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TE 803 Spring 2018

Professional Role & Teaching Practice II
Integrated Unit Assignment

Name: Lindsey Pirochta

School: Cornell Elementary
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Topic: Mapping

Stage 1: Desired Results

1. Unit Title
● Kindergarteners on the Map

2. Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) and Content Standards, and Anti-Bias
Standards:

● K – G1.0.1 Recognize that maps and globes represent places.

● K – G2.0.1 Identify and describe places in the immediate environment (e.g., classroom,
home, playground).
● 1 – G1.0.1 Construct simple maps of the classroom to demonstrate aerial perspective.
● 1 – G1.0.2 Describe places using absolute location (e.g., home address) or relative
location (e.g., left, right, front, back, next to, near).
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and,
with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as
desired to provide additional detail.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to
compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about
and supply some information about the topic.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.E Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to,
from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
● Diversity 8 DI.K-2.8 I want to know about other people and how our lives and
experiences are the same and different.

3. Big Powerful Ideas:

● Maps show connections among people, places, and things within a community.

4. Essential Questions:

● Where am I in relation to other people, places, and things in my community?

● How do I meet my needs and wants?
● How do we describe places and locations within our community?
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● How do we use maps and globes in everyday life?

5. Unit Objectives:

● Students will be able to relate their location on different maps.

● Students will be able to describe the location of places and things using prepositional
phrases.
● Students will be able to describe the location of places and things using positional
phrases.
● Students will be able to locate themselves, and other places represented in their
community on a map.
● Students will be able to design a map of their classroom.
● Students will be able to design a map of their town.
● Students will be able to describe locations using cardinal directions.
● Students will be able to interpret the symbols of a given legend on a map.
● Students will be able to examine various types of maps in order to connect their
knowledge about their community, to their state, country, and the world.

6. Rationale:

What are you teaching? Why you are teaching this?

(Must align with the 5 elements of powerful
social studies)

Students will learn more about Value-Based: It is important to understand

communities and the similarities and that not all students will live in a house, or in
differences among various communities. a neighborhood. Differences among
communities will be explored.

Students will create maps of their Meaningful: It is important for students to

classroom, town, or school. know where they are in the world, country,
and state.

Students will create maps with different Challenging: The students are new to
aerial perspectives (i.e. spatial mapping and they are not yet aware of their
recognition). surroundings, so this will be an introduction
to them.
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Students will be able to walk around the Active: Students are moving around, using
school to create a map of the important different workspaces and collaborating with
landmarks throughout the building. peers.

Students will label their maps they create
and use proper punctuation and
capitalization.
Integrative: Proper punctuation and
capitalization is a new skill learned in
kindergarten. Students will integrate their
new literacy skills for this concept in their
mapping activity.

Stage 2: Assessment/Evidence:

1. Prior Knowledge:

● Behavior and social norms

○ Getting along with each other
● Using writing, drawing, and dictating skills to inform a reader of a given topic.

2. Pre-Assessment: Seeing Student Thinking:

Things I have learned

 My students knew what a map was, and have experienced or observed their parents using
maps at work or to find their house.
 My students knew that maps are used to locate places and can help people find where
they need to go.
 One student new the directions on a compass, and had heard the acronym “Never Eat
Soggy Waffles”.

Changes to my unit plan:

 Students will need additional support on how to read a map and compass in order to both
read maps, and create their own maps for this unit.
 I now have an understanding of what two very different students have previously
experienced in terms of mapping.
 Both students were aware of what maps are used for, but are not yet aware of the big idea
surrounding the concept of mapping and connections to our community.
 Students will need further support and explanation on what a compass is used for, how to
read a compass, and what the letters on a compass stand for.

3. End-of-Unit Performance Task:

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● Students will create a detailed map of their town with group members. Students will be
responsible for including labels, creating their own legend, and including cardinal
directions on the map they create.

Rubric
If the student has completed the task, place a check mark on the line. If they haven't completed
the task, leave the line blank.

