Mapping Is Elementary, My Dear

Book excerpt: Children need the chance to explore and understand where they live and all the places surrounding them to make sense of their world. Through geography, children can feel a connection with people they have never met and places they have never been. Through these connections, children can be inspired to care about their place and their communities. This book includes chapters explaining the concepts of location, perspective, scale, orientation, map symbols and map keys, and the five themes of geography. In addition, chapters are included on various types of maps and the use of technology to teach map skills. There are suggestions for 100 activities to teach the concepts, assessment questions, and annotated children’s literature that relate to the concepts. The book includes a suggested scope and sequence for teaching map skills in the elementary grades and a glossary of geographic terms.