People in today's world are very mobile. With relative ease and with great speed people can move from place to place. People travel in cars, vans, trains, ships, and airplanes. Not only is it easy to travel from one town to another, it is also easy to travel form one country to another. Movement of people, products, and ides from one country to another is very much a part of our daily lives.

Shared Book Literature Source

With Love from Gran, Dick Gackenback

The little boy's Gran is great. He loves to site on her lab while they shell peas together. Then one day Gran decided to see the world. Gran send the little boy a present from each place she visits. From London comes a model castle and a crown; from Budapest a gypsy wagon; from Hong Kong a giant dragon; from Lima a llama. But Gran's last present is the best of all.

Other Materials Needed

• World Discovery Map
• Map Markers
• Post it Notes
• Discovery Globe

Suggested Lesson

As part of a pre-reading activity, open the book to the map shown on the title page. Discuss with the students the purpose of a map. List the student responses on the chalkboard or chart paper. Ask the students to list the types of things shown on a map. Help the student develop the list and include such items as the names of continent, countries, and cities. Also ask the students to predict the purpose of the dots and lines shown on the map on the title page.

In a shared book experience, read the story with the children. Discuss the places where Gran traveled. List the name of each city and country visited on the chalkboard or chart paper.

After finishing the book, review the prediction make earlier about the line and dots appearing on the title page map.

Review the places where Gran traveled. Ask the students to explain the difference between a city and a country. Cluster the names by cities and by countries.

Use the World Discovery Map and the Discovery Globe. Working in cooperative groups, find and circle the countries from which Gran sent gifts. Ask for volunteers to place "Post-it" notes with the name of each city and country on the map. Locate each country on the globe. Compare and contrast the differences between the work map and the globe.

Ask the students to refer to the world physical map at the top edge of the World Discovery Map. Ask a student to describe a continent. Have students name the continent where each country is located.

Discuss the different methods of travel Gran took to visit the other places in the world. Ask the students to think about how the mail is sent around the world. * Plan a trip to the library to find out. (You may want to have the librarian pre-select "easy-reader" books on mail and how it travels) Back in the classroom, have the children find pictures of the different vehicles that move the mail: trucks, airplanes, ships, etc. and cut out and glue on sentence strips. In a pocket chart, build these sentences:

Mail moves by ___________________________________________________(picture of a truck).

Mail moves by _______________________________________________ (picture of an airplane).

Mail moves by ___________________________________________________ (picture of a ship).

* Bring out the fact that postal workers perform a great service to all communities.

Review the pictures in the book of the gifts the little boy received from each country. Ask the students to use the pictures to try to determine what the people may be like in other countries. Do they like toys, dogs, costumes, masks, and stuffed animals? Bring out the point that we have many things in common with people of other nationalities and cultures.

Shared Book Literature Source

When I Was Young in the Mountains, Cynthia Rylant.

This book tells of a child's rememberances of living in the Appalachian Mountains. The warmth of family life is revealed through story and beautiful illustrations.

Other Materials Needed

• United States Discovery Map
• Landscape Picture Map
• Map Markers

Suggested Lesson

As a pre-reading activity, show the students the Physical Map at the top of the United States Discovery Map. Ask the students to predict what the different colors may mean. List their responses.

Show the students where the Appalachian Mountians are located. Tell them that they are the setting for this book. In a shared book experience, read the book to the children.

Compare the setting of the book with your setting. List the things that are different and the things that are the same. A geography theme is regions. A region is a place with a common set of characteristics. When students organize information about the physical characteristics of a place, they begin to create an area of study, such as a mountain region, a desert region, etc.

Have the students do a quick-write (simply jot down their thoughts without regard for proper punctuation, capitalization, or perfect handwriting) about their favorite part of the story. After writing for one or two minutes, stop them and have them illustrate their writings. Next, have them bring their work to the front of the room and sequence their pictures to follow the order of the book. For example, the student whose picture was of something that happened in the first part of the book would be first in line. Have each student describe his/her picture.

Next, on the US Discovery Map show the students where they live in relation to where the Appalachian Mountains are located. Refer to the list your class made of comparisons with the two settings, focus on the physical characteristics, such as flat land, mountainous land, etc, to tell what is unique about your "place."

Using the Landscape Picture Map have the students predict where this story may have taken place.

Have the students write about pleasant experience they've had where they've lived. Entitle it, "When I was young in _______________________." Illustrate, and make into a class book.

Shared Book Literature Source

How My Parents Learned to Eat, Ina R. Friedman.

A child tells of a happy resolution of a slight problem stemming from diverse cultures within a family.

Other Materials Needed

• Discovery Globe
• World Discovery Map
• United States Discovery Map
• Map Markers
• "Post-it" notes

Suggested Lesson

As a pre-reading exercise ask the children if they know where their parents and/or grandparents "came from." List the places mentioned on the chalkboard or chart paper. Locate the places mentioned on the Discovery World Map and Globe, and United States Discovery Map.

Brainstorm with the students about how their parent/grandparents are alike and different. Emphasize such cultural traits as religion, language, and favorite types of food.

In a shared book experience, read the book to the children. Discuss how people from different countries with very different cultures can overcome obstacles and live in harmony.

On the World Discovery Map, show the students where the characters in the book lived. For homework, ask the students to find out from their parents where each of them lived when they met. When they return with the information, put a "Post-it" (with the child's name on it) and the place where the parents met. Then put the Post-its where the family lives now. Use colored string or roving to connect the Post-its or pins. Examine the map to find out how many families have moved from the area where they met. Discuss why people move.

Graph the information. Who met farthest from their current home? Who met in the place where they still live? Emphasize that all people move from place to place. Sometimes people move great distances. Other people may move only within the town in which they were born. Movement of people, products, and ideas is a constant theme of geography.

Shared Book Literature Source

Heartland, Diane Siebert.

Through poetic text and illustration, Diane Siebert has captured the beauty of the Midwest in its land and its people. Life as it is described becomes mystifying, yet awesome in its uniqueness.

Other Materials Needed

• United States Discovery Map
• Landscape Picture Map
• Map Markers

Suggested Lesson

As part of a pre-reading activity, introduce the children to various regions of the United States, i.e., East Coast, West Coast, South, Midwest, etc. Discuss with the children the various characteristics of each of these regions, including climate, landforms, and industry. Remind the children that the story to be read is about one of these regions. Ask students to listen to see which region is being talked about in this story. (Do not show the front cover to the students or tell them the title of the story)

In a shared book experience, read Heartland to the students. Ask the children to identify the region of the United States being described. Discuss with the children how the dependence on natural resources played a part in this story. Remind the children of the immediate effect on the farmer and the long-term effect on the consumer. Ask the children to divide the dependence on natural resources as being either the farmer and predict what might happen if this resource were no longer available. List these on the chalkboard.

Ask the children to refer to the Landscape Picture Map and locate all natural features, including land and water. Write "L" on each land feature and a "W" on each water feature.

Using sentence strips, ask the students to write a sentence about one of the features identified and tell about how the feature is used as a resource to help meet people's needs. For example, "My mother uses water when she prepares our dinner." Hang the sentence strips in the form of the appropriate letter. For example, use those sentences utilizing land resources to create the letter "L" and use those sentences utilizing water resources to create the letter "W".

The author uses poetic form to convey the feelings of one who lives in the Midwest. Ask the children to write about where they live in poetic form.

Shared Book Literature Source

Island Boy, Barbara Cooney.

Through simple text and captive illustrations, two-time Caldecott winner Barbara Cooney recalls a forgotten way of life - a life that is dedicated to family and community, rooted in the land called Earth. Through a little boy named Matthias the reader shares life, as this character found it, growing up on a small island out in the bay.

Other Materials Needed

• United States Discovery Map
• World Discovery Map
• Map Markers

Suggested Lesson

As part of a pre-reading activity, open the book to inside cover. Explain to the children that the story they are about to read is based on the experiences of a small boy on Tibbetts Island. Ask them to survey the map and see if they can locate this island on the map provided. Ask the children to define what an island is. Looking at other areas on the map, have the children locate other islands found on the map. Ask the children to list these islands on the chalkboard.

Ask the children to locate the compass rose found on the map. Discuss with the children the purpose for this and ask them to describe the location of some of the various islands listed on the chalkboard, using directions indicated by a compass rose. Discuss further with the children the terms bay, channel, and harbor. Ask the children to compare the different features of each.

