TEACHING MAPPING AND ORIENTEERING SKILLS
TO YOUNG CHILDREN
Mapping, like any skill, has sub-skills that students must master in order to understand and use the more complex skill of making and using maps.
The outline below will provide examples of strategies that students will need to master in order to develop their mapping skills.
Several of these ideas are summarized from the resource book Orienteering and Map Games for Teachers, by Mary E. Garrett ( 2004). Contact . This book contains ideas for both elementary and secondary students. Additional ideas have been added to supplement the skills as I considered necessary.
STRATEGY / SKILLS BEING DEVELOPED / RESOURCESThe Picture Game –Have children draw a picture of a space with several recognizable objects on the picture ( e.g., front door, dog dish, big tree, etc.). Using one picture,mark brightly coloured circles or X’s on the map and hide “treasures” at each place, using the overhead machine or a large reproduction to show the map to the class. Challenge the children to find each item using the map. / · perspective taking
· relative space
· one to one correspondence / · child’s drawing
· brightly coloured markers
· 3 or 4 “treasure” items per child
Table Top Maps – Cover a large table top with butcher paper or another large drawing surface. Gather students around the table and distribute a pencil to each child. Lead students to gradually develop a picture of the classroom from a “face on” perspective. Start by drawing in three of the four walls of the classroom. Have the table placed with your back to the fourth wall. Model the placement of some items in the room. Gradually release responsibility to the children to have them add other objects. As you model, discuss why you are drawing some objects larger than others to show their actual different sizes. Post the finished classroom map in the room in preparation for the next mapping lesson. / · recognizing spatial relationships
· recognizing relative size
· one to one correspondence / · pencils
· large drawing paper
· large table top that children can gather around
On The Ceiling – Use the classroom map from the previous activity. Ask students if there are things in the classroom they couldn’t show on this map ( e.g., the fourth wall, the things behind the desk, etc.). Ask where would the children have to be in order to see everything in the classroom ( e.g., on the ceiling). Introduce students to names you will give to each of the four walls and show large cards displaying these as the four directions ( e.g., N NORTH, S SOUTH, E EAST, W WEST). Place these on the appropriate walls in the classroom so that they can be seen readily. Place another large sheet of drawing paper on the large table top and gather children around the table. Mark the four sides of the drawing paper to correspond to the direction signs placed around the classroom. Repeatedly point out these directions to students as you continue your demonstration. Ask students to focus on one object in the room ( e.g., the teacher’s chair) and think of what it might look like if you were looking at it from the ceiling. Ask students to lay down on the floor and carry a chair around to show them this perspective ( e.g., holding the chair carefully above each child’s head). Then, have the children discuss and decide upon a symbol they could use to represent the chair on a new map, as seen from the ceiling ( e.g., a square with a small bracket behind it). Model the position of this symbol for the children on the large table top map. Gradually add other features of the room to this map, using symbols that children suggest. Post the finished map in the classroom. / · aerial perspectives
· one to one correspondence
· directions (cardinal)
· using symbols
· relative size / · table top
· large drawing paper
· several pencils
· chair or other object that is easily carried
Taking A Trip – On an overhead sheet, show the aerial map of the classroom that the children made last class. Have each child take a turn to show on this map where they are at the outset of the lesson ( e.g., at their desk, on the carpet ). Have a moveable, transparent, coloured item that is small enough to represent a child on the overhead machine. Place the item where one child is sitting. Then, as children watch, move the object to another spot and have the child move to the new spot as identified by the new location of the object on the overhead machine. Repeat this so that every child has a turn to move to a new spot. As this progresses, have children check and support each other with directions so that each child is successful getting to the new location. / · aerial perspective
· one to one correspondence
· relative size
· relocation
· use of symbols
· relative location / · overhead machine
· overhead map of aerial view of the classroom
· small transparent, coloured object to represent a child(ren) on the overhead map
Visit a Friend – Have each child sit at their desk. Using the overhead machine to show the aerial map of the classroom that was created earlier, place a dot where each child is sitting. Have each child take turns to move to another seat to visit with a friend. As each child moves, show their new location on the overhead map by moving their dot from one place to another. Gradually allow students to take responsibility for moving the dots as they start to understand the idea. ( Variation: Have a small letter that represents the first letter of each child’s first name instead of the dots.) / · one to one correspondence
· relocation / · overhead machine
· aerial map of the classroom on an overhead sheet
· dots for each child ( or letter symbol)
String Along – Using the classroom tabletop map, displayed on the blackboard for easy viewing, show the starting location of one student by using a symbol or blackboard magnet to represent the student. Then, attach one end of a long, colourful piece of string to the map at the child’s starting point. Now, attach the string to various other spots in the classroom to show where the student should move. As the student achieves success with the first relocation, ask students to help by giving directions for the student to find the third, fourth, fifth, etc., spots they are to move to in the classroom ( e.g., turn left, go around this desk, etc.). Secure the string to the map at each new spot before the student begins to move so that all students can see it clearly. Encourage students to use the terms North, South, East, and West as they give directions to classmates. As time allows, give each student an opportunity to be the student who moves. / · one to one correspondence
