Lesson Plan
Map It Out: Adventure!
Students will be able to identify basic map features like symbols and keys and use a simple map to locate objects within their classroom environment.
Understanding maps is a fundamental life skill that helps students navigate their surroundings, develop critical thinking, and build essential spatial reasoning abilities. This lesson lays the groundwork for understanding geography and direction.
Audience
First Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, guided exploration of map elements, and a hands-on activity where students create or use a simple classroom map.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck, Map It Out: Teacher Script, A simple classroom map (drawn or printed), Small picture cards of classroom objects (e.g., desk, chair, door, window, bookshelf), Crayons or colored pencils, Paper for drawing maps (if not using a worksheet), and Map It Out: Cool Down
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Map It Out: Adventure! Lesson Plan and all linked materials: Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck, Map It Out: Teacher Script, and Map It Out: Cool Down.
- Print or draw a simple map of your classroom. This map should include key features like the teacher's desk, student desks, door, window, and any large furniture.
- Create small picture cards of 5-7 common classroom objects (e.g., chair, table, rug, whiteboard, door, window).
- Gather crayons or colored pencils and blank paper or a simple worksheet for students to draw their own map.
- Ensure projector/whiteboard is ready for the slide deck.
Step 1
Warm-Up: Where Are We Going?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "How do you know how to get to the playground from our classroom?" or "How do you find your way to the library?" (2 minutes)
* Introduce the idea that people use special pictures or drawings to help them find places. (1 minute)
* Transition to the idea of maps. "Today, we're going to become amazing map explorers!" (2 minutes)
Step 2
Introducing Maps: Symbols and Keys
10 minutes
- Present the Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck to introduce what a map is and its purpose. (2 minutes)
* Focus on Slide 2: "What is a Map?" Explain that a map is a drawing that shows us where things are. (2 minutes)
* Move to Slide 3: "Map Symbols." Explain that maps use pictures, or symbols, to stand for real things. Show examples of common symbols (e.g., tree, house, road). (3 minutes)
* Introduce Slide 4: "Map Key!" Explain that the map key tells us what each symbol means. Practice matching symbols to their meanings. (3 minutes)
Step 3
Classroom Map Explorers Activity
10 minutes
- Display your pre-drawn classroom map. "This is a map of our very own classroom!" (1 minute)
* Hold up a picture card (e.g., a chair). Ask: "Where do you see a chair on our map?" Have students point to the symbol on the map that represents a chair. (3 minutes)
* Repeat with several other object cards, guiding students to identify corresponding symbols on the map. (3 minutes)
* Optional: If time allows, give each student a blank piece of paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a simple map of their desk area, including their desk and perhaps a few items on it, using simple symbols. (3 minutes)
Step 4
Cool Down: My Map, My World
5 minutes
- Review the main concepts: "What is a map? What is a symbol? What does a map key do?" (2 minutes)
* Distribute the Map It Out: Cool Down. Students will draw one symbol they learned today and write what it means, or draw a simple map of their bedroom. (3 minutes)
* Collect cool-downs as an exit ticket.
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Slide Deck
Map It Out: Adventure!
Let's explore our world with maps!
Welcome students to the lesson! Get them excited about exploring maps and finding out where things are.
What is a Map?
A drawing that shows us where things are.
It helps us find places!
Explain that a map is like a special drawing that shows us places from above. It helps us know where to go and where things are. Ask students if they have ever seen a map before.
Map Symbols
Maps use pictures for real things!
A picture of a tree means a tree.
A picture of a house means a house.
Introduce the idea of symbols. Explain that instead of drawing everything exactly, maps use small pictures, or symbols, to stand for real objects. Give a few simple examples like a tree, a house, or a road sign.
Map Key!
The map key tells us what each symbol means.
It's like a secret code breaker!
Explain the importance of the map key (or legend). It's like a decoder that tells us what each symbol means. Practice looking at a simple key and identifying what each symbol represents.
Cool Down
Map It Out: Cool Down
Name:
Part 1: My Favorite Symbol
Draw one map symbol you learned about today. Then, write what that symbol means.
