Lesson Three

 Map Making - Island Maps
(map, title, map key and scale, and Internet Aerial Views)

Instructional Objectives:
Students will access the Internet.
Students will gain a better understanding of maps and map making by creating their own maps.
Students will increase their map skills.
Students will use the Internet for telecommunication.

Time Required:
5 ten-fifteen minute sessions for sessions 1-5,  1 fortyfive minute - one hour session for session 6.

Advance Preparation and Prerequisite Knowledge/Skills:

• Know how to access and use Internet
• Sessions 1-4, map skills, are a prerequisite for session 6, the making of the map.
• How to use a spreadsheet program (you might want to have the spreadsheet chart ready- see Brainstorm Page

Materials/Resources Needed:

• poster sized white drawing paper (12 x 18 in.)
• asssorted art materials such as crayons, colored pencils, watercolors and markers
• a social studies book with map skill lessons or a map skills unit (I used  From Sea to Shining Sea, Houghton Mifflin Social Studies, third grade, 21st Century Edition. Pages G2, G3, G5, G6, and G7)
• assorted old and new maps (It is especially helpful to have examples of ancient maps with elaborate graphic illustrations such as those of clipper ships, sea monsters, or wind-blowing clouds, and/or of maps of islands)
• the storybook Isla by Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Elisa Kleven
• computer with Internet and the list of sites
• spreadsheet program

 

Vocabulary:
Scale, key, landforms, features,

Procedures:
Session 1 - (I use our adopted Social Studies book, pages G2-G3, Understanding a map)

• Using maps or other map skill materials help the students understand how a map can represent an area of land, country, a city, neighborhood, etc.
• If available an aerial photograph of a small area of a city (2-3 blocks) and a drawing of the same photograph, from the same angle, can be used for finding specific buildings, streets, etc., and making the connections between the two.
• have the students imagine that they are floating in the classroom near the ceiling. Have them draw a map of the classroom
• Point out that maps have titles.

Session 2 - ( I use our adopted Social Studies Book, page G5, Using a map scale)

• Using maps or other map skills materials show the students that maps have are representations of areas to scale.
• Show the students where maps show the scale, and have them practice finding the scale on maps
• Explain how the scale tells how much smaller the map is than the area it shows
• Find a simple map (a few blocks) and draw a scale where one inch represents a mile. Have the students find the actual distance from one point to the other (selected by teacher) (a lot of map skills materials have worksheets of the sort)

• Using maps or other map skills materials show the students that maps have keys.
• Explain what the key means
• Explain how the key has symbols that represent things on the map. For example: what do the stars mean on a map of the US? Stars= State Capital
• Have the kids practice reading keys from different maps and finding the items that are represented by the symbols

• Guide the students in navigating the sites mentioned above or others selected by you

• Relate what the children observe at this sites with what they have learned so far
• Give the students time to explore the sites (supervised) and make their own discoveries (supervision is easier if this activity is done in a computer lab

• Use the book "Isla" to help the students brainstorm places that they might find on a tropical island
• Use a speadsheet program to record the brainstormed ideas for: "Tropical Islands" Places (volcanoes, harbors, etc., animals (for decoration)  and plants (fruits, flowers, etc. for plantations and such) Or you can use chart paper or a chalkboard/whiteboard. I have students take turns recording their classmates ideas

• Review the information learned in the previous sessions
• Tell the students that they will create a map of an imaginary island of their own. Give them a few minutes to visualize it
• Use the brainstormed lists of tropical island places for ideas
• Tell the students that their map must include a title, key and compass rose (you can also have them use scale, but I did this at the beginning of the year, so I made it simpler)
• Use paper that is large (12x18 in. or larger) so that it has more of a map feeling. Have the students fold over 3-4 in. of the paper on the short side for the key. Do it in pencil first, then color with crayons, pencils or watercolors. Highlight titles and such with markers

Activities:

• Read and learn about map skills and map features such as: compass rose, scale, key and title
• Look at aerial views of communities and more, experiment with aerial views of neighborhoods, cities, etc., and connect them to the idea of mapmaking
• Create a map of an imaginary island

Extensions or Follow-up (related Special Projects, events):

• Make a "Location" Book
• Practice Map skills with local area maps. Find what is North/South/East/West/NE/NW/SE/SW of your city/town. In what direction does the main freeway run, etc..
• Wrinkle the maps to make them look old, fold like maps and place in a class "map file" (basket or a box)
• Make a class book after lesson four (writing a story about your island)

Homework:
Take your map home and explain it to your parents, siblings and other relatives. Don't forget to bring it back to school, because you will need it for inspiration when writing your story (lesson four).
Ask your parents if they have any maps that they use and have them show them to you. Look for a title, scale, key and compass rose.

Evaluation:
Map- Does the map have the following:

A Title	10 points
A Key	10 points
A Compass Rose	10 points
A Scale	10 points
Good Artwork	10 points

50 points = 100% = A

Illustrative Materials (worksheets, handouts, graphic organizers, photos, maps, and answer keys):
Brainstorm Page (Excel)
Blank Brainstorm Page (Excel)
Location Book Sample

Student Work Samples: