Creating a Map of Our SchoolActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works for this topic because Year 2 students need concrete experiences to connect abstract spatial concepts like direction and scale to their real environment. Walking the school grounds and physically placing symbols helps them move from imagination to a shared understanding of how maps represent space.
Learning Objectives
- 1Design a key with symbols to represent at least five distinct features of the school grounds.
- 2Construct a map of the school grounds that includes a north arrow and at least three cardinal directions.
- 3Evaluate the clarity and accuracy of a peer's map by identifying missing features or unclear symbols.
- 4Collaborate with peers to synthesize individual map elements into a single, unified class map.
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Field Walk: Grounds Exploration
Take the class on a 10-minute walk around school grounds. Give each student a clipboard to sketch 4-5 features and note directions from a starting point. Regroup to share and list all features identified.
Prepare & details
What important features of our school grounds need to be shown on a map to make it useful?
Facilitation Tip: During the Field Walk, give each pair a simple clipboard with a basic outline of the school grounds so they can sketch features as they notice them.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Pairs: Symbol Design Challenge
In pairs, students draw 8 symbols for common school features like swings or library. Pairs present one symbol per feature; class votes on favourites. Compile symbols into a class key.
Prepare & details
How would you choose the best symbols to represent the different parts of our school on a map?
Facilitation Tip: In the Symbol Design Challenge, provide a legend template with blank boxes so pairs can focus on drawing clear, recognizable symbols rather than worrying about layout.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Small Groups: Map Assembly
Divide large paper into school sections. Each group adds their section with symbols, labels, and direction arrows. Connect sections and add title, key, and scale bar.
Prepare & details
How can our class work together to create an accurate and clear map of the school?
Facilitation Tip: During Map Assembly, assign each small group a different section of the school map so they can see how individual pieces connect to form a whole.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Individual: Map Navigation Hunt
Students use the class map to follow directions to 5 hidden items around school. Record findings and check against map. Discuss any confusions as a class.
Prepare & details
What important features of our school grounds need to be shown on a map to make it useful?
Facilitation Tip: For the Map Navigation Hunt, create a short route with 3-4 stops so students practice using cardinal directions without feeling overwhelmed by choice.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Teaching This Topic
Teachers should start with direct observation, then move to small-group co-construction of meaning. Avoid giving ready-made symbols or a pre-drawn outline; let students wrestle with scale and orientation through guided discovery. Research shows that when students create their own symbols and orient their own maps, they retain spatial skills better than when given a completed map to interpret.
What to Expect
At the end of these activities, successful students will produce a clear, orientated map using agreed symbols, explain why north arrows matter, and navigate familiar spaces using their map. They will also recognize that symbols stand for features rather than pictures and that scale reflects relative, not absolute, size.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring the Field Walk, watch for students who try to draw every detail exactly as they see it on the real school.
What to Teach Instead
Remind students to focus on key features first and use simple shapes for less important details. Ask them to compare the size of the playground to the classroom door using steps or paces to reinforce relative scale.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Symbol Design Challenge, watch for students who create unique symbols that only they understand.
What to Teach Instead
Have each pair present their symbols to the class and ask, 'Will someone else know this is the library?' Guide them to revise symbols until they are widely recognizable, then vote as a class on the clearest versions.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Map Navigation Hunt, watch for students who assume north is always the top of the page, regardless of their map's orientation.
What to Teach Instead
Before the hunt, have students physically turn their maps to match the real environment. Ask, 'Where is north now?' to reinforce that the north arrow must align with the actual direction.
Assessment Ideas
After the Symbol Design Challenge, hand out small papers and ask students to draw one symbol for a school feature and write its name. Then, have them write one sentence explaining why a key is important for a map.
During Map Assembly, circulate and ask groups to point to the north arrow on their developing map and explain why it is placed where it is. Listen for language that connects the arrow to real-world direction.
After Map Navigation Hunt, have students swap their individual maps with a partner. Prompt them to find three features on their partner's map and share one positive comment and one suggestion for improvement.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask early finishers to add a legend for color-coded paths (e.g., red for main walkways, blue for shortcuts) and explain their choices in a written reflection.
- Scaffolding: Provide a template with labeled boxes for key features (e.g., “playground,” “office,” “bathroom”) and allow students to match pre-printed symbols to these labels before drawing their own.
- Deeper exploration: Invite students to compare their map to a digital map of the school (if available) or a satellite image and discuss what is easier or harder to show on each.
Key Vocabulary
| Symbol | A small picture or shape used on a map to represent a real object or place, like a tree or a building. |
| Cardinal Directions | The four main points on a compass: North, South, East, and West, used to show direction on a map. |
| Key | A list on a map that explains what each symbol stands for, also called a legend. |
| Feature | An important or noticeable part of the school grounds, such as the playground, the main entrance, or a garden. |
Suggested Methodologies
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