Classroom Components for Map Magic

The following activities are a menu with very “in general” suggestions of what learning style or intelligence might be touched.

Books(Linguistic):
Knowlton, Jack. Maps and Globes. New York, NY:Harper Collins Children’s Books, 1985.
Chancellor, Deborah.  Maps and Mapping. Boston,Mass.:Kingfisher Publications, 2004.

Fowler, Allan. North, South, East, and West. Chicago:Childrens Press, 1993.

 

Videos(Visual/Spatial):

 

Whole group activities-(ST)
(See curriculum)

 

Whole group Songs(Music)/Movement(Bodily/Kinesthetic):
The Cardinal Direction Song

The Real Square Dance (see curriculum -Explore 2 Activity)

 

Journal Activities (Intrapersonal)(NT):

 

Other Activities
 If used in a “center setting” your are using (Interpersonal)(SF): 

Visual Spatial– Map drawing activities ( see curriculum or design your own.)
Block center could be used with “map” on floor– build and then map it.

 

Kinesthetic- “The Real Square Dance,” 

 

Linguistic– Have students use an imaginary map (you created on Neighborhood Map Machine or the site (http://www.sfsocialstudies.com/g1/u2/)  Giving them a starting and ending point, have them write in words how to get from one place to another.

 

Musical-The Cardinal Direction Song. See above for link

 

Naturalist– Have students take paper, pencil, and clipboards outside to map playground, showing locations of nature items in addition to playground equipment.  Better yet, take them to a park and have them make a map of that area.

 

Visual Spatial-(many activities within curriculum)

 

Mathematical– Make a “map” on the floor with a “grid” in the background.  Label the grid’s X and Y axis with letters and numbers, respectively.  Put items on the map.  Giving students and empty grid on paper (with labels) have students use the ordinal pairs to “place” items in the correct spot.