Ask the children to think about life on an island and how one would go about setting up a home there. Encourage the children to consider all facets of life - survival, shelter, travel, pleasure/recreation, industry, etc. and predict what life might be like for someone living on an island.

In a shared book experience, read the story with the children. Remind the children of their predictions about life on an island. As you read the book, list the various activities. Place these activities into categories. For example, when Pa dug the well for water it was for the purpose of survival. When Pa cut the stone and the wood to make a house, it was for the purpose of providing shelter. Discuss with the children Pa's ability to take natural features of the island and turn them into people-made features. Compare the list of things Pa did to the list of student predictions.

Divide the class into three groups. Ask the children to draw a map depicting the island with all of its natural features, prior to the Tibbett family coming to live there. Ask a second group of children to draw a map depicting the island with all of its people-made features, noting the changes resulting from the Tibbett family moving to the island. Ask the remaining group of children to create a map key for the island map with the people-made features. ON the map key, ask the children to identify the natural resources from which the people-made features were derived. For example, in the map key a people-made feature such as a house would be correlated with a tree and stone.

As Pa prepared the land for his family, changes resulted in the way the island appeared. Divide the class into smaller groups. Ask the children to draw pictures that will represent some of the changes that resulted and then to sequence them accordingly.

Ask the children to refer to the Discovery U.S./World Map. Using the map marker, ask the children to locate various islands found on the map. As the children identify different islands, ask them to identify the direction it is from the last island circled.

Shared Book Literature Source

Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey.

The endearing classic of the Mallard family who, tired of looking for a new home, find he perfect spot in the city.

Other Materials Needed

• Landscape Picture Map
• Map Markers
• Post-it Notes

Suggested Lesson

In a shared book experience, invite the children to read Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey to see how Mr. and Mrs. Mallard go about making a home for their family. Ask the children to think about which places Mr. and Mrs. Mallard traveled to in their efforts to find a home. Accept, help students to clarify, and list all responses on the blackboard or easel tablet.

Use the Landscape Picture Map. Ask the children to refer to the Landscape Picture Map and put an "X" on all of the places listed from Mr. And Mrs. Mallard's travels that appear on the Landscape Picture Map. Ask the children to take turns pointing to one of their selections. Ask each student to describe the location of each feature. Encourage the use of spatial terms such as close to the school, near the airport.

In language experience style, ask the children to help you build a list of things they would look for in finding a home where their family might want to live. Write their responses next to the list for Mr. And Mrs. Mallard. Encourage the children to discuss what they see and select examples on their Landscape Picture Map. Suggest that the students compare building size, color, shapes, labels (signs or symbols). Ask them "Do you see different uses for different buildings?" "Are all homes in smaller buildings?" "Why would some children want to live in the central city area, others on the edge of the city, someone else on the farm, and still others on the lake or mountain?"

Write the word "neighborhood" on post-it notes and give one to each child to place on his/her Landscape Picture Map. Write the word neighborhood on the board. Brainstorm on the definition. For example, the discussion might begin with ..."it's a place where my home and friends' homes are..."

After the children have developed and agreed upon their definition for neighborhood, encourage them to use their map markers and circle on the map the neighborhood where they would want to live. Let various children share why they selected that location.

Shared Book Literature Source

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Judy Barrett.

In this creative and humorous story, the town of Chewandswallow experiences some unusual weather. It rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers. Truly, this tail makes life delicious.

Other Materials Needed

• Landscape Picture Map
• Map Markers

Suggested Lesson

As part of a pre-reading activity, ask the children to preview a videotape of a weather report, previously recorded by you. (If you are unable to videotape a weather report, you might consider making an audiotape, having the children listen for information.) Ask the children to identify any specific terms that are used solely by weathermen. When the tape is finished, invite the children to share terms by creating a list on the chalkboard. Next, introduce the story to the children, asking them to listen for additional terms that a weatherman might use in a weather report.

In a shared book experience, read the story with the children to find terms used by weathermen. Ask the children to create a second list of weather terms on the chalkboard and to compare the second list of terms with the first. The second list of terms will be based on the storyline. The humorous twist of terms in the story clearly stands out as being different. Yet, there is a common thread amidst the terminology. Encourage the children to analyze the two lists to see exactly what it is that makes the terms similar or different.

