Meaning of Maps Means to Interdisciplinary Learning ELEMENTARY TEACHER COLLABORATION AUGUST 25, 2016
Map Skills (Grade 1) Viewing maps of Virginia Make simple observations about what the symbols on a map represent. Identify landforms, such as mountains, on a map. Identify the Atlantic Ocean on a map. Identify water features on a map. Illustrate why people settled near the rivers in Virginia. Use cardinal directions to describe how people traveled from one place to another. Constructing maps Create a simple drawing of the classroom, school, or community. Create and/or label a simple map of Virginia to show where selected Virginians lived the locations of Washington, D.C., and Richmond.
Map Skills (Grade 2) 2.1 using basic map skills to identify places... to support understanding of American history Use information found on a map to ask questions and draw conclusions about American history. Use a United States map to discuss map elements such as directionality and symbols. Create and/or label a simple map to show the location of select rivers, mountain ranges, and lakes in the United States. Use a map or globe to compare how people adapt to the environment to satisfy their wants.
Map Skills (Grade 3) 3.1b using geographic information to support an understanding of world cultures; Ask questions and draw conclusions about world cultures, using information found on a map. Sample sources of geographic information include the following: oVariety of historical and cultural maps oSatellite images oImages/photographs oPhysical and political maps oDigital maps Use a simple world map to identify where ancient civilizations (ancient Egypt, China, Greece, Rome, and the West African empire of Mali) were located. Use current images/photographs of a country to predict where people lived in ancient times. Construct a map with a legend to show trade routes between ancient civilizations. Describe how geography had a direct impact on the lives of ancient people and how they adapted to their environment.
Map Skills (Grade 4) VS.1b analyzing the impact of geographic features on people, places, and events to support an understanding of events in Virginia history; Use information from a topographical map to locate and determine the characteristics of the five geographic regions of Virginia. Create a symbol to represent each region. Examine an early map of Virginia. Use a hand lens or magnifying glass to study the map symbols, features, words, and artistic elements used by the mapmaker. Examine how early mapmakers constructed maps as they explored. Compare and contrast how early maps were constructed to how maps are constructed today. Analyze how the physical geography of Virginia affected various cultural groups. Analyze the impact of rivers on transportation, food supply, exploration, and the location of settlements.
The Five Themes Five themes of geography Location: Defined according to its position on the earth’s surface; where is it? Place: Locations having distinctive features that give them meaning and character that differ from other locations; what is it like? Region: A unit on the earth’s surface that has unifying characteristics; how are places similar or different? Movement: The way people, products, and information move from one place to another; how do people, goods, and ideas move from one location to another? Human-Environment Interaction: The relationship between people and their environment; how do people relate to the physical world?
Integrating Skills The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by a) identifying artifacts and primary and secondary sources... b) using geographic information to support an understanding of... c) interpreting charts, graphs, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events... d) summarizing points and evidence to answer a question; e) comparing and contrasting ideas and perspectives to better understand people or events... f) determining relationships with multiple causes or effects; g) explaining connections across time and place; h) using a decision-making model to make informed decisions; i) practicing good citizenship skills and respect for rules and laws while collaborating, compromising, and participating in classroom activities; and j) accessing a variety of media, including online resources.
Teaching Strategies Living map Picture analysis Sensory figures I am standing in ancient Egypt I see I hear I smell I taste I touch
Guiding Principles Everything occurs in time and space. Maps are more than location Inquiry unlocks meaning He or she who interacts with the map learns the most
Goals Maps are a source of information. “Reading” maps is an essential literacy skill. Map explorations should focus on “Why there?”
Observe, Describe Analyzing the Continents Analyzing the Continents Analyzing the Continents
Descriptive How can information on a map be described? How Location Direction Hemispheres Quadrants Latitude zones DistanceClose, far ScaleWorld, country, state, county, city, neighborhood DistributionClustered or dispersed Interior or exterior locations
Analyze Tools Layers—turn on and off, change order Bookmarks—move from one part of the map to another Filter—select a subset of the data
How is information analyzed? PatternLinear, random, circular, coastal, etc. AssociationWhat else has a similar distribution? RelationshipsHow does one “variable” affect another? Effect of latitude on temperature Effect of elevation on river flow Human uses of rivers
Compare
Ask and Answer Questions Examine a map and compose questions involving a variety of thinking skills
Reflect and Write Draw conclusions Make generalizations Consider other explanations How is this information useful? To whom? Ask more questions Consider other explanations
Steps of Interpreting Maps O bserve D escribe C ompare A nalyze R eflect
Access to maps
Process of Inquiry ODCARODCAR