United States Map - Lesson 1

Introduction to the United States Map


Objectives The students will identify a map of the United States.
 
Vocabulary United States Map, country, state
 
Materials Needed United States map, globe, map marker



Lesson

Ask the students the name of our country. Write the name United States on the board. Write the word country on the board. A country is an area of land where people live under one government.

Ask a student to locate the United States on the globe. Outline the shape of the United States on the globe. Locate and circle the Great Lakes and circle Florida. Locate and mark the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on the globe.

Ask the students if the United States is large enough to be seen well on the globe. Tell the students we want to see a large picture of the United States, therefore we use a map that only shows the United States. This is called a United States Map.

Pull down the map of the United States. Have the globe positioned so that the United States is facing the students. On the map of the United States, locate the same features you located on the globe; the Great Lakes, Florida, and the two oceans.

Tell the students that we will use the United States Map to study about our country. Our country has fifty states. A state is an area of land that is part of our country. Ask the name of the state. Write the name of your state on the board. When we study the states, cities, lakes, and rivers in the United States, we use the United States map because it shows a bigger picture of the United States and is easier to read.

Locate and list the state(s) that touches your state. Use spatial terms. Ask the students to find the state(s) to the right of your state. Which state is to the left?



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United States Map - Lesson 2

Introduction to Symbols


Objectives The students will learn that picture symbols can be used to express ideas.
 
Vocabulary symbol
 
Materials Needed post-it-notes: draw symbols on the post-it-notes for happy face, sad face, no smoking, quiet please, hospital zone, school zone, no parking, airport



Lesson

(Pull down the United States Map. You can have the students place the post-it-notes on the surface of the map.)

Explain to the students that they do not always have to be able to read a word to tell what something is. Sometimes we can use signs or symbols to express an idea and never say a word. Write the word symbol on the board. A symbol is a drawing, line, or dot that stands for something else.

Use the post-it-note symbols to show examples of symbols.

Have the post-it-note symbols ready to be placed on the map. Ask one student to find the happy face and sad face symbols and place them on the map. Do the same for the quite please and no smoking symbols. Ask the students how they decided what each symbol meant. The symbols discussed so far express an action or feeling. Tell the students that symbols can also be used to show where different things are located.

Have the school zone, airport, and hospital symbols ready for the students to use. Ask the students what the symbols mean. Have the students place the symbols on the map.

Explain to the students that since a symbol is a drawing or sign that stands for a real place or thing, symbols can be made for nearly everything.

Locate your city on the map, or a city close to you. Explain to the students that a map of the United States shows a very large area. Mapmakers cannot draw a picture of each city. Mapmakers use symbols. Explain that a symbol is used to locate your city on the map and the students will locate other cities in another lesson.


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United States Map - Lesson 3

Map Legend/City Symbols


Objectives The students will learn the definition of a map legend.
 The students will learn to identify the symbols for cities.
 The students will locate specific cities on the United States Map.
 
Vocabulary map legend, city symbols
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, map marker, blank post-it-notes



Lesson

Ask the students to describe a city they either live in or have visited. Write the names of these cities on the board. Describe the features of the city compared to their own city or town. Ask the students if all the cities they have visited are the same size. Explain that one of the differences between a city and a town is their size.

Explain to the students that it is impossible on a map of the United States to show the streets and buildings in each town. Mapmakers use symbols to show the location of the cities and towns shown on the map. The size of the symbol tells us about how many people live in the city.

Circle the political map legend. A map legend is used to explain the meaning of the symbols.

Introduce the city symbols found in the map legend. Discuss the meaning and size of each symbol. Emphasize that even though all cities are not the same size, many of the same type of human activities take place in all cities. Examples would be schools, playgrounds, streets, traffic, etc.

Now find examples of each size city symbol on the United States Map. Have a student find a very large city and another student write the name of the city on the post-it-note. Put the post-it-note near the city on the map. Do the same for the other city sizes.

If your city or town is not shown on the map, label it with a post-it-note. Discuss the size of the symbol that should be used to represent your city or town. Draw that symbol on the post-it-note with the symbol and name of the city. Place the post-it-note on the map where your city or town is located. Use other post-it-notes for other cities or towns you have discussed which are not shown on the map.


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United States Map - Lesson 4

States


Objectives The students will learn the definition of a state.
 The students will locate their state on the United States Map.
 The students will use map symbols to determine the boundary of a state.
 
Vocabulary state boundary symbols
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, post-it-notes



Lesson

Ask the students the name of our country. Write the name United States on the board. Review the meaning of the term country with the students. A country is an area of land where people live under one government. Ask the students the name of the their state and write it on the board. The United States has 50 states. Each state is smaller than the country. Tell the students today they will learn about states.

