Lesson Plan II: Reading a Map Compass Rose & Map Key

Laura Schad

Reading a Map Compass Rose & Map Key

Date/Time to be Implemented: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / 9:30 10:15 / 10:15 11:00
Students: 8th grade Social studies classroom at Southwark Elementary
Anticipated Time: 45 minutes
Goals and Objectives
Students will be able to:
Identify the relative location of an object/place on a map using a compass rose.
Identify a map key and use its information to read a map understand what information the
map is providing.
Note that maps can provide many different types of information, and that a map key is essential
to reading what information a map provides.
Standards
PA Standards in Common Core History
CC.8.5.6-8.G: Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps)
with other information in print and digital texts.
PA Standards in Common Core English Language Arts
CC.1.2: Students read, understand, and respond to informational texts with emphasis on
comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual
evidence.
PA Standards in 6-8 Band Geography
7.1.6.A: Describe how common geographic tools are used to organize and interpret
information about people, places, and environment.

Materials and Preparation

Ongoing group-generated What can a map be used for/what do maps look like? charts
Markers & pencils
Presentation & lecture notes: Compass Rose and Map Legend
Kimball Town floor map
Kimball Town map handouts
Map of the Word with map key
Map of the United States with map key
Classroom Arrangement and Management
Arrangement: Students will be seated at their desks, which will be set up in rows two
desks deep, six desks long around the edges of the map of Kimball Town, which will be
laid out on the floor. The desks will simultaneously face inward and toward the front
Smartboard. During group work students will work in groups designated by their section
of the room (left rows, middle rows, right rows). One group will work with a map
hanging on the back board, one group will work with a map on the front board, and one
group will work with a map spread out on the floor.
Management: Students have participated in group activities before, though not very
often. Guidelines for group work will be discussed briefly when instructions are given.
Students have never participated in a map reading activity, so instructions regarding

Lesson Plan II: Reading a Map Compass Rose & Map Key

Laura Schad

where to stand so everyone can see the map will be explained. I will circulate during the
Kimball Town map reading activity to monitor student work, answer any additional
questions, and prompt student participation if necessary. Students who routinely arrive at
class late will be asked to work with a partner who has already begun.
Plan

Launch
Introduction: Compass Rose Presentation and Lecture (10 min.)
I will introduce students to a compass rose by asking: we live in South Philadelphia, so which
way is North Philadelphia? West Philadelphia? East Philadelphia? How can we tell what
direction we are facing?
I will explain to students the four directions and four sub-directions by using an example with the
map of Philadelphia. Students will see themselves as situated in South Philadelphia.
I will show students multiple examples of what a compass rose might look like, and I will
explain how the information a compass rose gives is based on the readers location (i.e. City Hall
is toward the North West of Southwark but if we were standing at Broad and Lehigh Ave. City
Hall would directly South of our location.)
Work and Explore
Kimball Town Map Reading Activity (7 min.)
Students will have a chance to use a compass rose and read a map by observing a map of
Kimball Town and recording the relative location of places in relation to other places on the map.
Students will participate in a brief discussion after the activity. Students will be asked to discuss
how their perspective played a part in determining the relative location of a place. I will answer
any further questions students have regarding compass roses at this point.
Map Key Presentation and Lecture (7 min.)
I will introduce students to a map key by asking: what are the benefits of using symbols or colors
when creating a map?
I will show students examples of map keys and have students practice using a map key to
determine what information a map is presenting to a reader.
Group Work Map Reading Activity & Debrief (20 min.)
Students will be split into five groups. One group will look at a map of the world, a second group
at a map of the United States, a third group will look at a map of Yellowstone National Park, and
the fourth group will look at a map of New York City.
In their groups, students will analyze the map key of each map, as well as list what information
their map key provides, and what further information about the map is not covered by the map
key.
Additionally, students will be asked to answer questions about their specific map based on
information provided by the map key.
- World Environments Map: Why do you think areas of Africa and Asia have so
many deserts and areas like Iceland and Antarctica do not? How do you
know? Find Philadelphia on your map what other places have similar
environments? How do you know? Which continent has the most different
types of environments? Which continent has the least? How do you know?
- United States Map (4 total): Which state has the high population density? In
general, do more people live on the East or West coast? Which state has seen
the greatest population growth? How do you know? Which state has the
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Lesson Plan II: Reading a Map Compass Rose & Map Key

Laura Schad

largest amount of reserved Federal land? How do you know?

