HASS · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Maps and Symbols

Active learning works well for this topic because young learners develop spatial thinking through hands-on experiences. By sorting symbols, moving around spaces, and creating their own maps, students connect abstract representations to concrete places they know.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS2S03
• AC9HASS2K04

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Symbol Sort: Legend Builders

Provide cut-out symbols and blank legends. Pairs sort symbols into categories like buildings or nature, then label a simple map. Groups share one legend rule they created. Extend by swapping legends to test clarity.

What is a map legend for, and how does it help us read and understand a map?

Facilitation Tip

During Symbol Sort, circulate with picture cards and ask guiding questions like, 'What do you think this symbol might mean in a park?' to prompt reasoning.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple map of a park. Ask them to: 1. Write down the map's title. 2. Identify two symbols and explain what they represent using the map's legend. 3. Draw a symbol for a bench and add it to the map's legend.

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Small Groups

Map Reading Relay: Classroom Hunt

Draw a large classroom map with symbols and legend. Divide class into teams. One student per team reads the map to direct a partner to a symbol-marked item, then tags the next. Debrief on legend use.

How do the different symbols on a map help us understand what real places and features look like?

Facilitation Tip

For the Map Reading Relay, position yourself so you can observe and support teams as they decode symbols on the move.

What to look for

Display a map of the school grounds with a legend. Ask students to point to the symbol for the library and explain what it means. Then, ask them to describe what a symbol for a playground might look like.

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Individual

Personal Place Map: My Street

Students sketch their street or home area, add 5-7 symbols, and create a title and legend. Individually draw first, then pairs check if symbols are clear. Display and vote on clearest maps.

How would you choose symbols to create your own simple map of a place you know well?

Facilitation Tip

When students create Personal Place Maps, remind them to include a title and legend first so their symbols make sense to others.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are creating a map of your bedroom for a friend. What symbols would you use for your bed, your desk, and your door? How would you explain these symbols to your friend using a legend?'

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

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Map: School Overview

Project a school map. Class brainstorms symbols for key areas, votes on best ones, and adds to a shared legend. Follow up by tracing paths between symbols as a group.

What is a map legend for, and how does it help us read and understand a map?

What to look for

Provide students with a simple map of a park. Ask them to: 1. Write down the map's title. 2. Identify two symbols and explain what they represent using the map's legend. 3. Draw a symbol for a bench and add it to the map's legend.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic with a balance of guided practice and student choice. Start with modeling how to read a legend, then gradually release responsibility so students create their own. Avoid assuming symbols are universal—use comparisons to show how meaning depends on context. Research shows that when students design symbols, they develop a deeper understanding of how maps communicate information efficiently.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining a map’s title and legend, recognizing symbols, and designing clear symbols for a purpose. They should also explain why legends matter and how symbols simplify real places.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Symbol Sort, watch for students who treat maps as exact pictures of places.

  Have students compare their sorted symbols to a photo of the same feature. Ask, 'How is your symbol different from the real thing? Why might maps use this simplified version?'

• During Symbol Sort, watch for students who see legends as optional or decorative.

  Remove the legend during the sorting activity and observe confusion. Then, introduce the legend and ask, 'How did the legend help you understand the symbols? Could you have figured it out without it?'

• During Personal Place Map, watch for students who insist symbols must look like the real object.

  Ask students to swap maps with a partner. Prompt feedback like, 'Can you guess what this symbol means? If not, how could the creator make it clearer?'

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation