Print version of this lesson plan.

By Aurelia Perez

Elementary School Educator, Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School, Guam

About This Lesson

The following lesson plan was developed as part of the Culturally Sustaining Education: The Micronesian Context professional development workshop held 24-26 July 2018. The workshop was held in Guam and made possible by the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in partnership with Chaminade University of Honolulu’s Center for Teaching and Learning, the Department of CHamoru Affairs and the Senator Antonio Palomo Guam Museum and Educational Facility, the College of Micronesia, Alik Translation Services, and Guampedia. All lesson plans developed as part of this series were authored by a Guam-based educator with contributions from workshop facilitators.

Subjects

Social Studies, Art

Grade-level

Elementary, 3-5

Time required

45 minutes

Materials required

  • Maps of the Pacific Islands with lines of latitude and longitude
  • Graphing paper

Related links

Related resources

  • World Map
  • Compass

Lesson Plan

Description

In this lesson students will revisit cardinal directions and gain map reading skills. Then students will locate places on a map. Students will then be placed in pairs and create a map to different locations in school.

Objectives/Skills

  • Locate North, East, South, West, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest on a map (Cardinal Directions).
  • Locate given places on a map.
  • Give coordinates for class to locate.
  • Will work in pairs and create a map of the school to a particular part on the campus.

Questions or Assessment

  • Ask students to stand facing the front of the classroom. Ask them, “if the front of the room is north then what direction is behind them?”
  • Ask students what direction is to their left? Right?
  • Ask students what area on campus is to the north from our class?
  • Ask students what area is to the south of our class?
  • Ask students what direction would the (library or office) be located?

Procedure

Activity

  1. Pass out copies of the maps of the Pacific islands that have longitude and latitude degrees labeled on it.
  2. Ask students by looking at the map what group of islands are to the north? (Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas) What group of islands are to the east? (Republic of the Marshall Islands) What island is located to the west? (Palau) What group of islands are located to the south? (Federated States of Micronesia)
  3. Give a few coordinates for students to locate on their map. (10°N, 146°E), (7°N, 134°E), (8°N, 152°E), and (7°N, 158°E).
  4. Have students give coordinates for the class to locate?
  5. Divide class into two-person teams, giving each pair one graph paper. Assign each team a landmark within the school (each team would have a different location). Have teams create a map from the classroom towards their assigned location.
  6. When groups are done have them present by only giving directions to their assigned landmarks.
    • Example: “this place is located northeast from the class.” Students will guess all the possibilities. Team will then give more clues, such as, “it is also located west of the library,” and so on until the class is able to guess the correct spot on campus.

Homework

  1. Assign students to create a map of the inside of their house.
  2. Designate a location in their house and describe it using directional clues.
  3. Have members of the family guess and write their names above the location on the map
    • Example: if mom guessed the restroom she would write her name above restroom designated on the map. Create at least 3 or 4 clues to 3 different areas in your home for family members to guess.