The student created a map of their town with table partners

The student has a title for their map

The student included labels on their map

The students created a legend on their map

The student included a compass on their map

Stage 3: Learning Plan

1. Linguistic, social and academic challenges, resources and supports

Student Description of their Accommodations/Modifications/Scaffolding to

Linguistic, Social, or Academic Address Student’s Needs
Needs

One student in my class is an ELL and
speaks a very little English. She just
arrived to America at the start of this
semester. My mentor and I use visuals
to help her understand what is being
asked of her. She often understands
the task once shown a visual picture,
and will then complete the work to the
best of her ability.
For this student, the teacher will bring different types of
visuals such as a map and compass. To help this
student understand that a legend is a map key, the
teacher will show a picture of a key. The teacher will
also be sure to place the student with a strong English
speaker during group work so the ELL student can
further learn from and benefit from working with this
other student.

A few students in my class are very low
academically. These students are still
working on their letter sounds and letter
identification. Additional support is often
needed for these five students, and
they often need one-on-one support.
The teacher will sit next to these students during small
group center work. By doing this, the teacher can help
these students while still giving attention to the other
students. The teacher will have a letter strip in front of
these students when writing to assist with spelling and
letter sound knowledge.
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2. Overview:

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

GLCE(s): GLCE(s): GLCE(s): GLCE(s): GLCE(s):

K – G1.0.1 1 – G1.0.2 K – G2.0.1 1 – G1.0.2 1 – G1.0.2
Recognize that Describe places Identify and Describe places Describe places
maps and globes using absolute describe places using absolute using absolute
represent places. location (e.g., in the immediate location (e.g., location (e.g.,
home address) or environment home address) or home address) or
relative location (e.g., classroom, relative location relative location
(e.g., left, right, home, (e.g., left, right, (e.g., left, right,
front, back, next playground). front, back, next front, back, next
to, near). to, near). to, near).

CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.L.K.1.
E Use the most
frequently
occurring
prepositions
(e.g., to, from, in,
out, on, off, for,
of, by, with).

Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson

Overview: Overview: Overview: Overview: Overview:
-Read Me on the -Students work in -Students work -Students work in -Read Follow that
Map centers to on map skills centers to learn Map! By Scot
-Show students complete color word about a compass Ritchie
Brain POP Jr. positional words worksheet during and do a - Give students a
video on what worksheet morning work worksheet refresher lesson
are maps -Positional words time that has activity. by having them
-Show students worksheet different places - Show the complete a
maps and globe -Complete town within a students a worksheet on a
-Discuss what and state flip community compass compass during
students already book pages -Color words - Explain what morning centers
know about worksheet the cardinal
maps, and what -Complete directions are
they want to country and -Listen to song
learn (KWL world flip book about cardinal
Chart) pages directions on
-Complete house youtube
and - Complete
neighborhood flip worksheet on the
book pages compass
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Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

Objectives: - Objective(s): Objective(s): - Objective(s): - Objective(s): -
Students will be -Students will be Students will be Students will be Students will be
able to examine able to describe able to locate able to describe able to describe
various types of the location of themselves, and locations using locations using
maps and places and things other places cardinal cardinal
discuss their using positional represented in directions. directions.
findings, in order phrases. their community
to connect their on a map.
knowledge about
their community,
to their state,
country, and the
world.

Assessment: Assessment: Assessment: Assessment: - Assessment:

-The KWL chart -The teacher will -The teacher will Can students find -Assess how well
will serve as both formatively formatively something in the students retain
a pre assess whether assess whether classroom from information from
assessment and
or not students or not students each cardinal previous lesson,
post assessment
once completed. are able to are able to locate direction. Assess can they identify
The teacher will describe the the places how well north, south, east
assess what location of places represented in students were and west in the
students already and things by their community. able to answer classroom.
know about using positional The teacher will question 1 and 2 Students should
mapping, and words and observe students with guidance be able to
what interests
prepositional as they are from teacher. correctly and
and questions
the students still phrases. working on their Assess how well independently
have for the unit. The teacher will morning work students are able complete
Once the chart is observe students and provide to answer compass
completed at the as they are additional questions 3 and worksheet.
end of the unit, working in their support when 4 independently
the teacher can small group needed. or in pairs.
see what
centers and
students learned
about mapping provide additional
and if/how their support when
questions were needed.
answered. The
teacher will be
able to see how
students’ thinking
changed over the
course of the unit
by using the KWL
chart.
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Student Student Student Student Student

