Atlases, Maps, and Globes Lesson Plans

Students define map, globe, and symbol, use cardinal directions and use a grid to construct a map.

Students are introduced to map and globe skills. They use grids and are able to construct their own simple maps of familiar places. Students are able to define a map, globe, and symbol and use the direction words north, south, east, and west to describe movements. They are able to use a grid to construct a map of their own.

Students examine their geography skills. In this geography skills lesson plan, students develop their skills as they complete activities that require them to read and interpret information found on maps, globes, and atlases.

Students use various maps and atlases to plan a 5 day trip in their state. For this geography skills lesson, students compare and contrast the uses of various maps to determine which are best for particular applications.

Students access prior knowledge and locate the North and South Poles on the map. In this mapping instructional activity, students understand the position of the United States relative to the poles. Students answer questions about the globe.

Students view murals that depict various modes of transportation. They discuss the importance of maps to navigation and create a map. They compare and contrast transportation of the past with modes of transportation used today.

Seventh graders investigate the countries, states, and cities of their ancestors using maps, globes, satellite images, and Internet research in this semester long project. They are introduced to the project by a teacher made PowerPoint and culminate the project by making brochures, portfolios, and a PowerPoint presentation.

Measurement and map skills are the focus of this lesson, where students crawl through a "cave" made out of boxes, desks and chairs, observing the dimensions.  Your young geographers measure various aspects of the cave and practice math skills needed to create a related map scale. By observing a variety of authentic cave maps and create their own cave map representing the classroom cave students can solve and write related story problems.

Use map skills to identify map elements, cardinal directions and identifying locations. Your class can locate the seven continents and seven oceans on maps and globes. They research a continent and design a slide for a presentation using the information.

Explore the major features of a globe using a globe and a variety of media tools to identify and label continents, oceans, poles, the equator, and lines of longitude and latitude. Many geography sources are cited.