Creating Our Own MapsActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works well for map creation because students connect abstract symbols to real places through hands-on tasks. When children design maps of familiar spaces, they see the immediate value of clear communication, which makes abstract geographical concepts concrete and memorable.
Learning Objectives
- 1Design a set of at least five original symbols to represent common features within a familiar environment.
- 2Construct a map of a chosen familiar place, accurately using a self-created key and symbols.
- 3Justify the selection of specific symbols over written labels for map features, explaining efficiency and clarity.
- 4Critique the effectiveness of peer-created map symbols and keys based on criteria for legibility and ease of understanding.
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Pairs: Symbol Design Challenge
Students in pairs list 8 features of the school playground and invent symbols for each. They draw a map using these symbols, add a key, and test by directing their partner to locations. Pairs refine based on navigation success.
Prepare & details
Justify the use of symbols instead of words on a map.
Facilitation Tip: During the Symbol Design Challenge, circulate to ensure pairs agree on symbol definitions before moving to construction, intervening early if symbols are too abstract or similar.
Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials
Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric
Small Groups: Map Construction Relay
Each group member draws one section of a familiar place map with unique symbols. Symbols and partial keys pass along; the group assembles the full map and creates a unified key. They evaluate completeness and clarity together.
Prepare & details
Construct a map of a familiar place using self-designed symbols and a key.
Facilitation Tip: For the Map Construction Relay, provide pre-cut materials so groups focus on symbol placement and key accuracy rather than cutting or drawing time.
Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials
Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric
Whole Class: Clarity Critique Walk
Display all student maps on walls. Students circulate, noting effective and unclear symbols on sticky notes. Class tallies feedback and discusses improvements, compiling a class 'best symbols' guide.
Prepare & details
Evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of different map symbols.
Facilitation Tip: In the Clarity Critique Walk, position yourself at the end of the route so you can observe which symbols caused hesitation or missteps.
Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials
Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric
Individual: Personal Map Refinement
Students create a solo map of home to school route with symbols. They self-assess using class criteria, then incorporate peer feedback from a shared folder to finalize.
Prepare & details
Justify the use of symbols instead of words on a map.
Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials
Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric
Teaching This Topic
Teachers should model the design process by creating a sample map with ambiguous symbols first, then revising it with student input to show how clarity improves. Avoid giving too many examples; instead, let students test their own symbols through peer tasks to discover the need for standards. Research shows that students learn spatial representation best when they experience the consequences of unclear communication firsthand.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students producing maps with original, recognizable symbols and labeled keys that others can use without explanation. They should confidently explain why symbols work and revise them when peers struggle to interpret them.
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 Symbol Design Challenge, watch for students assuming their symbols only need to make sense to them.
What to Teach Instead
Have pairs test their symbols by giving one partner a simple navigation task using the map without explanation, then discuss why some symbols caused delays or errors.
Common MisconceptionDuring Map Construction Relay, watch for groups treating the key as an afterthought.
What to Teach Instead
Require groups to submit their key alongside the map before receiving materials for the next feature, so they see the key as essential to the task.
Common MisconceptionDuring Personal Map Refinement, watch for students using words instead of symbols to label features.
What to Teach Instead
Run a timed race where students must identify features on their maps using only symbols; if they rely on words, they must redesign their symbols for efficiency.
Assessment Ideas
After Symbol Design Challenge, have students exchange completed symbol sets and use a checklist to evaluate clarity for a peer navigation task; they provide one specific suggestion for improvement.
During Map Construction Relay, collect each group’s map and key after they finish the final feature; ask students to write one sentence explaining how their key helps a new user navigate the space.
During Clarity Critique Walk, display 5 symbols on the board, some clear and some ambiguous; ask students to write down what each symbol represents and vote on the clearest one for a specific feature like a playground.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask students to map an outdoor space they haven’t visited, like a friend’s garden, using only a list of features to include; they must create symbols without seeing the space.
- Scaffolding: Provide partially completed maps with 3-4 symbols already designed, so students focus on adding new symbols and a complete key.
- Deeper exploration: Have students research historical maps of the same location and compare symbol use across time, discussing how design choices reflect the needs of map users.
Key Vocabulary
| Symbol | A simple picture or shape used on a map to represent a real-world object or feature, such as a tree or a building. |
| Key | A list or box on a map that explains what each symbol used on the map represents. Also called a legend. |
| Cartography | The art and science of map making, involving the design and creation of maps. |
| Scale | The relationship between distances on a map and actual distances on the ground, often shown as a ratio or line. |
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