Adaption(s): Adaption(s): - Adaption(s): Adaption(s): Adaption(s):
-The teacher will Students will be -This activity -There will be -The teacher will
use a variety of working in requires a small visual model the first
visuals (map, centers to amount of time to representation of example of the
globe, KWL
complete the complete. This the cardinal worksheet. The
chart, video) to
support ELL positional words activity will be points in the teacher will also
students who worksheet. This completed during classroom for read through
may have a adaptation will the morning students to look every question
difficult time create a level of routine and it is at. Students will and have
grasping the support for understood that be paired up for students highlight
language and students by not every student discussions, colors words with
vocabulary being allowing them to will finish in the the
which will allow
spoken. This
work with their allotted time. all students the corresponding
adaptation will
change the way peers and Students will only opportunity to colors. The
the information is receive be assessed on share and teacher will allow
being presented assistance from what is participate, even extra time later in
to students in their peers. completed in the if it’s not within the day to finish
terms of the input Additionally, this allotted time. the whole group. worksheet if not
provided.
worksheet may If students finish During the completed during
Additionally,
subtitles will be take some early, they can worksheet the allotted time.
used when students more practice activity, the
viewing the video time to complete describing the teacher will guide
to further assist than others. More location of places all students
ELL students and time will be and things on the through the first
adapt the input. allotted if map by using few examples
Students will be
needed, when positional words and provide
supported
through the students finish up and prepositional additional literacy
discussion by their other center phrases that they support to EBs
being asked to work. This have learned the and other
share their adaptation will previous day. students in need.
previous and provide additional
personal time for students
experiences, if
if needed to
they wish.
Students will complete the
receive a level of activity.
support by
having the ability
to turn and talk
with a partner in
order to generate
ideas to the
discussion
questions.
Additionally, not
all students will
be required to
actively
participate in the
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discussion, if
they do not wish
to share out with
the class.

Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson

Alignment: Alignment: Alignment: Alignment: Alignment:
-This lesson -This lesson -This lesson -This lesson -This lesson
engages engages engages engages engages
students with the students with the students with the students with the students with the
larger goals by larger goals by larger goals by larger goals of larger goals of
showing focusing on focusing on the unit by the unit by
connections describing places describing teaching them teaching them
among a small using both places. Students cardinal cardinal
community, to a absolute and also can see the directions and directions and
state, country, relative location. connections how to read how to read
and the world. Students are also among people compasses compasses
asked to describe and places in a which is which is
places with community. important when important when
positional words looking at maps. looking at maps.
in order to show
connections
within the
community.

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10

GLCE(s): GLCE(s): GLCE(s): GLCE(s): GLCE(s):

1 – G1.0.1 K – G2.0.1 K – G2.0.1 K – G1.0.1 1 – G1.0.1
Construct simple Identify and Identify and Recognize that Construct simple
maps of the describe places describe places maps and globes maps of the
classroom to in the immediate in the immediate represent places. classroom to
demonstrate environment environment demonstrate
aerial (e.g., classroom, (e.g., classroom, aerial
perspective. home, home, perspective.
CCSS.ELA- playground). playground). CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.SL.K. LITERACY.SL.K.
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5 Add drawings CCSS.ELA- 4 Describe

or other visual LITERACY.W.K. familiar people,
displays to 2 Use a places, things,
descriptions as combination of and events and,
desired to drawing, with prompting
provide additional dictating, and and support,
detail. writing to provide additional
compose detail.
informative/expla
natory texts in
which they name
what they are
writing about and
supply some
information about
the topic.

Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson

Overview: Overview: Overview: Overview: Overview:
-Students work in -Students work in -After learning - Students work -Students work in
centers to centers to learn about legends in centers to centers to create
complete a about the yesterday, learn about a their own map of
worksheet that concept of students will work globe their town..
helps them to legends on maps in centers to -Show students a -Students create
create a -Worksheet on create their own globe a map of their
classroom map legends legend based on -Students town that will
-Worksheet on a map of the complete include a title,
classroom map school worksheet on legend, and
-Worksheet for globe compass.
creating own -Students
legend complete the ‘L’
portion on the
KWL chart

