1. The World in Spatial Terms: A Primer for Primary Teachers in Mapmaking and Map Reading Bird’s Eye View Mapmaking

2. Social Studies and the Young Learner November 2007 By Gale Ekiss Barbara Trapido-Lurie Judy Phillips and Elizabeth Hinde

3. Based on: The Shape of My World: Mapping A Classroom By Susan Nixon Presented by: Judy Phillips Teacher Consultant Arizona Geographic Alliance Kindergarten Teacher Sierra Vista, AZ

4. Bird’s Eye View  Students view the world in a horizontal manner--just like a photograph.  Think of student drawings.

5. Bird’s Eye View  Before you can assign a mapmaking assignment in grades K-3, you need to be sure that your students understand the perspective from which a map is drawn.  It is drawn as if someone is looking DOWN and drawing what he sees.

6. Bird’s Eye View  It also uses symbols which stand for human or physical features.  A key/legend explains what the symbols are.

7. Bird’s Eye View  This is a typical map made by a young child.  It is a hybrid of two perspectives-- horizontal and looking down. horizontal and looking down.

8. Overview of Lesson  Mapping the classroom, using large shapes to represent items in that environment will help students build the mental framework on which to base an understanding of both mapping and shapes.

9. Bird’s Eye View  To explain the correct perspective of a map, begin with architectural blueprints. Highlight the doors and windows. Students can practice “viewing from above”.  Discuss what they are seeing.  Proceed to a group drawing on chart paper of the classroom. (See Figure)

10. Bird’s Eye View  A transition is made into only using shapes to create the map.  Compare the former illustration to this map.  Practice making a classroom map with the students on chart paper using shapes this time.

11. Lesson Examples and Extensions  Next, the students would make their own individual maps.  The students identified the shapes they would need.  Each student chose their shapes from a pool of shapes that was provided.

12. Extensions  Students identify each part of the classroom represented by shapes on their maps

13. Assessment  By pointing on their maps students answer questions such as:  Where is the sink?  Where do you sit?  Where is the computer table?

14. Bird’s Eye View  The goal is to get kids to draw maps in the right perspective.

15. Bird’s Eye View  Eventually, more elements are added to the map.  This map has a grid.

16. Bird’s Eye View D--date O--orientation G--grid S--scale T--title A--author (cartographer) I--index L--legend S--symbols Eventually, maps should have these elements:

17. Conclusion  Both research and experience bear out that our youngest learners can learn to use and create simple maps.  If we are in the business of preparing students for life, then teaching maps should be a necessary component of any elementary program.

18. Arizona Geographic Alliance  For more information about Alliance programs contact: Gale Olp-Ekiss at GBEkiss@aol.com

19. Arizona Geographic Alliance  For more information about Alliance cartography and maps please contact: Barbara Trapido-Lurie at BTL@asu.edu