Pull down the United States Political Map. Locate the part of the map legend, which defines state and the state boundary symbol. Review with the students the definition of state. Virginia is cited as an example. Have a student locate Virginia on the map.

Ask the students how they can tell where the state of Virginia begins and where it ends. Each state has a boundary. In the map legend find the symbol for a state boundary and the definition of boundary. A boundary is a line drawn on a map showing where the territory of one state begins and another ends. On the United States Map have a student trace the boundary of Virginia using the correct symbol.

Use the post-it-notes to locate and identify states on the map. Locate your state. Write the name of your state on the post-it-note. Place it on the map in the correct place.

Have a student trace the boundary around your state. Have students identify each state that is touching your state. Use post-it-notes and write in the name of each state.

Emphasize there are 50 states in our country. States are smaller parts of the large country, the United States.


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United States Map - Lesson 5

State Capitals


Objectives The students will learn the definition of a state capital.
 The students will learn the symbol used to identify a state capital.
 The students will locate the capital of their state on the United States Map.
 
Vocabulary state capital
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, map marker, post-it-notes that read
  "_______________ is the capital city of ___________"



Lesson

Review the definition of the word state. A state is an area of land that is part of a country. Tell the students that each state has a city where the leaders who work for the government meet. This city is the state capital. Discuss important government positions, such as governor, state senator, or state representative.

Pull down the United States Political Map. Locate the map legend and circle the symbol used to identify a state capital. (The name of the city is underlined.) The example cited in the legend is Richmond, Virginia. Have a student locate Richmond, Virginia on the map. Use a post-it-note and have a student write in the blank "Richmond" is the capital city of "Virginia". Place the post-it-note near the location of Richmond, Virginia on the map.

Have a student locate your state on the United States Political Map. Let the student write the name of the capital city and the state on the post-it-note. Place the post-it-note near the location of your state capital. Emphasize the symbol used to identify state capitals on this map is the name of the city underlined. The legend is used to tell us what the symbol means.

Use the same procedure for other states. Tell the students there are 50 states and 50 state capitals.


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United States Map - Lesson 6

Continent, Country, State


Objectives The students will be able to define terms: continent, country and state.
 The students will be able to locate on a map and globe the continent of North America, the Country of the United States, the states of Alaska and Hawaii.
 
Vocabulary continent, country, state
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, globe, and map marker



Lesson

Show the students the globe and pass it among them. The globe is a model of the planet Earth. Tell the students that today they will learn more about the land areas on the globe.

Write the word continent on the board. A continent is a very large area of land. Tell the students there are seven (7) continents on Earth.

We live on the continent of North America. Locate North America on the globe. Have a student circle the words North America and another student outline the shape of North America on the globe.

Write the word country on the board. Ask the students the name of our country. Write the words United States on the board. Have a student circle the words United States on the globe. Have another student outline the shape of the United States on the globe. The United States is a country on the continent of North America.

Tell the students that there are 50 states in the country f the United States. Two of the states, Alaska and Hawaii, do not touch the other states. Circle Alaska and Hawaii on the globe. Alaska and Hawaii are part of the United States.

Pull the United States Map down all the way. In the top left corner is an inset map labeled Location Skills. Position the globe so that the same area shown on the inset map is facing the students on the globe. The definitions of continent, country and state, and an example of each, are presented in the inset map. Underline the word continent. Restate the definition and outline the shape of North America. Compare this to the globe. Follow the same procedure for country and state. (Ideally, a student should do this, but it may be too high for them to reach.)

Emphasize the definitions and comparative sizes of these three features.

Remind the students that Alaska and Hawaii do not touch the other states. On the map of the United States, Alaska and Hawaii are presented in the lower left corner. Emphasize that this shows their shapes only. Again, show on the globe where each state is really located.


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United States Map - Lesson 7

Four Main Directions


Objectives The students will be able to locate the North Pole and South Pole on a globe.
 The students will learn the definitions of north, south, east and west.
 The students will determine the direction north on a globe
 
Vocabulary North Pole, South Pole, north, south, east, west
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, globe, and map marker



Lesson

Review with the students that the globe is a model of the Earth. The globe may also be used to find (locate) places on Earth. Write the words North Pole and South Pole on the board. Tell the students these are two important places on the globe that help us find other places.

Find the North Pole on the globe. The North Pole is the most northern place on the Earth. When a compass is pointing to the north, it is pointing toward the North Pole. North is one of four main directions. North can be defined as the direction toward the North Pole.