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

Objective(s): - Objective(s): - Objective(s): - Objective(s): - Objective(s): -
Students will be Students will be Students will be Students will be Students will be
able to design a able to interpret able to interpret able to relate able to design a
map of their the symbols of a the symbols of a their location on map of their
classroom. given legend on given legend on different maps. town.
a map. a map.
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Assessment: Assessment: Assessment: Assessment: Assessment:

-If a student -Students should -Students will be -The students -If a student
creates a map of be able to assessed on their have now decides to share
our classroom describe what a map creation and completed the ‘L’ their map with
using the legend is and the creation of portion of the the group, check
worksheet what they are their legend. KWL chart. The to see if they
template used for. After Students should teacher can now drew a colored
provided, and guided practice, have at least 5 see what map of their
puts the objects students should symbols on their students learned town, included a
from the be able to use legend. These about mapping title on their map,
worksheet in the the legend to symbols should and if/how their included a
correct place in complete be labeled and questions were compass,
accordance of worksheet. added to the answered. The included a
our classroom, map. Maps teacher has now legend, and
the students will should be been able to see included labels. If
have an colored and how students’ a student does
understanding of visually thinking has not want to share
creating a map. appealing. changed over the their map, take a
Since students Students should course of the unit look at a different
are cutting and be able to create from using the time to see if they
pasting in this their own legend KWL chart. included these
activity, it may and add the things. If a
take some symbols to the student includes
students more map during the these
time than others. small group requirements on
If a student center time. their map, they
doesn’t finish, understood the
they will be given content
additional time to presented to
complete the them during this
activity when unit.
they finish at
another center.
This will help
students from
feeling rushed
and frustrated
about finishing on
time.
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Student Student Student Student Student

Adaption(s): Adaption(s): - Adaption(s): Adaption(s): - Adaption(s): -
-The teacher will The teacher will -Students The teacher will The teacher will
go through the go through each needing use visuals to have an example
worksheet with symbol on the additional support ELL of a map of their
the students legend with the support and students who town they drew
before working whole group. accommodations may have a as a visual to
independently at Before modeling will be asked to difficult time support ELL
their center. The the first two create three grasping the students who do
teacher will go examples of the symbols on the language and not fully
through every worksheet, the legend. vocabulary being understand the
picture with the teacher will read Advanced spoken. This English
students through each learners will be adaptation will language. By
explaining what question and responsible for change the way showing them an
the object is on have students creating a total of the information is example
the worksheet. highlight the 7 symbols on the being presented beforehand, they
This will help ELL underlined legend and to students in will have a better
students have a words with adding these terms of the input understanding of
better corresponding symbols to their provided. what is expected
understanding of colors. The map. By Students will of them from the
the visuals that teacher will adjusting the receive a level of activity. The
are provided. provide additional quantity of the support by teacher will also
reading support symbols on the having the ability point to what is
as needed. legend, all to turn and talk on the map. For
students will be with a partner in example, the
supported with order to generate students are to
these ideas to the draw a compass
accommodations. questions on their map that
presented to is labeled. The
them. teacher will point
Additionally, not to the drawing on
all students will their map and
be required to show a physical
actively compass to the
participate in the students. This
discussion, if will additionally
they do not wish help scaffold all
to share out with students at the
the class. table as well.
When students
are sharing their
maps, they will
be supported
throughout their
presentation, if
they wish to
present. The
students will first
be given the
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opportunity to do
a turn and talk to
share with a
partner at the
table, so they can
feel more
comfortable
before sharing
with the whole
table. The
students do not
have to share
their map to the
whole table, but
they will be
encouraged to at
least share their
map with a
partner.

Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson

Alignment: Alignment: Alignment: Alignment: Alignment:
-This lesson This lesson This lesson -This lesson -This lesson
engages engages aligns with the engages engages
students with the students with larger goal and students with the students with the
larger goals by larger goal by product of the larger goals that larger goals by
showing students showing them assignment that maps show showing that
that maps can be another important asks students to connections maps can be
used through our skill to use when create a map of among people, used through our
everyday life. reading maps. their town. By places, and everyday life, and
creating a legend things within a that maps show
and putting community. connections
symbols on their among people,
map, students places, and
are practicing things within a
creating their community.
own map,
creating symbols,
and labeling their
symbols and
map.

