Map Adventures.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 508 National Center, Reston, VA 22092. Tel: 800-872-6277 (Toll Free); Web site: http://www.usgs.gov/education.html.

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46

Practitioners; Teachers

Cartography; Concept Formation; Geography; Geography Instruction; Locational Skills (Social Studies); Map Skills; Maps; Physical Geography; Primary Education; Social Studies

This curriculum packet about maps, with seven accompanying lessons, is appropriate for students in grades K-3. Students learn basic concepts for visualizing objects from different perspectives and how to understand and use maps. Lessons in the packet center on a story about a little girl, Nikki, who rides in a hot-air balloon that gives her, and the students, different views of a park. The packet includes a teaching poster, seven step-by-step lessons plans, a picture of a hot-air balloon, two reproducible activity sheets, and 15 reproducible black-and-white sections of the park map. The lessons are (1) view from the ground (helps students think about how they view the world and the perspective with which they are most familiar); (2) view from a higher point (provides an opportunity for students to think about how objects change depending on the viewing perspective); (3) view from overhead (introduces the concept of maps and helps students understand the overhead view presented by maps); (4) symbols and legends (helps students become familiar with the concept of symbols and how to use a legend); (5) learning directions on a map (helps students think about direction and relative location); (6) map grids (helps develop skills students need to identify where things are on the Earth's surface); and (7) map scale (introduces students to the concept of measuring distances on a map and measuring the sizes of objects). (BT)

2001

ED448098