Social Studies - Week 4

Introduction (3-4 minutes)

Show your student different types of maps. Ask: "Have you ever seen a map before? What do you think maps are for?"

Say: "A map is a drawing or picture that shows where places are. Maps help us find our way from one place to another. They show us streets, buildings, parks, and other important locations."

Explain: "Maps are like a bird's-eye view—what you would see if you were flying above in an airplane looking down at the ground."

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Step 1: Explore Different Maps (4-5 minutes)

Show your student 2-3 different types of maps and discuss what each shows:

• Neighborhood/City Map: "This map shows streets, houses, stores, parks, and other buildings in a town or city. If we wanted to find the library or a friend's house, we could use this map."
• State or Country Map: "This map shows a whole state or country. It shows cities, rivers, mountains, and borders between states."
• World Map: "This map shows the entire Earth! It shows all the countries, oceans, and continents."

Point out common map features:

• Streets and roads - lines that show where roads go
• Landmarks - important buildings or places (schools, parks, stores)
• Labels - words that tell you the names of places
• Colors - often blue for water, green for parks, gray for roads

Ask: "Why do people use maps?" (To find their way, to see where places are, to plan a trip.)

Step 2: Draw a Bird's-Eye View (4-5 minutes)

Give your student paper and drawing materials. Say: "Let's practice thinking like a map! Imagine you're a bird flying above our house. What would you see if you looked down?"

Help them draw a simple bird's-eye view of one room in your house (like their bedroom). From above, it might show:

• The bed (as a rectangle)
• The door (where you enter the room)
• A window
• A desk or toy box

Reinforce: "You just created a simple map of your room! This is how maps work—they show where things are from above."

Practice (3-4 minutes)

Ask review questions:

• "What is a map?" (A drawing that shows where places are.)
• "What can maps show us?" (Streets, buildings, parks, cities, countries, etc.)
• "Why is a map like a bird's-eye view?" (It shows what things look like from above.)

Say: "Maps are tools that help us understand the real world. They show actual places and help us navigate accurately."

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Say: "Today you learned what maps are and how they help us find places. This week we'll learn more about how to read and create maps!"

Ask: "What would you like to make a map of?" (Your neighborhood, the park, your house, etc.)

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll learn about directions—north, south, east, and west!"

Introduction (3-4 minutes)

Ask: "If I asked you to point toward the park, could you do it? How do you know which way to point?"

Say: "To find our way using maps, we need to understand directions. There are four main directions called the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west."

Explain: "These directions are always the same, no matter where you are. North is always north, south is always south, and so on. They help us describe where things are and how to get there."

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Step 1: Learn the Cardinal Directions (5-6 minutes)

Teach the four directions using a compass or the sun:

• North (N): "North is toward the top on most maps. In nature, you can find north using a compass or the North Star at night."
• South (S): "South is the opposite of north—toward the bottom on most maps."
• East (E): "East is to the right on most maps. The sun rises in the east every morning."
• West (W): "West is to the left on most maps. The sun sets in the west every evening."

Use a compass (or compass app) to find the actual directions in your room or outside:

• "Let's use this compass to find north. The needle always points north!"
• "Now that we know where north is, we can figure out the other directions. South is behind us, east is to our right, and west is to our left."

Memory trick: "Never Eat Soggy Waffles!" (N-E-S-W, going clockwise around a compass.)

Step 2: Practice Directions in Your Space (3-4 minutes)

Make four signs labeled N, S, E, and W. Place them on the walls of your room in the correct directions (use the compass to find north first).

Play a direction game:

• "Point north!" (Student points to the N sign.)
• "Walk three steps east!" (Student walks toward E.)
• "What direction is behind you?" (Check using the signs.)
• "If you're facing south, which direction is on your left?" (East.)

Reinforce: "Great! You're learning to use directions just like explorers and navigators do!"

Practice (3-4 minutes)

Ask review questions:

• "Name the four cardinal directions" (North, south, east, west)
• "Which direction does the sun rise?" (East)
• "Which direction does the sun set?" (West)
• "If you're facing north, what direction is behind you?" (South)

Draw a simple compass rose (a circle with N, S, E, W marked). Practice pointing to each direction.

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Say: "Today you learned the four cardinal directions. These directions help us read maps and find our way in the real world!"

Ask: "What's your favorite memory trick to remember the directions?" (Never Eat Soggy Waffles, or any other trick they create.)

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll learn about landmarks—special places in our neighborhood that help us know where we are!"

Introduction (3-4 minutes)

Ask: "If someone asked you how to get to your house, what would you tell them? Would you say 'turn at the big tree' or 'go past the library'?"

Say: "A landmark is a special place or object that helps people know where they are. Landmarks are easy to see and remember, so we use them to give directions. Today we'll learn about the landmarks in our neighborhood."

Explain: "Landmarks can be buildings (like schools, libraries, stores), natural features (like big trees, ponds, hills), or other noticeable objects (like a water tower, playground, or statue)."

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Step 1: Identify Neighborhood Landmarks (5-6 minutes)

Make a list together of landmarks in your neighborhood. Prompt with questions:

• "What stores or shops are near our house?"
• "Is there a park, library, or school nearby?"
• "Are there any big buildings, signs, or statues we pass often?"
• "What about natural landmarks—big trees, ponds, or hills?"

Examples of common neighborhood landmarks:

• School or library
• Grocery store or gas station
• Park or playground
• Post office or fire station
• Church or community center
• Big trees, ponds, or unique houses

Explain: "When we give directions, we can say things like: 'My house is two blocks past the library' or 'Turn right at the big park.' Landmarks make directions easier to understand!"