3. Individual Lesson Plans (3 of 10 days):

Day 1: Introduction to Mapping

Name: Lindsey Pirochta

Grade: Kindergarten
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School: Cornell Elementary

Lesson Length: 40 minutes

GLCE(s): K – G1.0.1 Recognize that maps and globes represent places.

Big Powerful Idea: Maps show connections among people, places, and things within a
community.

Essential Questions:
● Where am I in relation to other people, places, and things in my community?
● How do I meet my needs and wants?
● How do we describe places and locations within our community?
● How do we use maps and globes in everyday life?

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to examine various types of maps and discuss their
findings, in order to connect their knowledge about their community, to their state, country,
and the world.

Materials:
● Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
● Brain POP Jr Video - “Reading Maps”
● Map
● Globe
● Chart Paper for KWL
● Markers for KWL
● Me on the Map Flip Book

Powerful Social Studies:

● Meaningful: This activity is meaningful because it allows students to consider the

importance of mapping and what/how maps are used in their personal lives.
● Integrative: This lesson is integrative, as it connects the social studies content with
language arts. Students will engage in an interactive read aloud and complete a KWL
chart with their knowledge and questions.
● Value-Based: This lesson is value-based because the teacher will approach the
interactive read-aloud with a critical perspective. The teacher will emphasize the
concept that not every student lives in a house, but may live in an apartment. Not
every student may have their own room, but may share a room with another family
member. Not every student will live in a town, some students may live in the city. The
teacher will strive to teach a variety of values and perspectives, when reading the
children’s book Me on the Map.
● Challenging: This activity will be challenging as students will be pushed to consider
what they still want to learn about maps and mapping. Students will need to develop
questions to explore and fill in the gaps in their understandings.
● Active: This lesson will be actively engaging by incorporating a variety of activities into
the lesson. Students will participate in a discussion, engage in an interactive read
aloud, watch an engaging video clip, and brainstorm questions they still have and wish
to further explore.
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Lesson Procedure:

Introduction
The teacher will begin by showing students both a map of their country and a globe. The
teacher will then ask the students to discuss what they already know about maps. The teacher
will fill in the ‘K’ portion of the KWL chart with students responses. The teacher will facilitate
the discussion by asking students the following questions to elicit their thoughts on maps.
Before sharing out with the class, students will have the opportunity to turn and talk with a
partner to generate ideas to the following questions:
1. What are these?
a. Students may respond with: a map, the USA, a globe, the world, etc.
2. What are maps/globes used for?
a. Students may respond with: to show you parts of the world, to help you find
your way, for driving, to help you, etc.
3. What previous experiences have you had with maps?
a. Students may share experiences they have had or observed with their parents
using maps, a map on a phone, a GPS, etc.

Transition
The teacher will then explain that our next unit will be focused on maps and learning more
about how maps can help us by showing connections among people, places, and things.

Detailed Activities
After completing the ‘K’ portion of the KWL chart, the teacher will then engage students with
an interactive read aloud of Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney and Annette Cable. The
teacher will then fill in the ‘W’ portion of the KWL chart, asking students what they want to
know or learn more about over the next few days with mapping. Before sharing out with the
class, students will have the opportunity to turn and talk with a partner to generate ideas to the
following questions:
1. What do you want to learn more about when focusing on mapping?
2. What questions do you still have about how maps are used?
3. What questions do you still have about why we use maps?

Transition
The teacher will then show students the Brain POP Jr. video titled, “Reading Maps”.

Closure
After watching the video, the teacher will ask students if there is any new information they
want to add to what they have learned about maps (the ‘L’ column) from both the interactive
read aloud and the video, or if they have any new questions to add to the ‘W’ column. The
teacher will inform students that over the next few days they will be learning more about how
we describe places and locations in our community, and how maps can show us connections
among our community. Finally, students will go back to their seats and work on completing the
first two pages of the Me on the Map flip book (pages about home, and neighborhood). The
teacher will emphasize that the “house” page is referring to the students’ “home”, and that not
everyone may live in a house, but everyone has a home. Homes are very different and no two
homes will be exactly the same.