Show the Landscape Picture Map. Ask the children to refer to the Landscape Picture map. Ask the children to create a weather report that would fit the day pictured on the map. Using poster board, encourage the children to use symbols to coincide with each of the terms used. For example, if it seems top be a "clear" day with "sunshine" and a few "clouds," the children might draw a symbol for the sunshine with a small sun and put that up, or they might put small white patches to represent the clouds, etc.

Group the children into smaller groups. Ask each of the groups to create a weather report for the town of Chewandswallow. Use a calendar and report the weather for a week. Ask one group to create a map, with symbols on it. For example, if it were going to "rain gravy" on Wednesday, the children might put brown raindrops next to the word "Wednesday." If on Friday, there was going to be "pea soup fog" the children might draw a small patch of pear green next to the word "Friday." Ask another group of children to write a weather report that would be used in conjunction with the map. Invite the children to approach the activity as though it were being prepared for television. Encourage the children to refer to the list on the chalkboard for ideas, as it captures many of the phrases so cleverly used by the author. When the children have finished, ask a third group of children to deliver the weather report written by the other two groups. This can be videotaped, if a camera is available. If it is videotaped, you can play the tape for the class, asking them to edit it. If enough changes are offered, a second taping might be made. If so, ask the students to compare both tapes

Shared Book Literature Source

A New Coat for Anna, Harriet Ziefert and Anita Lobel

Based on a true story, this picture book depicts post World War II struggles endured in meeting human needs. While the format is entertaining for children, it is informative as well.

Other Materials Needed

• Landscape Picture Map
• Map Markers
• Post-it Notes

Suggested Lesson

As part of a pre-reading activity, ask the children to explore the title, A New Coat for Anna. Ask them to predict what they think the story might be about, based on what is found in the pictures on the front and back covers. Accept all responses, encouraging children to support their responses with details from the picture. For example, on the back cover, sheep are pictured. You might ask the children what significance the sheep might have in relation to the story. Using background knowledge can be helpful in setting the scene for the story about to be read.

In a shared book experience, read the story with the children to confirm or deny predictions. Have children discuss Anna's need for a winter coat and how she went about meeting that need. Ask the children to compare Anna's steps in getting a new coat to what they do to get a new coat. Discuss the difference between making something and buying it. Bring out such ideas as the time involved, the skills required, and the various people involved in securing a finished product.

Discuss with the children the fact that there are jobs that do not always involve making or producing things. There are some jobs that are for the service of others. For example, a fireman does a job whereby others depend on him to extinguish a fire. This type of job is very important in helping us to meet our needs. One difference between this kind of job and jobs people performed met in A New Coat For Anna is that this is a service job. Ask the children to brainstorm to see if they can think of other jobs where people depend on others to meet their needs through services.

Ask the children to refer to the Landscape Picture Map and mark with an "X" on all of the places where things are made or produced. Next, ask the children to mark with an "O" on all of the places where people would go to receive a service. Ask the children to draw some pictures on Post-it notes that match the "O". Have the children place their pictures in an appropriate place on the desk amp. For example, a picture of fruit might go on or near a grocery store that is marked with an "X." A picture of a taxicab driver might go near a taxicab that is marked with an "O." As children place each picture on the map, ask them to explain why they are placing it where they are and why it matches the "X" or "O".

Invite the children as a group to develop/write a big book story about another need that Anna might have. For example, Anna might need a ride to the doctor's office. Since this is a service job, the steps she would take might be quite different from those, which she took in getting a new coat. Encourage the children to refer to the Discovery Landscape Picture Map for ideas.

Shared Book Literature Source

Jack and the Beanstalk, Carol North.

A read-aloud fairy tail that stimulates children's imagination in a world of giants and fantasy

Other Materials Needed

• Landscape Picture Map
• United States Discovery Map
• Map markers

Suggested Lesson

Ask your children to describe the largest thing they have ever seen personally or might know about (perhaps from television or in a picture magazine or book). Responses will vary from elephant, whale, building, ship, mountain, China, etc. For contrast, have student discuss the smallest thing they have ever seen or might know about. Accept all descriptions, including such examples as ant, snowflake, germ, seed, particle of sand on a beach, etc. Ask the children to think about how people might measure the size of these huge and tiny objects. Given the opportunity to share experiences and ideas, the children probably will begin to speak in terms of inches, feet and miles. Explain to the children that comparisons of things enable us to see approximate relative size. For example, a whale would be many, many times larger than a goldfish.

