Map Skills

This week Emma began her study of the 50 states. The plan is to do a state a week with an introductory week for each region plus one week on Map Skills. She will construct an "Interactive Notebook" (this is just a typical homeschoolers notebooking notebook but public schools have just discovered the benefits of this learning tool and have come up with a fancy name, so I figured I would use the new label for it). Another part of the plan is to use whatever I have on hand and can find free on the computer. This week was our fist week and we started off with Map Skills.

We are using a graph notebook, but any type can be used or a binder and plain paper. The only rules I gave were:
1 Title Page for Each section
2 number the pages
3 no skipped pages except for the back of the title page, this is reserved for #4
4 create a contents page for each section

In the notebooks we draw, write, and add any work we do (work pages). Projects will be photographed and a picture with a description will be added.
Here is the title page for Map Skills:

We used an old map and cut out letters. Emma decided it needed her name and age...probably because she just turned 9 and everything she is writing has her name and new age on it. On the back we wrote the contents page to map skills.

We studied map skills for 5 days:
Day 1:
1) look at globe and name the continents and oceans
2) talk about longitude and latitude, equator, and prime meridian, and hemisphere
3) make a "You Will Find Me Here" page...draw the earth, US, Iowa, house with address, and you

4) use Features on a Map notebook page
5) draw longitude and latitude lines across the USA and label, title the page Where to Find the USA (I copied a picture of the US and cut it out, any outline drawing of the US will do)

6) do work page on latitude and longitude, trim, and glue in book (i had a work page from The Teacher's Helper magazine)
7) number your pages and record them on the contents page

Day 2:
1) play with a compass
2) find N, S, E, and W while standing in your house, know what way you are looking when looking out a window.
3) draw a compass rose and add the 4 directions, then add NW, SW, NE, SE
4) look at samples of compass roses on the computer, find 3 and print, glue in book

5) do work pages on state directions and city map (I had these on hand)
6) number pages and add to contents

Day 3:
1) discuss map making and using symbols
2) Draw a detailed map using symbols, be sure to add a key, and add color (Emma decided the night before to draw a map using symbols of a made up place, so I did not make her draw our street, we just glued the one she did in her notebook)

3) add page number and add to contents page
This week we had a Discovery Day at the homeschool assistance program, and the study was Map Skills! Sometimes things just have a way of working together.

Day 4:
1) discuss map scales
2) use a road atlas to practice using a map scale. 
3) do work page with map of Iowa (a work page I found in The Mailbox Magazine)
4) number page and add to contents

Day 5:
1)look at different types of maps and discuss
2) look at different maps of Iowa from atlas and encyclopedia
3) draw 2 maps of Iowa other then a road map
4) number and add to contents page
5) if the weekend weather is nice we will go on a mail boxing adventure to practice map reading and compass reading. If we do, you need to add a picture and write about the map skills used.

So far the new direction of study has gone great. Emma would ask to do map skills first and wanted more to do besides what I gave her. I had a feeling E would enjoy making a notebook like this...it is just the next step up from lapbooking in a way.  Next week we will start the actual study of the states. I am breaking them down into regions so New England Region will be the subject of next weeks work followed by a week on Maine and so on. Hoepfully I can keep this up. I am really, really, trying to use just what is on hand or I can find free....and then carry this idea over to all subjects next year. We will see.