Geography

Unit
Me on the Map
Workstations
 Unit Title: Me On The Map

Content Area:
Reading, Writing, Language, and Social
Studies

Grade Level: 3-5 Grade

Overview of the Stations – This is the beginning of

a unit called Me on the Map. This unit will introduce
students to geography by looking at how maps are
created and why. Students will begin their learning
of maps through stations in which they will be
exposed to parts of maps, types of maps and
landforms. Once background has been established
students will begin the unit. This document is an
overview of the stations for the unit as well as
the documents needed to do the stations with
students.

Enduring Understanding(s):
Literacy
1. Students will gain an understanding of
the essential components of synthesizing
and evaluating texts to gain knowledge of
a topic in order to discuss and write
about the topic.
2. Students develop an understanding of
how researching skills will assist them in
gaining information about a topic.
Content
1. Students need to gain the visual
literacy skills and higher-order thinking
needed in comprehending maps in the
real-world.
Focus Reading Standard(s):
RI.2.5 - Know and use various text
features (e.g., captions, bold print,
subheadings, glossaries, indexes,
electronic menus, icons) to locate key
facts or information in a text efficiently.
RI.2.7 - Explain how specific images (e.g.,
a diagram showing how a machine works)
contribute to and clarify a text.
RI..2.8 -Describe how reasons support
specific points the author makes in a
text.
Essential
Question(s):
Literacy
1. How does supporting my answers
through evidence from the text assist me
in understanding what I have read?
2. How does understanding the functions
of text features assist me in reading?
3. Why do I need to evaluate the
different sources of information when I
read?
Content
What are the parts of a map?
How do I read a map?
What are landforms?
What are the major landforms on our
Earth?
Where do we live in relation to the rest of
the world?
How can we use a map or globe to
identify the major landforms?
Focus Writing & Language Standard(s)
W.2.7 - Participate in shared research
and writing projects (e.g., read a number
of books on a single topic to produce a
report; record science observations.)
W.2.8 - Recall information from
experiences or gather information from
provided sources to answer a question.
SL.2.1 - Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners
about grade 2 topics and texts with
peers and adults in small and larger
groups.
SL.2.2 - Recount or describe key ideas
or details from a text read aloud or from
information presented orally or through
other media.
 Focus Content Standards Vocabulary

Focus Content Standards: Vocabulary

• Define relative locations • Rivers, lakes, oceans,
• Distinguish between types of mountains, islands, desert, and
maps coast
• Understand the purpose of map
components
• Identify and locate countries
bordering North America

Assessment Evidence Artifacts of Learning

Checklist for Stations Map Skills Booklet

Learning Plan (Activities/ Station 1: Reading a Map

Experiences):
Students will participate in learning
stations to build background about
the geography and map concepts.
Station 2: Play Adventure Island
Station 3: QR Code Scavenger
Station 4: Student Choice
Station 5: Physical Maps &
Landforms
Station 6: Salt Dough Maps

Tips for Stations

Be organized!
Make sure that all materials are ready at each station.
It’s best not to have more than 4 kids at each station.
Get other teachers, parents, or older students to assist.
Be sure you ask students questions using the prompting guide.
Take pictures and video!
Have fun!
 Station Overview

The purpose of having stations before the unit begins is to assist in

building background knowledge for students. Most science and
social studies topics, students do not have the experiences to
relate to the content. Therefore, providing opportunities for
students to gain a basic knowledge of the subject will assist the
teacher in starting from the known and scaffolding students
through the process of learning. As teachers begin this unit, decide
how many students will be at each station and how many classes
are going to participate. For this particular unit, there were two-
second grade classrooms of about 24 students. There were two
sets of 6 stations. During the stations, it is best to get at least 1
adult at each station. We get parent volunteers, aides, principal,
coaches, etc. to assist. It is important for teachers and helpers to
ask students questions and prompt them for understanding.
Provided are sample questions that will assist in doing just that at
each station. Make a copy for each teacher or helper, put the
prompts on a clipboard or on an iPad to take notes of student
responses. Be sure to take pictures, audio and video of any
artifacts that will be important in assessing student understanding.
Each station should take no longer than 20 minutes a piece. We
usually take a morning or afternoon to do all 6 but the stations
could be done one day at a time. It just depends on resources and
schedule.
 Prompts for Stations
Station 1
Using the SMART Notebook App
How to Read a Map
What are the parts of a map?
How does the Compass Rose help you
read a map?
What is the legend/key for?
How do you use the legend or key?
Show me how you figured out the
answer.
Station 3
QR Code Scavenger Hunt
You may want to have 1 iPad as the QR
Code reader and give oral instructions.
Especially if students struggle with
navigating from app to app on the iPad.
Station 5
Physical Maps & Landforms
What landform are you learning?
Tell me a little bit about the landforms in
your state.
Station 2
Play Adventure Island
What are symbols?
What is the key?
How does the key help you read a map?
Station 4
Student Choice
Assist students in deciding on the
project they want to complete and
uploading their pictures to the app.
Station 6
Salt Dough Maps
Depending on which stage of the map the
students are doing; assist them in
creating their map. Ask them questions
about the landforms in their state. If
doing a Snapguide, assist them in taking
pictures of each step.
 Station 1
How to Read
a Map
Learn how to
read a map using
this SMART Board
Activity.
 Station 1
SMART Board Lesson