Show the Landscape Picture Map. Ask the children to refer to the Landscape Picture map to find the largest and smallest thing on the map. The city buildings may appear to be larger or taller than the mountains at the back of the map. Ask the children to think about why this might be. Encourage the children to discuss the relative size of trees, buildings, automobiles, trucks, ships, etc.

In a shared book experience, read the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk with the children to experience what happens when Jack meets the giant. Ask the children to think about the way size affects what Jack does in the story. For example, sometimes he is afraid of it and sometimes he learns to use it to he advantage. Ask the children to explain why this is so.

Again, ask the children to refer to the Landscape Picture Map to decide which building is the tallest. Ask the students "Approximately how many cars, end to end, would it take to equal the height of this building?" "How many helicopters stacked one on top of another would equal one hotel?" Jointly, work with the children to create a bar graph that helps them to illustrate their best approximations.

Encourage the children to compare the objects on the picture graph with those found in the story. (Tree, houses, large building such as castles, etc.) Ask the children to create their own graphs of the various objects found in the story. For example, one giant beanstalk may equal twelve Jacks, or one golden egg may equal tree mice, etc.

Show the United States Discovery Map and mark the map scale. There are different meanings for the word scale. Ask the students what scale means. Map scale is used to measure distance on a map. Show the bar graph scale. Use the map scale to measure distance between places.

We use directions (north, south, east and west) to help us determine relative location. A globe should be used to teach the global directions because a globe is the only accurate way to present the Earth.

The transition of going from the round globe to the flat surface map is difficult concept. Use the map and globe at the same time in this lesson, helping the student to see how the two are alike and also how they are different.

Shared Book Literature Source

I Hate English, Ellen Levine.

Mei Mei is a Chinese immigrant who would not speak English until her teacher got an idea that worked.

Other Materials Needed

• Discovery Globe
• United States Discovery Map
• World Discovery Map

Suggested Lesson

As a pre-reading activity, help the students to locate China on a map or globe. Also locate your area. Develop examples to show how far away Mei Mei was from her homeland. For example, ask the students if they know where their grandparents live. Find those locations. Are these locations near them on the map and globe? Compare this to the location of China.

In a shared book experience read the book with the children. Discuss how people often feel in new settings. Ask the students to share how they felt when they moved to a new neighborhood or a new school in a different town, city, or state. Discuss how much more difficult it would be if the student didn't speak the same language as the other children.

Ask the students to brainstorm way in which they could make a newcomer feel better about starting to attend a new school. List the things they name such as showing the new student where places are located in school. Suggest that students make up a new student folder with special things inside that would be helpful such as a new pencil and some paper with stickers on it, new crayons, a set of books, and stick-on name tag.

Suggest that another thing that is helpful to people who are not familiar with an area is a map. Have the students share how they or their parents have used a map to find places. Ask the student so help you draw a map of the school and the playground by fist listing all the places at a school such as the library, the office, the restroom etc. Using a large piece of paper, determine where you will place the directions of north, south, east, and west. (You may want to place the map on the floor to label the directions by using a compass and then place it on he wall so that children do not think north is up. Next, take a walk around the school so that the students can visualize the buildings and the playground setting. Back in the classroom, as the students begin to identify placements on the map, point out the need for symbols and determine how to make them and place then in the legend. Once the map is satisfactory, trace it onto a large piece of paper and let each student make a small copy to go into the newcomer's folder. Have students vote to select which one will be used. (Look for accuracy and neatness.) Others may be displayed on a bulletin board entitled: Where Are We?

Pass the globe among the students. Tell the students there are special features on the globe that help us find other places. Today the students will locate the North Pole, South Pole, and Equator on the globe. Write these vocabulary words on the board.

Show the World Discovery Map. In the upper left corner of the map is a Location Skills inset map with global projections. The North Pole and South Pole are identified. Circle the North Pole on the inset map, then circle the North Pole on the globe. Read to the students the definitions stated on the map. Ask the students if they think it is cold or hot at the North Pole. Is there land or water at the North Pole? (Water- Arctic Ocean)