Map Directions and the United States
Created By: Janenne Scott, Oakland Elementary School (Bloomington, IL)
Grade Level: 3rd
Content Area: Social Studies
Database Integration: Students
will search TDC
database for images of a compass rose, a miles marker, and a US
that Meets this Standard
Goal 17.B.1a: Identify components of the Earth's physical systems.
||Students will be able
to identify cardinal and intermediate directions to help identify
their state and other states on a US map.
Goal 17.C.1b: Identify opportunities and constraints of the physical
will be able to identify cardinal and intermediate directions to help
identify their state and other states on a US map.
Students will be able to identify cardinal and intermediate directions
to help identify their state and other states on a US map.
Mid-September three days
-each lesson about 30 minutes.
- Post the four cardinal directions
on your classroom walls.
- Explain that there are
four directions found between the cardinal directions. These are the
- Place a blank overhead on
the machine and pick two objects in the room (i.e. the teacher's desk
and the pencil sharpener). Draw these on the overhead.
- Have one student walk between
these two directions and have the other student make on the overhead
the direction the student went. Choose other objects and repeat 2 or
- Pull down the map of the
United States. Model directions by giving the students several directions
(i.e. it is north of your state and is northeast of the state that borders
our state) have children write down directions between several states
and put them in a jar.
- Pull out one of the student's
directions. Have another student read it and see if other students can
find the state by the directions given.
- Do this activity several
- Model making and using a
compass rose. Use a ruler (cm or mile marker) and determine distance
between two spots. This is a hard concept and needs to be taken slowly.
It would be best to do this on an overhead so all children can see and
- Have students make a compass
rose with cardinal and intermediate directions.
- Have them use their centimeter
ruler to determine distance (or if you are lucky enough to have mile
rulers use these) between two states and direction by using a compass
rose. For example, ask the students what direction is California from
Illinois and how far is it in cm?
- This is a great partner
activity because of the skill level.
- Make sure the children keep
their compass rose (laminate if possible) because this is a great activity
for centers and reinforcement.