Elementary Education Program

Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Lesson Plan

Name: ​Caroline Griffith and Sayonna Adams

Grade:​ 2
Topic/Concept: ​Geography
Materials/Resources:

● What Really Happened to Humpty​ by Jeanie Franz Ransom

● Projector/computer to explore maps
● Various maps to pass around
● Compass for each group
● Poster paper (one piece per group)
● Markers, crayons, colored pencils
● Stickers, pom poms, beads etc. that can be used as symbols on their maps
● Notecards (one per group)

Teaching Behavior Focus:

Our teaching behavior focus for this lesson will be “promote collaboration.” It is critical to the
design of our lesson that our students work well together when creating their maps. We will be
working hard to create learning environments that are conducive to student collaboration by
giving clear instructions and closely monitoring the groups as they work. While the students are
working, we will be using positive reinforcement when groups are working well together and
will help students collaborate with one another by smoothing over any miscommunications the
students may have. We will be available to paraphrase what students are saying and help them
get their ideas across to the rest of their groups. Additionally, when holding class discussions, we
will promote collaboration amongst our students by asking them to turn and talk to their peers in
order to share their opinions or thoughts about our questions.

Learning Objectives (measurable):

Students will be able to represent their classroom using a map containing symbols, legends, and
cardinal directions appropriately. Students will use this map in order to identify objects around
the classroom.

Standards:

2.G.1​ Use geographic representations, terms and technology to process information from a
spatial perspective.
2.G.1.1​ Interpret maps of the school and community that contain symbols, legends and
cardinal directions
2.G.1.2​ Interpret the meaning of symbols and the location of physical and human features
on a map (cities, railroads, highways, countries, continents, oceans, etc.)

Assessment Plan (How will you know that your students met the objective?):
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Students will work in groups to create maps of the classroom. Then, they will use the maps of
their peers to locate items within the room. We will know if students have met the map making
objective if their maps include the three key elements of maps (symbols, legend, compass) and if
their map can be used to help other groups identify their mystery object. We will know if
students can properly read a map if they are able to use the directions given by other groups to
locate a mystery item within the classroom.

New Vocabulary:

● Legend: a key to translate the symbols used on a map

● Symbol: an image that represents something else
● Compass: a tool that is used to find cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west.
● Represent: using an item to show something else
● Physical feature: naturally occuring feature
● Human feature: man made feature

Note: A detailed lesson plan is specific enough for another teacher to read and teach
effectively. There should not be any question regarding what to do or how to do it.

Lesson Development (hook/engage/launch, step by step in real time, include questions you
will ask in real time, closure/revisiting learning objectives):

Launch:
Ask students to gather on the carpet with the teacher. Begin to ask the class questions about their
experiences with and knowledge about maps using the following questions:
- “Good morning, students. Today we are going to be talking and learning about maps. I
want you all to turn and talk to your neighbor and tell them what you think a map is.”
Have a few students share out to the class and explain what they think a map is.
- “Now I want you to turn and talk to a different neighbor and tell them why someone
might want to use a map. When would a map help someone out?” Have a few different
students share out and add other instances of when someone might use a map if they have
not already been mentioned (they are lost, they are trying to figure out a good spot to
camp/hike/build a house…, they want to figure out where a location (country, state, etc.)
is located on the map, etc.).
- “Today we are going to do a few things while we learn about maps. First, we are going to
read a story called ​What Really Happened to Humpty​ by Jeanie Franz Ransom. Then, we
are going to look at a lot of different maps and finally, we are going to be making our
own maps.”
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

I Do:
● “If you know the poem of Humpty Dumpty you can say it along with me: Humpty
Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King’s horses and all the
King’s men, could not put Humpty together again”
● “But did you know, Humpty had a brother? Yep, and today we are going to read his side
of Humpty’s story in ​What REALLY Happened to Humpty​ by Jeanie Franz Ransom.”
● “Before we get started let’s look at the map of Mother Gooseland.” *included at end of
document and there will be a print out to follow along during the story* “Can someone
tell me what they notice about this map?” (Answers may include: Roads connecting each
place, specific character/story they recognize, missing compass and legend, etc…)
● As you read the story, stop every two or three destinations and have the students recap
where Joe has been since leaving the Wall and as students respond, trail your finger along
the map for them to see the path. (Hospital, Bears’ house, Old Mother Hubbard, Chicken
Little, Pigs’ house, Wall)
● After you finish the book have students return to their seats for the next part of the lesson

We Do:
After the read aloud, we will be looking through a variety of maps on the website:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/map-skills-elementary-students/​ . There are SO
many different maps so pick a variety of maps that show various things. (Make sure to have
these maps ready before teaching!)
● Map ideas:
○ Maps that show cardinal directions in which North is NOT facing “up”
○ Maps that show state/country lines and maps that do not
○ Maps of parks and zoos
○ Maps of climate zones and altitudes
After this exploration, we will define important aspects of a map:
● Legend: a key to translate the symbols used on a map
● Symbol: an image that represents something else
● Compass: a tool that is used to find cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west.
We will refer back to the maps that we have shown to the class in order to demonstrate how each
of these key features are on every single map, regardless of what the map is trying to tell us! We
will also talk about how some maps show physical features, some maps show human features,
and some maps show both!
● Physical feature: naturally occuring feature
● Human feature: man made feature
If time allows, students can explore maps on this website on their own or in pairs.

You Do:
After our discussion about the key features of maps, we will explain the activity:
- “Ok so now we are going to make our very own maps of the classroom in groups. In a
minute, but not yet, I will let you get in groups of four to work together on this. If you all
can work together I will let you stay in these groups, but you have to prove it to me! I
will be giving each group a piece of poster paper. On this paper, you will draw a map of
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

the classroom. What are the three things that we just talked about that you MUST have
on a map? ​[pause and let students respond]​ Yes! You need to have a legend, symbol, and
compass. I am going to write those three things on the board so that you can have a
reminder. Now, do you see all these materials up here? You can use any of these that you
want to but make sure that you leave enough for your other friends to use them. Do y’all
have any questions?”
We will write the criteria for their maps on the board and circle around the room to help groups
as needed. Students will be allowed to work in their groups unless problems arise, at which point
we will separate them. If we find that students are missing key elements as we circle around, we
will prompt them to look at the board with the criteria to make sure they include a legend,
symbols, and a compass. When the students have completed their maps, we will give them their
next set of instructions.
- “The final part of our map making activity is a little bit of a scavenger hunt. On a
notecard, your group is going to write ONE clue about an object on your map. You must
give clear enough instructions that another group can identify that object with your clue.
For example, I could say, ‘this object is located north of the pencil sharpener’ and another
group could look at my clue and my map and know that I was talking about the cubbies!
Any questions?”
When students are done writing clues, we will mix them up and distribute them, along with the
corresponding maps, to other groups. Students will have about five minutes to locate the item on
the map. Then, we will hand the maps and clues back to the groups that made them.

Closure:
● “Everyone go ahead and return to your seats. Can someone tell me what was one thing
that really helped you and your group to find the object in someone else’s map?” Allow a
few students to respond. “What was something you thought would be more helpful on the
other group’s map?” Allow students to respond.
● “Will someone raise their hand and tell me what 3 things we needed to include on our
maps?”
● “Why did we need to make sure each of our maps had the same components: compass,
legend, symbols?” Have a few students share their ideas, ensuring that students are
guided to the idea that having common components makes maps accurate and easily read
by others.
● Encourage students to practice map making at home by drawing a map of their house and
the different rooms.
Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences