
group work but did
not turn in worksheet
by end of day.

1 (Poor)

Student draws map

with at least two
symbols.
Student includes key
with two symbols
represented.
Student turns in
writing that explains
nothing.

Student draws map

with no symbols.

The student did not

participate or turn in
worksheet.

Student does not

include key.
Student does not turn
in written explanation.

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Resources
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp287-01.shtml
Rabe, Tish, and Aristides Ruiz. There's a Map on My Lap! New York: Random House, 2002.
Print.
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/photos/000/238/23894.jpg
http://computerkiddoswiki.pbworks.com/f/map%20key.jpg
http://www.floridastateparks.org/lib/img/park/parkmap/abmmap.jpg
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/kentucky/map.GIF

Attachments
Maps to use in class for students to explore:

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Worksheet for students to fill out with exploring

maps:
Exploring Maps!
Name_________________________________
1. What kind of information are the maps telling you?

2. What kind of information is on the key of the maps?

3. What are some of the symbols on the key?

4. What do these symbols represent?

5. Would you be able to understand the map without the key? Why or why not?

6. Why do you think we include keys on our maps?

Geography Lesson Plan

7. How do the keys help us?

8. Are all of the keys the same? Why or why not?

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