Title of Lesson: On the Way Home#122

National Standard: 2
How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
State Standard: 10
Teaching Level: E

Introduction: a mental map is an individual's interpretation of a place

Objective/Purpose:
- to create awareness of the numerous and varied physical and human features (human made) students pass along their route from school to home

Materials: drawing paper

Procedure: Option I.
1. Have each student mention a physical or human feature they see on their way home from school and do a quick drawing of it on easel paper
2. Give each student a large piece of drawing paper and have them draw a map of the route they take from school to home and include both physical and human features they pass along the way
3. Display all the maps
Option II
1. To prompt some focused thinking, have each student mention a physical or human (manmade) feature they see on their way home from school
2. Give each student a large piece of drawing paper and have them draw a map of their route from school to home. Allow 20-30 minutes of quiet work time for the drawing.
3. In small groups have students share maps and ask for ideas of features they may have forgotten.
4. Give each student a few minutes to make additions.
5. Display all the maps.
6. Have students quietly observe all the maps.
7. Have students share their observations about the variety and frequency of some features.

Evaluation/Assessment:
Are the students aware of both physical and manmade features along a familiar route?
Reflection: How successful was this lesson? Did all students benefit? Were there any surprises? What might you do differently another time? Please note any changes that will make this lesson more effective and useful in the future and pass them along to the NHGA. We appreciate your comments.
Thank you.
The authors. *

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Original file name: 122rtf - converted on Tuesday, 20 October 1998, 20:55