1.   Track Your Trip Students learn how to read a map and identify key cities, landmarks, rivers, state boundaries, and train routes

2.   Perfect Postcards Students will use map skills to identify major geographical features and landmarks of Illinois, and will also use research and pre-writing skills to write expressive letters about travel by train.

3.   A View from Overhead Students will develop an understanding of the overhead view presented by most maps.

4.   Symbols and Legends Students will become familiar with the concepts of symbols. Students will learn to use a legend to identify features on a map.

5.   Learning Directions on a Map Students will learn to use north, south, east, and west to identify relative locations and provide directions.

6.   Map Scale Students will learn about scale and what it does. Students will learn how to use the scale on a map to determine distance and to measure the size of objects.

7.   Pirate Map Students will use simple maps to identify and locate places. Students will explain how to get from one location to another by using a map of their school.

1.   Maps and Atlases Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Return to Unit List Grade 6 6 Unit 1: Experience Teacher's Edition p. 35 Build Skills Build Skills Maps and Atlases From the Student Web Page Map Machine Use this Map Machine to create many different kinds of maps! View the first map by clicking one of the white arrowheads at the edges of the map grid. This map combines a political map with a physical map that was created using satellite images. Experiment wi...

2.   Destination: Anywhere Individualizing Destination: Anywhere Unit Lesson One Mapping Your Neighborhood Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources + Grade level: Upper Elementary + Subject Area: Math, Social Studies Brief Description Students use atlases, maps, and Web resources to generate and examine maps of their own neighborhoods. This activity will serve as background for the map-reading tasks in the next lessons. Up to Contentsof this Page Objectives Students will: + Develop a context for reading maps by examining a familiar area: their own neighbo...

3.   Destination Anywhere Unit Individualizing Destination: Anywhere Unit Lesson One Mapping Your Neighborhood Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources + Grade Level: Upper Elementary + Subject Area: Math, Social Studies Brief Description Students use atlases, maps, and Web resources to generate and examine maps of their own neighborhoods. This activity will serve as background for the map-reading tasks in the next lessons. Up to Contentsof this Page Objectives Students will: + Develop a context for reading maps by examining a familiar area: their own neighbo...

4.   Destination: Anywhere Individualizing Destination: Anywhere Unit Lesson Three Charting the Course Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources + Grade level: Upper Elementary + Subject Area: Math, Social Studies Brief Description Students use atlases, maps, and Web resources to determine the distance, driving time, and amount of money they will need to make the trip (estimates should include hotel/motel stays, meals, and souvenirs). Up to Contentsof this Page Objectives Students will: + Gain practice reading maps. + Practice math skills in a meaningf...

5.   Destination: Anywhere ...stination: Anywhere Unit Lesson Five Creating a Map for Future Reference Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources + Grade level: Upper Elementary + Subject Area: Math, Social Studies Brief Description Students use Web and other resources to create maps of either the site of their day trip, their final destination, the entire trip, or some combination of these. Up to Contentsof this Page Objectives Students will: + Gain practice reading maps. + Gain practice creating maps. Up to Contentsof this Page Materials and Resources In developing our lessons and act...

6.   A Message in a Bottle A Message in a Bottle A Message in a Bottle Social Studies/Language Arts Students will create an imaginary tale of travel and adventure. What You Need Maps of the world, atlases Plastic bottles with caps (one for each child writing a tale) A water table, fish tank, or large basin (optional) What to Do 1. Tell students that they are going to write a tale about an imaginary adventure or trip that has left them stranded on a desert island. Explain that their only...

7.   Destination: Anywhere Individualizing Destination: Anywhere Unit Lesson Two Selecting a Destination Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources + Grade level: Upper Elementary + Subject Area: Math, Social Studies Brief Description Students use atlases, maps, and Web resources to select a destination and a place to stop along the way for a day trip. Students think about the reasons they want to visit this particular place. Up to Contentsof this Page Objectives Students will: + Gain practice reading maps. + Learn about a place they would like to visit....

8.   Destination: Anywhere ...s Outline Choose View By Social Your View Subject Studies Individualizing Destination Anywhere Take a Trip Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources + Grade Level: Upper Elementary + Subject Area: Math, Social Studies Brief Description Students use atlases, maps, and Web resources to select a destination and a place to stop along the way for a day trip. Students think about the reasons they want to visit this particular place. Up to Contentsof this Page Objectives Students will: + Gain practice reading maps. + Learn about a place they would like to visit....

9.   Journey North Teacher's Manual Map Maker, Map Maker How to Make Your Own Maps Background You will need a large wall map to track each migration and sign of spring your class will study this spring. However, if it's too expensive to purchase maps students can create their own. Earth Science teacher Marv Mikesh suggested the following activity. He found it gave students ownership at th...

10.   Things That Stick Out ...LYZING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION; GEOGRAPHIC GENERALIZATION INTRODUCTION: Many of today's students are completely confounded when confronted with a map, labeled or not. Familiarity with some of the outstanding profiles of capes and peninsulas will help them solve the puzzle of initial orientation that maps present before they proceed to do all the myriad activities that maps make possible. This lesson uses map work, guided questioning, discussion, and possibly research projects to help students familiarize themselves with map depictions of land features that have helped everyone from ancient navigators to mod...