- Yellowstone National Park Map: How many states have land that is part of
Yellowstone National Park? How do you know? How many lakes are located
within the park? How do you know? How many picnic sites are in the park?
How do you know? How many gas stations are in the park? How do you
know? What road would you take to go from Old Faithful to Grand Teton
Staircase? Which direction would you travel? How do you know?
- New York City Top 10 Map: How many Top 10 sights are located above
57th Street? How many are located below 57th Street? How do you know? How
would one get from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Empire State
Building? Could they take the Metro? How do you know?
- United States Political Map: Which state has the most amount of National
State Park land? How do you know? Which highways would you have to take
to travel from Philadelphia, PA to Austin, Texas? How do you know? Which
state capitals are the closest to each other? Which state capitals are the farthest
from each other? How do you know?
Before dismissal students the class will debrief as a whole. If there is time students will present
their map to the rest of the class and explain four different symbols on their map key. At this time
I will answer any lingering questions concerning our new cartographers tools.

Assessment of Goals and Objectives

Formal Assessment: Kimball Town map reading handout
Did students:
record the relative location of places on the Kimball Map correctly?
observe the relationships between directions and perspective of the reader?
Formal Assessment: Map Reading handout
Did students:
identify and read the map key?
record the information the map key provides?
discuss and record what information the map presents, and what information is still missing?
Informal Assessment: Teacher Observation
Did students:
respect the materials and each other?
ask questions (directed at myself or their peers)?
actively participate during the entire lesson?
use new vocabulary words during discussion?
question the cartographers choice to include or exclude certain information?
Accommodations
For students who find the work too challenging:
- I will model the first question for students during the Kimball Town map reading
activity. I will move a figure on the map so students can see me trace the trail. I will
have a large compass rose in the center of the map for students to use as a guide. I can
provide smaller, individual compass roses to students who need the additional support. I
will allow students to work individually or in pairs during the activity. Peers can provide
support to other peers this way. If the activity still proves to be too difficult I will give

Lesson Plan II: Reading a Map Compass Rose & Map Key

Laura Schad

that student a personal copy of the Kimball Town map so they might observe the map
more closely and write on it.
- For the Powerpoint lecture, I will provide guided-note taking sheets for some students
and handouts for other students to follow. The handouts will summarize the information
with both words and pictures and have room for students to write their own notes in
whatever language they are most comfortable with.
- For the map reading activity, I will make sure that groups are heterogeneous, that is,
both English and non-English speakers will work together. If students find the map
legend group activity too difficult I will sit with that group and provide small-group
instruction. I can model the first problem for students and then make sure they understand
the task before moving on to the next group.
- Groups that continue to struggle with the map legend activity will be asked to return to
the Kimball Town map. I will review what the legend for the Kimball Town map is, and
then point out similarities and differences between the Kimball Town map and their own
maps. We will then use the Kimball Town map as a means to discuss reading a map key
before returning to the groups original map.
For students who find the work easy/finish early:
- Students who finish the Kimball Town map reading project early will be asked to write
directions from one location to another, incorporating information from the compass rose.
- If these students finish this task before the rest of the students have finished they will be
asked to draw possible symbols for a map key to accompany the Kimball Town map.
- Groups that finish reading their map before other groups will be asked to split up and
join another group. This way they will have a chance to practice reading more than one
map.