My Symbol:
What it means:
Part 2: My Bedroom Map
Draw a simple map of your bedroom. Make sure to include at least two things in your room using symbols! Don't forget to make a small map key to tell what your symbols mean.
My Map Key:
Script
Map It Out: Teacher Script
Warm-Up: Where Are We Going? (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Good morning, map explorers! Today, we're going on an exciting adventure. Before we start, I have a question for you all! How do you know how to get to the playground from our classroom?"
(Allow students to share their ideas, guiding them towards using landmarks or directions.)
Teacher: "That's right! You know what to look for, or maybe you remember the way. What about finding your way to the library? How do you do that?"
(Again, solicit student responses.)
Teacher: "Sometimes, people use special pictures or drawings to help them find places and know where things are. Today, we're going to become amazing map explorers and learn all about these special drawings!"
Introducing Maps: Symbols and Keys (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Let's look at our first slide!"
(Display Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck - Slide 1: Title Slide)
Teacher: "Our lesson today is called 'Map It Out: Adventure!' We're going to learn how to read maps like real adventurers!"
(Advance to Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck - Slide 2: What is a Map?)
Teacher: "So, what is a map? Can anyone tell me what they see on this slide?"
Teacher: "Exactly! A map is a drawing that shows us where things are. It's like looking down on a place from very, very high up, like a bird! Maps help us find places like our school, our homes, or even a hidden treasure!"
(Advance to Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck - Slide 3: Map Symbols)
Teacher: "Maps use special pictures called symbols for real things. Instead of drawing a whole tree, a map might just draw a little green circle. That little green circle is a symbol for a tree! What kind of symbols do you think we might see on a map of our classroom?"
(Encourage students to brainstorm. Guide them to think about simple representations.)
Teacher: "Great ideas! Symbols make maps easier to read because they're small and simple."
(Advance to Map It Out: Adventure! Slide Deck - Slide 4: Map Key!)
Teacher: "But how do we know what each symbol means? That's where the map key comes in! The map key is like a secret code breaker. It tells us exactly what each symbol stands for. Without the map key, we wouldn't know what our map is trying to tell us! Let's practice with a few examples."
(Point to your classroom map and a few pre-drawn symbols, then show what they represent. E.g., "If this symbol is a desk, then a group of these symbols means all the desks!")
Classroom Map Explorers Activity (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Now that we know about symbols and map keys, let's explore a map of our very own classroom!"
(Display your pre-drawn classroom map.)
Teacher: "This is a map of our classroom! It shows where everything is. I have some picture cards of things in our room. When I hold up a card, I want you to point to where you see that object's symbol on our map!"
(Hold up a picture card of a familiar classroom object, e.g., 'chair'.)
Teacher: "Where do you see a chair symbol on our map? Show me!"
(Guide students to point to the correct symbol on the map. Repeat with 3-4 more object cards, providing support as needed.)
Teacher: "You're becoming fantastic map readers! Now, let's try something different. For the next few minutes, you're going to be map artists!"
(Distribute blank paper/crayons if doing the drawing activity.)
Teacher: "On your paper, I want you to draw a simple map of your desk area. Draw your desk, and maybe one or two things you keep on your desk, using symbols! You can even make a little key at the bottom to show what your symbols mean. Don't worry if it's not perfect, just try your best!"
(Circulate and assist students as they draw their simple maps. Encourage them to think about what symbols they are using.)
Cool Down: My Map, My World (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Alright, map explorers, let's bring our adventure to a close for today. You did an amazing job learning about maps! Quick review: What is a map? What is a symbol? What does a map key do?"
(Listen for student responses, briefly affirming their understanding.)
Teacher: "To show me what you learned, I have a quick cool-down activity for you. Please complete the Map It Out: Cool Down sheet. You'll draw a symbol and tell me what it means, and then draw a small map of your bedroom! Take your time and think about all we talked about today."
(Distribute the cool-down sheets and collect them as students finish, using them as an exit ticket.)
Teacher: "Excellent work today, everyone! You are all official map masters!"