Assessment: The KWL chart will serve as both a pre assessment and post assessment once
completed. The teacher will assess what students already know about mapping, and what
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interests and questions the students still have for the unit. Once the chart is completed at the
end of the unit, the teacher can see what students learned about mapping and if/how their
questions were answered. The teacher will be able to see how students’ thinking changed
over the course of the unit by using the KWL chart.

Linguistic and academic differentiation and accommodations:

The teacher will use a variety of visuals (map, globe, KWL chart, video) to support ELL
students who may have a difficult time grasping the language being spoken. This adaptation
will change the way the information is being presented to students in terms of the input
provided. Additionally, subtitles will be used when viewing the video to further assist ELL
students and adapt the input.
Students will be supported through the discussion by being asked to share their previous and
personal experiences, if they wish. Students will receive a level of support by having the ability
to turn and talk with a partner in order to generate ideas to the discussion questions.
Additionally, not all students will be required to actively participate in the discussion, if they do
not wish to share out with the class.

Day 4: Compasses

Name: Lindsey Pirochta

Grade: Kindergarten
School: Cornell Elementary

Lesson Length: 30 minutes

GLCE(s): 1 – G1.0.2 Describe places using absolute location (e.g., home address) or relative
location (e.g., left, right, front, back, next to, near).

Big Powerful Idea: Maps show connections among people, places, and things within a
community.

Essential Questions:
● Where am I in relation to other people, places, and things in my community?
● How do I meet my needs and wants?
● How do we describe places and locations within our community?
● How do we use maps and globes in everyday life?

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to describe and demonstrate how we use
compasses and cardinal directions to help us find things around us.

Materials:
● Map Skills Compass Worksheet I and III
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2I81_BFb-s

Powerful Social Studies:

● Meaningful: This lesson allows students to see how compasses help us find our way
around the world.
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● Integrative: This lesson will integrate some science as students learn about magnetic
fields and how they make compasses work
● Value-Based:
● Challenging: This lesson is challenging because students will grapple with the
abstract concept of cardinal directions not being definite
● Active: Students will be able to use the classroom to help them learn how to use
directions to find things. Students will also be working in pairs.

Lesson Procedure:
Introduction:
● Teacher will begin by showing students a compass rose.
○ Ask students have they ever seen one before?
○ What are compasses used for?
● Teacher will introduce students’ cardinal direction words North, South, East and West
by bringing their attention to the signs posted in the classroom
○ Play the cardinal direction song
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2I81_BFb-s) and ask students to sing
along and point to each direction when it is said.
○ After listening to the song, the teacher will ask students to find something in
each part of the classroom.
● Explain to students that when describing locations and directions we say North to
describe things that are above or in front of something else. West refers to something
to the left of something else and East to the right. South refers or things below or
down.
Transition: Teacher will have students return to their table spots to complete their first
worksheet.
Detailed Activities
● At their table spots, teacher will guide students through the worksheet, cutting and
pasting one label at a time.
● After completing the first worksheet, teacher will model number 1 and 2 on second
worksheet.
● Students will work with a partner to complete questions 3 and 4 on worksheet
Transition: Review questions 3 and 4 whole group
Closure: Explain to students how we compass and why they are important when talking
about directions. Be sure to explain to the student’s that North is not always what’s directly in
front of us.

Assessment: Assess how well students were able to answer question 1 and 2 with guidance
from teacher. Assess how well students are able to answer questions 3 and 4 independently
or in pairs.

Linguistic and academic differentiation and accommodations:

There will be visual representation of the cardinal points in the classroom for students to look
at. Students will be paired up for discussions, which will allow all students the opportunity to
share and participate, even if it’s not within the whole group. During the worksheet activity, the
teacher will guide all students through the first few examples and provide additional literacy
support to EBs and other students in need.
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Day 10: Map of My Town

Name: Lindsey Pirochta

Grade: Kindergarten
School: Cornell Elementary

Lesson Length: 40 minutes

GLCE(s):
1 – G1.0.1 Construct simple maps of the classroom to demonstrate aerial perspective.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with
prompting and support, provide additional detail.

Big Powerful Idea: Maps show connections among people, places, and things within a
community.

Essential Questions:
● Where am I in relation to other people, places, and things in my community?
● How do I meet my needs and wants?
● How do we describe places and locations within our community?
● How do we use maps and globes in everyday life?

