HASS · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Creating a Map of Our School

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.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS2S03
• AC9HASS2K04

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Whole Class

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.

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.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one symbol for a school feature (e.g., a tree, a door) and write its name. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why a key is important for a map.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Pairs

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.

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.

What to look for

As students work in groups, circulate and ask them to point to the north arrow on their developing map. Ask: 'How do you know which way is north?' Observe their ability to identify and explain the orientation.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 45 min · Small Groups

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.

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.

What to look for

After initial map creation, have students swap their individual sketches with a partner. Prompt them: 'Look at your partner's map. Can you find the library? Is the symbol clear? Is there anything missing?' Students share one positive comment and one suggestion.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Individual

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.

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.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one symbol for a school feature (e.g., a tree, a door) and write its name. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why a key is important for a map.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Field Walk, watch for students who try to draw every detail exactly as they see it on the real school.

  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.

• During the Symbol Design Challenge, watch for students who create unique symbols that only they understand.

  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.

• During the Map Navigation Hunt, watch for students who assume north is always the top of the page, regardless of their map's orientation.

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session