CU 1.12Map of My Street or Neighborhood
After a walk around the school block, the child helps lay out a simple map of the street with blocks and photo cards for the buildings, crossings, and landmarks seen along the way.
Presentation
Search videos (opens YouTube in a new tab)- 1
Take a small group on a walk around the school block with enough adults. Stop at each corner and crosswalk and name what you see.
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Point out three or four landmarks along the way and photograph them.
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Back in class, lay out the paper street. Place the school first: 'Here is our school.'
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Ask: 'When we walked out of the door, what did we see first?' Place a block or photo card for it.
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Continue around the walk in order, placing each landmark and each crosswalk.
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Add the compass rose, using north from the classroom map.
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Invite the child to trace the walk with a finger and tell the route aloud.
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On a later walk, carry the map and check each landmark as you pass it.
What catches the child’s eye
- Spotting a landmark on the walk that is already on the map
- Tracing the whole walk around the block with one finger
Extensions, easiest to hardest
- Draw the street map and label the landmarks
- Map the route from the classroom door to the playground or the bus stop
- With the family at home, draw a map of the child's own street
- Find the school's street on a printed city map
Control of error
The real street: on the next walk the child checks that each landmark comes in the order the map shows.
Ready to move on when the child…
- Places at least four landmarks in the right order
- Traces the route and tells it aloud
- Stops at the crosswalk and names the safe way to cross
Guide note
Follow the school's adult-to-child ratio and permission rules for walks. Map the school's street in class, not children's homes, and never display where a child lives.