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to design a map of their town.

Materials:
● Example of a map of town
● Visuals (compass, map)
● Paper
● Pencils
● Crayons

Powerful Social Studies:

● Meaningful: This lesson is meaningful because it allows students to see how maps
can be used in their own personal lives.
● Integrative: The lesson is integrative because students will be using their knowledge
from literacy to write using proper capitalization and spelling on their maps.
● Value-Based: We understand that students will want to and will include different
places from their town on the map. Students will be able to choose the important
places to them and incorporate these into their town maps.
● Challenging: The lesson is challenging because students will be making a map from
scratch on their own. This will be the first time they do this, so it will be a challenging
activity.
● Active: The lesson is active because students will be collaborating with other students
and moving around to share their maps they have created with their peers.
 18

Lesson Procedure:

Introduction
Students will be working in centers for this activity. We will begin by having a discussion on
what we have learned about maps. We will discuss the concepts of what maps can tell us,
cardinal directions, legends, prepositional/positional words, and the various types of maps
there are.
● What have we learned so far about maps?
● What can maps tell us?
● What are the cardinal directions?
● What do legends tell us on a map?
● What types of maps are there?

Transition
Once the introduction discussion is completed, ask the students something they like about
their town. Then, explain to the students they will be creating a map of their town today.

Detailed Activities
● After the introduction discussion and giving students a chance to talk about their
favorite place in their town, students will be shown an example of what their map of
their town is to look like.
○ This is the map I created of my town. Do you see how I included a title on my
map that says, “My Town”
○ Notice how I have a compass and legend on my map. This will help the person
looking at my map know what is included on it.
● The teacher will explain to the students that the map must include a title, compass,
and legend. The teacher will point these out on their map, so the students can see a
visual of what it looks like.
○ Pointing to the title on the example map say, you need to have a title on your
map.
○ Pointing to the compass on the example map say, you need to have a
compass included on your map with the cardinal directions labeled.
○ Pointing to the legend on the example map say, you need to include a legend
on your map.
● The teacher will tell the students to use their best kindergarten handwriting and use
proper uppercase/lowercase letters on their maps like they have practiced in literacy
centers.
○ Use your best kindergarten writing while creating your map. Think about what
letters are uppercase and lowercase just like you do your other writing.
● The students will be given a template to help them create their map of their town.
○ Pass out the template to each student
● The students will then draw, color, and label their map with as much detail as possible.
● When students are finished with their map, they will share their map with the 4-5 other
students at the table explaining what they drew and wrote on their maps.
 19

○ You may share your map with a partner if you finish early before you get to
share your map to the table group.

Transition
Let students have the opportunity to share with their group what they drew and wrote on their
map.

Closure
Explain to students again why it is important that we have maps. Tell them how they help us
with our daily activities. Explain that they can give us a lot of information. Explain that all maps
are not the same and can tell us different things, so it is important we look at the legend on
the map.
● Maps are important because they can help us find information about places/things we
use in our daily lives. They even help us to drive places. All of our maps are not the
same and they can tell us different things. Be sure to look at the legend on the map so
you know what the map is telling you.

Assessment:
If a student decides to share their map with the group, check to see if they drew a colored
map of their town, included a title on their map, included a compass, included a legend, and
included labels. If a student does not want to share their map, take a look at a different time to
see if they included these things. If a student includes these requirements on their map, they
understood the content presented to them during this unit.

Linguistic and academic differentiation and accommodations:

The teacher will have an example of a map of their town they drew as a visual to support ELL
students who do not fully understand the English language. By showing them an example
beforehand, they will have a better understanding of what is expected of them from the
activity. The teacher will also point to what is on the map. For example, the students are to
draw a compass on their map that is labeled. The teacher will point to the drawing on their
map and show a physical compass to the students. This will additionally help scaffold all
students at the table as well.
When students are sharing their maps, they will be supported throughout their presentation, if
they wish to present. The students will first be given the opportunity to do a turn and talk to
share with a partner at the table, so they can feel more comfortable before sharing with the
whole table. The students do not have to share their map to the whole table, but they will be
encouraged to at least share their map with a partner.