Step 2: Draw Your Favorite Landmark (3-4 minutes)

Give your student paper and drawing materials. Say: "Choose one landmark from our neighborhood and draw it!"

Help them draw details that make the landmark recognizable (signs, colors, unique features).

Label the drawing with the landmark's name.

Ask: "How far is this landmark from our house? Is it north, south, east, or west of us?"

Practice (3-4 minutes)

Play a landmark direction game. Give simple directions using landmarks:

• "If you're at the park and you walk north, what landmark do you reach?"
• "How would you give directions from our house to the library using landmarks?"

Ask review questions:

• "What is a landmark?" (A special place or object that helps people know where they are.)
• "Name three landmarks in our neighborhood" (Any three mentioned.)
• "Why are landmarks helpful?" (They make it easier to give directions and find places.)

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Say: "Today you learned about landmarks—special places that help us find our way around the neighborhood. Tomorrow we'll use what we've learned to create our own map!"

Ask: "What's the most interesting landmark in our neighborhood?"

Preview: "Tomorrow you'll become a mapmaker! We'll create a map of our neighborhood showing the landmarks we talked about today."

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Say: "This week you've learned about maps, cardinal directions, and landmarks. Today you're going to put it all together and create your own map of our neighborhood!"

Explain: "Mapmakers (called cartographers) carefully draw maps to show where things are. You'll be a cartographer today! Your map will show our house and the landmarks nearby."

Main Activity (10-12 minutes)

Step 1: Plan the Map (3-4 minutes)

Before drawing, talk through what the map will include:

• "Let's think about what's near our house. What's to the north? South? East? West?"
• "Which landmarks should we include?" (School, park, library, store, etc.)
• "Which streets will we draw?"

Show your student Google Maps or another map of your neighborhood for reference (optional).

Step 2: Create the Map (6-8 minutes)

Give your student paper and drawing materials. Help them create the map step by step:

• Step 1: Add compass rose - Draw a small compass rose in the corner showing N, S, E, W.
• Step 2: Draw streets - Draw 2-4 streets as lines across the paper. Label them with street names if desired.
• Step 3: Draw your house - In the center or on one side, draw a box or simple house shape to represent your home. Label it "My House" or "Home."
• Step 4: Add landmarks - Draw simple shapes to represent 3-5 landmarks (school, park, store, library, etc.). Use symbols:
  • School: rectangle with "School" label
  • Park: green space with trees
  • Store: building with "Store" label
  • Library: building with "Library" label
• Step 5: Add labels - Label each landmark clearly.
• Step 6: Add title - At the top, write "Map of My Neighborhood" or "Map of [Street Name]."

As they work, encourage: "You're creating a real map! Someone could use this to find their way around our neighborhood."

Practice (3-4 minutes)

Once the map is complete, practice using it:

• "Point to your house on the map."
• "Which direction is the park from your house?" (Check using the compass rose.)
• "If you started at home and walked east, which landmark would you reach?"
• "How would you give directions from your house to the school using this map?"

Celebrate: "You created your own map! You're a cartographer now!"

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Say: "Today you created a map showing your house and neighborhood landmarks. This is a tool you can use to understand where things are and how to get from one place to another."

Ask: "What was your favorite part of making the map?"

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll practice following directions on a map—we'll see if you can navigate using your map skills!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Say: "This week you learned so much about maps! You know what maps are, you learned directions, you identified landmarks, and you created your own map. Today we're going to practice the most important map skill—following directions to get from one place to another!"

Explain: "When you can follow directions on a map, you can find your way anywhere. This is a skill explorers, travelers, and everyday people use all the time."

Main Activity (10-12 minutes)

Step 1: Practice with the Neighborhood Map (6-7 minutes)

Use the map your student created on Thursday. Place a small toy or marker on "home."

Give verbal directions and have your student move the marker:

• "Start at home. Walk north two blocks. Where are you?" (Student moves marker and identifies landmark.)
• "Now turn east and go one block. What do you see?" (Another landmark.)
• "Can you get from home to the park? What directions would you follow?"

Switch roles: Have your student give YOU directions using the map, and you follow them.

Reinforce: "You're navigating! That means you're using a map to find your way from one place to another."

Step 2: Create a Treasure Hunt (Optional, 4-5 minutes)

Make the activity more fun with a simple treasure hunt:

• Draw a star or "X" on one of the landmarks on the map.
• Say: "There's treasure hidden at [landmark]! Can you figure out how to get there from home? Tell me the directions."
• Student gives step-by-step directions using cardinal directions: "Go east two blocks, then north one block."
• "Follow" the directions together on the map.

Celebrate: "You found the treasure by following the map! Great navigation!"

Practice (3-4 minutes)

Ask review questions:

• "What does it mean to navigate?" (To use a map to find your way.)
• "What are the four cardinal directions?" (North, south, east, west.)
• "Why are maps useful?" (They help us find places and give directions.)

Challenge: "Can you use your map at home this week? Try giving directions to someone in your family using your map!"

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Say: "This week you became a map expert! You learned what maps are, how to use directions, how to identify landmarks, how to create your own map, and how to navigate using a map. These are important skills you'll use your whole life!"

Ask: "What was your favorite thing you learned about maps this week?"

Celebrate: "You're ready to explore the world using maps! Great job this week!"

Wrap up the month: "This month in social studies, you learned about American symbols, community helpers, family responsibilities, and map skills. You've learned so much about your community and your place in it!"