Mapping Unit

Guiding Questions:

What regions are in the United States?
What natural resources do the regions have and which ones can people use for recreation?
How do people choose vacation/recreation spots?
How do maps help people on vacation?

First Week:

Our class will work on learning basic map skills, such as map key, map symbols, and compass rose.  Discussions will take place during Morning Meeting.

Our first go did not result in a perfect map-kiddos did not follow the map key.

Through conversation, the 2nd time improved.  Then we created out own symbols and added them to a final class map:

Second-Third Week

We begin learning about U.S. regions.  We also color in each region on our own U.S.Maps.

We studied recreation spots in each region.  The purpose is to discuss how people use natural resources for recreation.  Our final project will build on this concept.

They include:

NE- Coast of Maine

SE- Everglades

Midwest-  Great Lakes

West- Rocky Mountains

SW- Grand Canyon

Fourth Week

Discuss final project, introduce rubric, brainstorm class questions for interview homework piece.

Interview Questions:

This was one of may favorite activities; very design thinking.  We discussed how people decide on the vacations they choose.  Areas included activities, price, travel.  Then my class came up with questions they felt would give them information they could use to decide on a spot others would like to travel to in the U.S.  The questions were right on track and included:

Where was your favorite vacation?

What do you like to do on your vacations?

Do you have a budget?

What didn't you like about a vacation you've taken?

Students then graphed their results to see what types of activities folks like to do on vacations:

Now can discuss what trends we notice in the data; most folks like to go to the beach, swim, or sight-see.

How can this information be included in your advertisement to get folks to come to your vacation spot?

FIFTH WEEK

Now its time to make a map of 3 areas of interest, including map symbols and a map key...we will check them and return so kiddos can add to their projects.

Final Week/Presentations

Kiddos created posters, models, brochures, and commercials.  What amazing presentations!  Students were completely able to persuasively explain their vacation spots.