HASS · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Mapping Our School Grounds

Active learning builds spatial reasoning by engaging students physically and visually in familiar spaces. Mapping our school grounds turns abstract concepts like symbols and directions into tangible tasks that young learners can explore in context.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS1K05

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hundred Languages
• 30 min · Pairs

Outdoor Exploration: Bird's Eye Sketches

Take students outside to view school grounds from high points like stairs or playground equipment. Have them sketch quick bird's eye views on clipboards, noting major features. Back in class, discuss and label sketches with simple words.

What would our school look like if you were a bird flying high above it?

Facilitation Tip

During Outdoor Exploration: Bird's Eye Sketches, position yourself at a high vantage point to model how to simplify the view into basic shapes before students sketch.

What to look for

As students draw their maps, circulate and ask: 'What does this symbol mean?' or 'How would you tell someone to walk from the classroom to the playground using your map?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Symbol Creation

Set up stations with materials like crayons and paper for inventing symbols: one for buildings, one for green spaces, one for paths. Students draw and label three symbols per station. Groups share inventions for class agreement on common symbols.

What symbols could we use on a map to show different areas of our school?

Facilitation Tip

For Station Rotation: Symbol Creation, provide sticky notes and colored pencils so groups can draft and revise symbols before finalizing.

What to look for

Provide students with a blank piece of paper. Ask them to draw one symbol for a school feature (e.g., a tree, a door) and write what it represents. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why maps are helpful.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Hundred Languages
• 35 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Directional Walk

Lead a school grounds walk using directional language: 'Turn left at the tree, go forward to the gate.' Students follow and then guide peers back using their own instructions. Record paths on a large class map.

How does a map help people find their way around a place they have never been before?

Facilitation Tip

During Whole Class: Directional Walk, assign pairs to take turns giving and following directions, ensuring every student practices using directional language aloud.

What to look for

Gather students and show a simple map of the school. Ask: 'If you were a new student, how would this map help you find the library?' Encourage students to point to features and use directional words.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Hundred Languages
• 40 min · Individual

Individual: Personal Map Polish

Students create final maps using agreed symbols and add a key. They include a path from classroom to a chosen spot with directional notes. Display maps for a gallery walk with peer comments.

What would our school look like if you were a bird flying high above it?

What to look for

As students draw their maps, circulate and ask: 'What does this symbol mean?' or 'How would you tell someone to walk from the classroom to the playground using your map?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete experiences before introducing abstract concepts. Use high points to connect real views to flat representations, and emphasize consensus in symbol-making to build early cartographic thinking. Avoid overloading students with too many symbols at once; focus on clarity and agreement first.

Students will create clear, labeled maps using agreed symbols and directional language. They will explain their choices and adjust based on peer feedback, showing understanding of place and space.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Outdoor Exploration: Bird's Eye Sketches, watch for students drawing detailed, photo-like images instead of simplified shapes.

  After students sketch, gather them and ask, 'How can we make this easier to read?' Model simplifying one feature into a basic shape, then have students revise their sketches using a red pen.

• During Station Rotation: Symbol Creation, watch for groups using unique symbols without agreement.

  Before finalizing symbols, have each group present their top three choices to the class. Use a show of hands to vote on the most clear and agreed-upon symbol for each feature.

• During Whole Class: Directional Walk, watch for students using absolute directions like north or south instead of relative terms like left or right.

  After the walk, ask students to describe the same path using only left, right, forward, and behind. Write these descriptions on the board and compare them to highlight the importance of relative language.

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Methods used in this brief

• Hundred Languages
• Stations Rotation