· directionality / · aerial map of the classroom
· string ( coloured to be seen easily against the map)
Crayon Game – Locate the aerial map of the classroom on the tabletop and have children gather around the table. Place several crayons or other objects around the classroom. Have children take turns going to get each object and return to the table top map and add a symbol ( e.g., X) on the aerial map where they found the object. / · one to one correspondence
· directionality
· symbolism / · aerial tabletop map
· crayons of different colours ( or other objects)
· a coloured marker or plastic symbols ( e.g., game pieces) to show locations on the aerial map
Make Your Own Map – Have children draw their own aerial map of the classroom. / · one to one correspondence
· relative size
· direction (N, S, E, W)
· symbolism / · paper
· pencils
· wall cards showing directions ( N, S, E, W)
Learning Your Letters Game -Place each of the letters of the alphabet around the classroom in various locations. Have children move around the room and use their own map (from previous lesson) to show where they have moved to find each of the letters, in order, to spell their own name. Mark each spot with the letter on their map. Emphasize that each child is to go to each letter of their name in order and ask other students questions to find out where their next letter is before moving toward it. As they find each letter, they should pause and mark their route from their last location to their current location on their map by printing the letter at the appropriate spot. / · symbolism
· one to one correspondence
· reading a map
· recording location changes on a map
· relative location / · children’s aerial maps of the classroom
· plastic alphabet letter set
· pencils
Storybook Maps – Have children listen to stories with strong location elements in a Read Aloud setting. Following the reading, have students assist with drawing an aerial map of the story location. As students develop confidence with this skill, have them work with increasing independence to complete their own maps. Gradually introduce standardized symbols for items represented in maps ( e.g., for streams, churches, fields, buildings, etc). Post standardized symbols around the classroom as per word wall use. / · aerial perspective
· symbolism
· one to one correspondence
· standardized symbols / · Read Aloud books
· large paper for development of common map
· smaller paper for development of individual maps
· wall cards to display standardized map symbols
What’s Wrong With This Map? – Display a map of the school yard on an overhead machine, using moveable acetate or plastic coloured symbols for the features of the yard ( e.g., soccer posts, basketball nets, grass, asphalt, etc.). Display these items in the wrong places on the map. Through questioning, starting with “What’s wrong with this map?” ask students to help place the items in the proper spot on the map. This can later be set up as a temporary center for students to review the concepts. / · one to one correspondence
· symbolism
· relative size
· relative location / · blank overhead sheet
· coloured acetate or plastic pieces in shapes to represent an aerial view of the items in the school yard
· small box to store acetate/ plastic pieces if a center is being set up
Mapping Treasure Island – Display and review standardized symbols for maps ( e.g., fields, streams, trees, etc.).Post an anchor chart for these symbols. Provide each student with a blank island map showing a border area ( surrounding water) and the symbols N,S,E,W. Orally provide students with directions to gradually add features to the map.
EXAMPLES : Draw in
· a long cliff runs along the south side of the island
· a trail starts in the northwest corner of the island, goes south, and then runs east along the top of the cliffs; the trail then continues north again to the inlet where ships are moored
· a cave sits in the middle of the island
· a stream starts in the cave and flows to the inlet
· there is a marsh at the west side of the inlet where the stream joins it
· there are many boulders near the cave in the center of the island.
· Then give an instruction to get to the spot on the map where X marks the treasure.
This activity can later be done ,with the children using graph paper and examples for developing the map being given in spaces ( e.g., Three spaces south of the cave is a tower).
Also, students can be trained to colour the finished map using standard colours ( e.g., blue for water). / · following directions
· using standard symbols
· using standard colours
· standardized spacing / · photocopied sheet of a blank “island” for each student
· pencils
· wall cards showing directions
· blackboard outline of the steps in developing the map ( evolves as directions are given)
· crayons or pencil crayons
Orienting Your Map – Teach students to orient their maps by modeling how you hold the classroom table top map so that your N point is facing the N point marked by posters on the classroom wall and/or the outdoor pylon or chair (see below) markers. ( e.g., “Look at my map. I turned it so that the N on my map is facing the N on the wall marker ( or chair or pylon). Please do the same with your map”). Teach children to turn their maps each time they change direction so that they are always in line with what they are facing. / · orienting maps to directions / · classroom or school yard signs showing four directions (N, S ,E, W)
· tape
· individual pages for students’ maps
· pencils
Outdoor Map Games- To teach children how to orient a map they are drawing, place four markers ( use chairs or pylons) in appropriate spots on the school yard. Mark each one with the direction N,S,E, or W. Have students face each marker holding their paper in front of them to match its position relative to where they are standing. Have each student mark their paper with N,S, E, or W to correspond to the markers. Lead students, using a question/ answer format, to mark the location of all of the school yard features on the map, using appropriate size and symbols. / · orientation
· symbols
· one to one correspondence
· relative size / · orientation/ direction markers to mark N,S,E, and W
· signs for directions (e.g., N North)
· tape ( to attach direction signs to chairs or pylons)