In this lesson, students will learn about the different parts of a map
(compass rose & legend/key). Students will follow directions using
relative location words to move around the map. This activity will
assist students in constructing their own maps of a familiar place,
understanding the purpose of map components, and relative location
later in the unit. You can have groups at a SMART Board, using the
SMART Notebook app on an iPad, or use a laptop/desktop computer
that has SMART Notebook or SMART Notebook Express (free).

Pages 1 – 5: Provides an overview of basic map concepts. Students

will learn What a map is, what it is used for, and the parts of the
map.
Pages 6 – 11: Provides practice for students in using a compass,
learning about how to use legends, and relative location. All practice
pages provide self checking for the students and audio directions.
On page 9 (Practice 4), you can clone the page and make new audio
recordings if students need more practice. Just right click on the
audio icons, click sound, record sound.
Pages 12-21: Provides the answers.

*If you do not have SMART, or no computer access, I have provided

a .pdf as an alternative.
Station 2
Play
Adventure
Island
Explore how to use
a key to help read
a map
and give or follow
directions.
 Station 2
Play Adventure Island
Reading Maps
The purpose of this station is to provide visual and
auditory learners the opportunity to see and hear
how to read a map. In this game, students will learn
how to use maps as a tool to find places and
explore how to use a map key to help read a map
and give or follow directions. Have students play
the game Adventure Island on a computer or
SMART Board.
 Station 3
QR Codes
Scavenger Hunt
Students will use
QR codes to
gather
information
from a text.
 Station 3
QR Codes Scavenger Hunt

Students will go on a scavenger hunt using QR Codes and the

Google Earth app to help them see the differences between the
Earth, continent, country, state, town, street, and their home. A QR
code is a two-dimensional barcode scanner for iPod or iPad. Just
print off the QR Code sheet and have students scan each QR code
in order to follow the directions. I use the QRafter app. It allows you
to do a batch scan which may be easier for students to complete
the task. If you do not have access to iPads you can always print
out and cut apart the QR Codes and download a QR decoder from
the Chrome Store in the Google Chrome Browser. This is free. Just
download Google Chrome to your computer, go to the Chrome Store
and search for QR code decoder. If you have a MacBook you can
do the same thing in the App Store. If on a computer, you will also
have to download Google Earth on the computer. Students will work
in pairs to scan the QR codes. The codes will give specific
instructions of where to go and what to do. Once students have
completed the scavenger hunt they can work on station 6 to
complete their next project.
QR Code #1 QR Code #2
QR Code #3 QR Code #4
QR Code #5 QR Code #6
 Station 4

Student Choice

Students will use

pictures
generated from
Station 3 to
create a video or
collage.
 Station 4
Student Choice
Photo Collage, Educreations, or Videolicious

If students have had experience with these three apps, allow

students to choose which app they would want to use to do the next
station. Students will use the pictures generated from station 3 to
create a photo collage or video using the one of the following app:
Pic Collage.
Educreations
Videolicious

These apps will allow students to upload the pictures they took from
their QR code scavenger hunt and create a collage or video. If
there is no access to technology at all students can create the
provided Me on the Map handout.
How to Use the Pic Collage App
• Open the app
• Tap to create new collage
• Tap anywhere to add photo
• Choose from the option photos from library
(You can choose all pictures taken at once.)
• Double tap on the picture to edit or set as
background
• Tap anywhere and add text to label pictures
• Tap anywhere to add stickers and change
background
• Click on the share button on the bottom right
hand screen
• Click Save to Library
 Station 5
Physical Maps
and
Landforms

Students will learn more

about physical maps and
landforms.
 Station 5
Landform App

Students will learn about landforms from this great app called
Landforms. The app teaches students about the following
landforms:
Canyons Caves
Continents Lakes
Gulfs Deltas
Islands Hills
Volcanoes Valleys
Plateaus Peninsulas
Oceans Mountains
Plains Waterfalls
Rivers

Depending on the technology available, have either students go to

the following site: World Atlas or print the resources off before
beginning the stations. Students will print off their state physical
map and discuss with their group the different types of landforms
that are in their state. Students will record the landforms on the
recording sheet and then use the landform app to research the
different types of landforms in the state.
 Station 6
Salt Dough
Maps
Students will
create a salt
dough map of
their state.
 Station 6
Salt Dough Maps

Since students only have around 20 minutes per station, you may want to
do this project in stages. Here are the steps you would need to take to
complete the whole salt dough map.
1. First you need an outline map of your state and a physical map for
forming the landforms.

