Science · 2nd Grade · Earth's Shifting Surface · Weeks 19-27

Representing Land and Water on Maps

Students will learn to interpret simple maps and globes, identifying continents, oceans, and major landforms.

• Common Core State Standards
• 2-ESS2-2

About This Topic

Reading maps and globes is a foundational geographic skill that second graders begin developing through hands-on interpretation of symbols, colors, and labels. Students learn that maps and globes are scale models of Earth's surface, and that cartographers use agreed-upon conventions , blue for water, green or tan for land , to communicate information efficiently. This topic supports NGSS 2-ESS2-2 by asking students to interpret representations of land and water features.

Students distinguish between the seven continents and five oceans, locate major landforms on simple political and physical maps, and begin understanding that all maps involve choices about what to show and what to leave out. Comparing a flat map to a globe helps students grapple with the challenge of representing a spherical world on a flat surface.

Active learning strategies work particularly well here because map reading is a skill that improves with practice and feedback. Partner activities where students navigate to specific features, create their own simple maps, or compare what different map types show build genuine fluency with cartographic tools rather than surface-level familiarity.

Key Questions

1. Explain how maps and globes represent Earth's surface.
2. Differentiate between land and water features on a map.
3. Analyze how symbols and colors are used to convey information on maps.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the seven continents and five oceans on a world map or globe.
• Classify different landforms (e.g., mountains, plains, islands) based on their visual representation on a map.
• Compare and contrast the features of a flat map and a globe, explaining the distortion that occurs on a flat map.
• Analyze how colors and symbols on a map represent specific geographic features like water, land, and cities.

Before You Start

Identifying Shapes and Colors

Why: Students need to be able to recognize and name basic shapes and colors to interpret map symbols and color-coding.

Basic Spatial Awareness

Why: Understanding concepts like 'above,' 'below,' 'next to,' and 'far away' helps students orient themselves on a map.

Key Vocabulary

Continent	One of the Earth's seven large landmasses. Continents are typically separated by oceans.
Ocean	A very large body of saltwater that covers most of the Earth's surface. There are five major oceans.
Landform	A natural feature of the Earth's surface, such as a mountain, valley, or plain.
Symbol	A small picture or shape on a map that represents something else, like a city, road, or river.
Legend	The part of a map that explains what the symbols and colors mean. It is also called a key.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

The map is an exact picture of what Earth looks like from above.

What to Teach Instead

Maps are simplified models that use symbols and colors to represent features , they are not photographs. When students create their own classroom maps using symbols, they quickly realize that representation requires choices about what to include and how to show it.

Common Misconception

All maps show the same information.

What to Teach Instead

Different maps serve different purposes: physical maps show elevation and terrain, political maps show country and state boundaries, and weather maps show conditions. Comparing several map types of the same region during a gallery walk helps students understand that map type determines what information is visible.

Active Learning Ideas

Think-Pair-Share: Map vs. Globe

Show students the same region on a flat map and on a globe. Ask: what do you notice is the same? What is different? Partners discuss for two minutes before sharing with the class. Use student observations to introduce the concept that flat maps distort shape or size to represent a round planet.

20 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Map Symbol Decoding

Post six to eight oversized map legends around the room, each from a different type of map (physical, political, weather, road). Students rotate with a recording sheet, writing what each symbol or color means. Reconvene to compare findings and discuss how different maps serve different purposes.

25 min·Small Groups

Map Making: Our Classroom Continent

Students draw a simple map of the classroom (or school building) using a top-down perspective, create their own legend with at least three symbols, and include a title and compass rose. Sharing maps in pairs and navigating to a 'destination' the partner marks reinforces that maps communicate spatial information to a reader.

40 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Pilots use maps and globes to plan flight paths, identifying landmasses, bodies of water, and potential weather patterns they will encounter across continents and oceans.
• Cartographers, mapmakers for companies like National Geographic, create detailed maps for atlases, navigation apps, and educational materials, deciding which symbols and colors best represent complex geographic information for users.
• Travel agents use maps and globes to help clients visualize destinations, pointing out the location of countries, major cities, and geographical features like mountains or coastlines.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a simple world map. Ask them to label one continent, one ocean, and draw a symbol for a city. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining what the color blue usually represents on a map.

Quick Check

Display a physical map with clear landforms and water bodies. Ask students to point to and name three different landforms and two different bodies of water. Ask: 'How do you know that is water?'

Discussion Prompt

Show students a flat map of the world and a globe. Ask: 'What differences do you notice between the map and the globe? How does the shape of the Earth affect how it looks on a flat map? What might be left out or look different on the flat map?'

Frequently Asked Questions

What map skills should 2nd graders have?

By the end of 2nd grade, students should be able to identify continents and oceans on a map and globe, use a basic map legend to interpret symbols, understand that blue typically represents water and other colors represent land or elevation, and distinguish a map from a photograph or illustration.

How do I explain the difference between a map and a globe to 2nd graders?

Use a simple analogy: if you peel an orange and try to lay the peel flat, it stretches and tears. A globe shows Earth as it actually is , round , while a flat map has to stretch or distort parts of Earth to fit on a flat surface. Showing the same region on both tools side by side makes this concrete.

What are good map activities for 2nd grade?

Creating simple maps of familiar spaces (classroom, bedroom, school grounds) is highly effective because students apply cartographic conventions to something they know well. Following teacher-made treasure maps, sorting maps by type, and identifying the same continent on both a flat map and globe all build practical fluency with cartographic tools.

How does active learning support map reading skills in 2nd grade?

Map reading requires spatial reasoning, which develops through doing rather than watching. When students make their own maps, navigate using legends, or compare map types in a gallery walk, they practice the actual cognitive skills involved in reading maps. Active tasks also immediately reveal when a student misunderstands a symbol or directional concept.