Have the students discuss where they think the South Pole may be found on the globe. (The South Pole is opposite the North Pole.) What differences do the students see between the North Pole and the South Pole? (There is water, the Arctic Ocean, at the North Pole, and land, the continent of Antarctica, at the South Pole.)

South is another main direction. South is opposite north. When a person standing on the Earth is facing the North Pole, south is behind them. East and west are the two remaining main directions. East is to the right of a person standing on the Earth facing toward the North Pole. West is to the left of a person standing on the earth facing toward the North Pole.

Pull down the United States map. In the top right corner is a Direction Skills inset map. A compass rose, a direction finder, is drawn over the United States using a global projection. Review with the students the definition of each direction.

Position the globe so that the same area shown on the inset map is facing the students. Draw a compass rose on the globe over the United States and label the four main directions. Make sure the students understand north is toward the North Pole. What country is north of the United States? (Canada) What county is south of the United States? (Mexico) What ocean is east of the United States? (Atlantic) What ocean is west of the United States? (Pacific)


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United States Map - Lesson 8

Using the Four Main Directions in the Classroom


Objectives The students will use the four main directions to locate features within the classroom.
 
Vocabulary compass rose
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, globe, and magnetic compass



Lesson

Pull down the United States Map and locate the Direction Skills Inset Map in the upper right corner. Review with the students the four main directions. Emphasize the direction north, as that is our base direction:
           North is toward the North Pole
           South is toward the South Pole
           East is to the right of a person standing on the Earth facing the North Pole
           West is to the left of a person standing on the Earth facing the North Pole.

These definitions are always correct. They are correct on the globe and the United States map. Or even within your own classroom. Tell the students they will locate things in their classroom by using the four main directions.

Have the students locate the drawing of the student in the direction inset map. Emphasize that the student in the drawing is acting as a direction finder. Select a student to act as a direction finder for your classroom.

Use the magnetic compass to determine the direction north in your classroom. Label the north wall in your classroom.

Have the "student direction finder" stand facing the north wall. His/her arms should be extended exactly like the student on the drawing. Label the other walls.

Now use the classroom to locate other features by using direction. Each time the students locate a feature have them tell you the direction they moved and what the direction means. (Examples - East is to my right as I face the North Pole.)

Conclude the lesson by drawing your classroom on the globe. If possible have the location of each desk marked on the globe. Emphasize that if the students were to walk toward the north wall in the classroom, and they kept walking, they would eventually arrive at the North Pole.


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United States Map - Lesson 9

Directions on a United States Map


Objectives The students will use the four main directions to locate states on a United State Map.
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, draw a compass rose on a post-it-note



Lesson

Pull down the United States Map. Review the four main directions by using the Direction Skills inset map in the upper right corner.

Tell the students that today they are going to use the United States Map to take an imaginary trip. They will visit different states in the United States. To get from one state to another they will need to tell the other students which direction they will travel.

Use the compass rose post-it-note. Place this direction indicator near the center of your state. Use the political map legend to review the meaning of state and the boundary symbol used to show where one state begins and another ends. Ask the students to name the state, country and/or body of water north of your state. Follow the same procedure for the other main directions.

Ask the students if they have visited any other states. Help them locate the states on the United States Map. What states did they drive through to get to their destination? What direction did they go?


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United States Map - Lesson 10

Rivers


Objectives The students will locate important rivers on a map of the United States.
 
Vocabulary river, river source, river mouth
 
Materials Needed United States Map, map marker



Lesson

Write the word river on the board. Ask the students to describe a river they have seen. Ask them what type of human activities did they see taking place on the river. (Examples might be boating, swimming, fishing, barges using th rive to transport goods.) Ask them to name any rivers they may know of or have seen.

Tell the students that a river is a large stream of water that flows through the land. There are many rivers in the United States. The largest river can be found on a map of the United States.

Pull down the map of the Unites States. Explain to the students that a symbol is used to show the location of a river. The symbol is an arrow blue line drawn on the map. The blue line symbol shows the river flow from its beginning to it end.

The place where a river begins is the river source. The place where a river empties into another body of water is the river mouth.

The Mississippi River is the longest in the United States. Show the students the symbol for the Mississippi River. Using the map-marking pen, trace the Mississippi River from its source in Minnesota to it mouth near the Gulf of Mexico. Label river source and river mouth. Underline the words Mississippi River on the map. (The words Mississippi River follow the course of the river and can be hard for students to find. Many features labeled on a map or globe cannot use left to right reading progression. This makes map reading difficult for your students. Point this out to the students.)

Ask students to come to the map and locate other rivers. Let them trace the river on the map and locate the name of the river. After the river has been identified have another student write the name of the river on the board.

Continue this procedure for any other rivers the students have time to locate.


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United States Map - Lesson 11

Lakes


Objectives The students will locate important lakes on a map of the United States.
 
Vocabulary lake, coastline
 
Materials Needed United States Map, map marker



Lesson

Write the word lake on the board. Ask the students if they have ever seen a lake. Ask them to describe what they saw. What type of human activity did they see taking place? Ask them to name any lakes they may have seen or heard about.

Tell the students that a lake is a body of water surrounded by land. There are many lakes in the United States. The largest can be found on a map of the United States.

Pull down the map of the United States. Explain to the students that the actual shape of the lake is drawn on the map. Locate Lake Michigan on the map. Outline the shape of the lake on the map. Circle the name of the lake (Lake Michigan is so large that the name of the lake can be written inside the coastline of the lake. This is not always true. Often the name of the lake is labeled next to the lake.)

Lake Michigan is one of the Great Lakes. There are five Great Lakes. Have the students discuss where the other Great Lakes are located. Have a student outline each lake and circle the name of the lake. Have another student write in the name of each Great Lake identified on the board.

Where the lake water and the land touch is called a coastline. Each lake has a different coastline.

Write the words Lake Michigan on the board. Have the students identify each state that forms a coastline with Lake Michigan. As a state is mentioned, list it on the board. If you have enough time, continue with the same procedure for the rest of the Great Lakes. List the states and/or country (Canada) that form a coastline with each lake. Emphasize again the difference between a state and a country.


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United States Map - Lesson 12

Land Elevation


Objectives The students will learn the meaning of land elevation.
 The students will learn that a physical map uses different colors to show different land elevations.
 
Vocabulary physical map, land elevation
 
Materials Needed United States Physical Map



Lesson

Ask the students if they have ever been on an elevator. If a student got on the elevator at the ground level (first floor) what would the elevator do? Emphasize that an elevator goes up-from the ground toward the sky.

Write the word elevation on the board. Elevation means how high something is. The higher the feature is above the ground, the higher its elevation. A twenty- story building has a higher elevation than a two-story building.

Pull the map all the way down. Locate the United States Physical Map. This is the middle inset at the top of the map. Read the information in the legend to the students. Colors are used on a physical map to show land elevation. Land elevation means the height of the land above the surface of the ocean.

Elevation must be measured from some base mark. Tell the students the elevation of the builing was measured from the ground floor. Elevation of land is measured from the surface of the ocean. (This is called sea level, a term introduced later.)

Colors are used as symbols on a physical map to show land elevation. Review with the students the physical map legend. Dark green means the lowest land elevations. Light green means low land elevations. Yellow means middle-land elevation. Light brown means high land elevations. Dark brown means the highest land elevations.

Ask the students where they think mountains may be found on the map. Where are hills? Valleys? What color is near all coastlines? What down that mean?

Remind the students to think of the land elevation color key as an elevator. The colors tells us how high the land is above the surface of the ocean


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United States Map - Lesson 13

Intermediate Directions


Objectives The students will learn the definitions of the four intermediate directions, northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest.
 The students will use the United States Political Map to determine the location of cities and states relative to other places.
 
Vocabulary intermediate directions, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest
 
Materials Needed United States Political Map, globe, map marker, draw a compass rose on a post-it-note with North indicated



Lesson

Pull the United State Map all the way down. Locate the Direction Skills inset map in the right corner of the map. Also position the globe so the students are looking at the United States. Locate the North Pole on the globe. Review with the students the definitions of the four main directions as stated within the inset map.

North is toward the North Pole.
South is toward the South Pole.
East is to the right of a person standing on the Earth facing the North Pole.
West is to the left of a person standing on the Earth facing the North Pole.

Tell the students that today they will learn about the four intermediate directions. Explain that sometimes we need to know more exact direction. We can identify four more directions. These are the intermediate directions. They are half way between the main directions. Using the direction finder on the inset map, draw a line halfway between north and east. Ask the students what they think the name of this direction might be. (northeast) Do the same for the other intermediate directions.

North is indicated on the direction finder post-it-note. Place the stick-up over the state of Colorado so that north is pointing toward the North Pole. Have the students label the other three main directions with the one letter abbreviation.

Now have the students label the intermediate directions in their proper places on the compass rose. Use the following abbreviations:

NE for northeast
NW for northwest
SE for southeast
SW for southwest

Have the students answer the following questions. Which state is north of Colorado? (Wyoming) Which state is northeast? (Nebraska) Which state is east? (Kansas) Which state is southeast? (Oklahoma) Which state is south? (New Mexico) Which state is southwest? (Arizona) Which state is west? (Utah) Which state is northwest? (Wyoming)

If time allows do the same procedure for your state.


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