Here is a quick link to the state maps.
2. Put the outline onto a sturdy base such as cardboard. Cut out the
state map and affix it to the base.
3. Apply a layer of dough to the outline of the state. You may want to roll
out the dough if you have the tools to do so.
4. Study the physical map to decide where the mountainous areas are of
your state and build up the dough. Talk with students how they can
show other landforms in their dough such as drawing lines for
riverbeds.
5. Poke holes in the dough to place toothpicks in later.
6. Let dry overnight and begin to paint the map. Blue for river, green for
land, etc.
7. Once painted, add flags to the map if desired with toothpicks and
adhesive paper to represent landforms, cities, etc.
You can have students do one on their own or as a group. If you have
them work as a group and have access to iPads or digital cameras; have
students create a Snapguide of the project. One student can videotape,
one student can take pictures, while the other two can make the map. This
way students can do a little “how-to” writing later on as a project to show
how they completed their maps.

 Salt Dough Recipe
4 cups of flour

2 cups of salt

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of cream of tartar



Mix with your hands until the consistency
of playdough. Add more water or flour as
necessary.


Salt Dough Recipe

4 cups of flour

2 cups of salt

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of cream of tartar



Mix with your hands until the consistency of
playdough. Add more water or flour as
necessary.

My New
Map Skills

A Book by
My New
Map Skills

A Book by
 Station 1
How to Read a Map

A ___________ is a flat drawing of a certain

area of the earth’s surface. Maps help us ______
where we are going. A __________ _________
tells the directions on a map. The ____________
shows the symbols on a map. It can also be called
a __________.

Vocabulary Write or draw a picture about

what you learned.

Compass Rose
key
find
map
legend
 Station 2
Adventure Island
Write or draw a picture about what you learned.

Vocabulary Fill in the blank:

symbols Maps use __________

key - simple pictures - to
represent real things.
The __________ tells
us what each symbol
means.
 Station 3
QR Code Scavenger Hunt

QR Code #1 - Open the Google Earth app.

This is a map of the world. Take a screenshot. What is the name of your world?

______________________________________________________________

QR Code #2 - Click on your continent. What is the name of your continent? Take a
screenshot.

______________________________________________________________

QR Code #3 - Click on your country. What is the name of your country? Take a
screenshot.

______________________________________________________________

QR Code #4 - Click on your state. What is the name of your state? Take a screenshot.

______________________________________________________________

QR Code #5 - Find your city or search for it in the search bar. Zoom in and take a
screenshot. What is the name of your city?

______________________________________________________________

QR Code #6 - Find your street or search for it in the search bar. Take a screenshot
and then zoom in to your house. Take a screenshot. What is the name of your street?

______________________________________________________________
 Station 5
Landforms
Draw a picture of your state and show the landforms.
Create a key/legend.

Legend/Key
 Station 6
Salt Dough Maps

Write or draw a picture about

what you learned.
 Other Resources or Station Options

Reading Nonfiction Texts About Maps

The purpose of this station is to provide students with books that have a variety of
text features to assist in learning about a specific topic. Find books that provide
information about the parts of a map (compass rose & legend/key), as well as three
different kinds of maps such as physical maps, political maps, and historical maps.
Students will read information about relative location, parts of a map, and the different
kinds of maps. The books should have a variety of features such as captions, bold
print, subheadings, glossary, and an index.
Possible books include:
Follow that Map: A First Book of Mapping Skills by Scot Ritchie
Ways to Find Your Way: Types of Maps by Kay Jackson
Map Essentials by National Georgraphic

Brainpop Jr. Video

Reading Maps

The purpose of this station is to provide visual and auditory learners the opportunity to
see and hear how to read a map. In this video, students will learn how to use maps as a
tool to learn information and explore how to use a map key, map scale, and compass
rose to help read a map and give or follow directions. Have students view the video
through once and then have them watch again and have them write down one thing they
learned from the video. The video can be found at the following site: http://
www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/geography/readingmaps/preview.weml

*If you do not have access to Brainpop Jr. videos the teacher could always watch
another video on the same topic. This is a good video on YouTube. You can also try
United Streaming, or www.neok12.com/Geography.htm

Me on the Map video

 Other Resources or Station Options

QR Codes Scavenger Hunt

Use this atlas and have students follow the QR Codes on the next
page to take pictures for their pic collage.

Go to my blog post to see more examples of what we did during the

stations. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do
not hesitate to email me at kimbrell1971@gmail.com.
 QR Code Scavenger Hunt

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3. ! 4. !

5. ! 6. !
 Credits

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Created by Jennifer Kimbrell @
http://blog.techwithjen.com

Please feel free to email me at techwithjen@gmail.com

if you have any questions or if there are any errors in
this document.

Electronic purchase of this product is licensed for use by one teacher in one
classroom only. Reproduction of this product for use by additional teacher’s or
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district is a violation of copyright.

Graphics above by
The 3am Teacher