Study maps with your students.
Maps provide a visual reference to those seeking to learn about distant lands. By teaching your students to understand maps and how they communicate information, you can prepare them to use maps as informational and navigational tools in the future. Integrate some interactive map activities into your curriculum to effectively equip your students with map reading skills.
Map Vocabulary Match-up
Students must understand basic map vocabulary to successfully read a map. To ensure that they have the requisite word understanding, you can engage them in a map vocabulary match-up. To prepare for this activity, select an assortment of map-related vocabulary such as latitude, longitude and continent. Type out these map words in large font, number them and print them onto separate sheets of paper. Type out and print the definition for each word, assigning each definition a letter, and print them on separate sheets as well. Place the words and corresponding definitions in jumbled order on a classroom bulletin board. Ask students to complete the matching activity, writing the number of the word and the letter of the corresponding definition on a sheet of paper. Offer extra credit to each student who successfully completes the match-up.
Map Puzzle
Turn a simple map into a learning puzzle. To prepare this activity, print copies of a map on sheets of cardstock. Give each student a copy of the map, scissors and an envelope. Instruct students to carefully cut their map apart, separating the countries or states, and place the parts in an envelope. Later ask the students to reassemble the map using both the shape of each country as well as their knowledge of which countries neighbor each other.
Latitude and Longitude Treasure Hunt
Practice latitude and longitude reading with your students by engaging them in a latitude and longitude treasure hunt. To prepare this activity, compose a list of hypothetical treasures, and next to each write a latitude and longitude location. Give each student a copy of the list as well as a map containing latitude and longitude listings. Ask the students to move down the list, reading the latitude and longitude location of each treasure and placing an X on the map in each location. Ask the students to write the treasure name next to each X. Reward any student who successfully places all of his X's on his map with a treasure themed prize, like chocolate gold coins or plastic jewels.
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