History · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Mapping and Navigation Skills

Active learning helps Year 2 students connect abstract mapping concepts to concrete experiences, making symbols and directions meaningful through movement and creation. When children physically walk, draw, and discuss, they internalize how maps represent real spaces and how tools like compasses guide navigation.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Geography - Map skills

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Small Groups

Outdoor Hunt: Compass Directions

Provide each group with a compass and clue cards directing them north, south, east, or west to find hidden objects in the playground. Students record findings on a group sheet and report back. Discuss how explorers used compasses similarly.

What is a map and what kinds of information can it show us?

Facilitation Tip

For the Outdoor Hunt, give each small group one compass and have them rotate roles so every child practices holding and reading the needle.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple map of the classroom. Ask them to write the name of one symbol they see and what it represents, and to point to the direction 'north' on the map if it's indicated.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Classroom Mapping: Label Your Space

Students observe their classroom, sketch a bird's-eye view map, and add symbols for desks, doors, and windows with a key. Pairs compare maps and suggest improvements. Display maps for a class vote on the clearest one.

How did explorers use a compass to help them find their way?

Facilitation Tip

During Classroom Mapping, provide sticky notes for students to label symbols as they draw, so they see the direct connection between key and map.

What to look for

During a classroom or playground mapping activity, observe students as they draw. Ask: 'What does this symbol mean?' or 'How did you know to draw the door there?' to check their understanding of representation.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Explorer Role-Play: Plan a Journey

In small groups, assign explorer roles and provide blank maps of a fictional island. Groups plot a route using compass directions and symbols, then present their plan to the class. Vote on the safest path.

Can you draw a simple map of your classroom or playground and label the important places?

Facilitation Tip

In Explorer Role-Play, provide blank journey templates and ask groups to present their route to clarify sequence and decision-making.

What to look for

Show students a picture of an explorer holding a compass. Ask: 'Why would an explorer need a compass?' and 'What other tools might an explorer use to find their way?' Encourage them to share their ideas about navigation.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

Playground Treasure Map

Hide treasures in the playground and give groups pre-made maps with symbols and directions. Students follow the map using compasses to locate items. Debrief on challenges explorers faced without modern tools.

What is a map and what kinds of information can it show us?

Facilitation Tip

During the Playground Treasure Map, have students test their maps by swapping with another group to follow directions and find the 'treasure'.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple map of the classroom. Ask them to write the name of one symbol they see and what it represents, and to point to the direction 'north' on the map if it's indicated.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach mapping and navigation by starting with the familiar classroom or playground before moving to abstract symbols. Use peer teaching to reinforce understanding, as explaining ideas to others deepens comprehension. Avoid rushing through the symbol-making process, as children need time to experiment with representation and labeling. Research shows that concrete-to-abstract progression builds stronger spatial reasoning in young learners.

Successful learning shows when students use directional language correctly, create symbols that clearly represent real features, and explain why keys and labels are necessary on maps. They should confidently point to north, south, east, and west during activities and justify their map designs during discussions.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Outdoor Hunt: Compass Directions, watch for students assuming the compass needle points to a specific location like home or school.

  During Outdoor Hunt, have students mark magnetic north on the playground with chalk and observe that the needle always points the same way, regardless of their location.

• During Outdoor Hunt: Compass Directions, watch for students thinking the compass shows directions relative to themselves instead of the map.

  During Outdoor Hunt, ask students to turn their bodies and the compass together, then identify which direction they are facing on the map to connect personal movement with directional symbols.

• During Classroom Mapping: Label Your Space, watch for students omitting a key or labels because they believe the drawing is 'obvious'.

  During Classroom Mapping, provide a simple key template and require students to match each symbol on their map to an item in the key before sharing with the class.

• During Playground Treasure Map, watch for students drawing treasure maps with no scale or symbols that are too detailed to follow.

  During Playground Treasure Map, give students a 10-step walking distance benchmark and ask them to use simple symbols like circles for trees and squares for benches, then test their maps by following them step-by-step.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning