Activity 1
Introduction: This lesson will be an introduction to the entire place-based learning experience. The students will be looking at the bodies of water in the town of Wrentham. Many of them will have background knowledge and personal experience of the two major lakes located in town. Some landforms will be discussed in this unit. The students will be drawing a draft map of the bodies of water they are aware of in town. Then as a class, we will use Google Maps to locate the lakes and rivers and see where they are located compared to the Delaney School. They will be looking at the different elements of a map and why we use them.
Learning outcome:
Students will be able to look at a map and locate lakes and rivers in Wrentham.
Students will be able to identify why we use maps and why they are important.
Students will be able to identify one of the elements of a map.
Standards: 2-ESS2-2. Map the shapes and types of landforms and bodies of water in an area.
-Clarification Statements:
Examples of types of landforms can include hills, valleys, river banks, and dunes.
Examples of water bodies can include streams, ponds, bays, and rivers.
Quantitative scaling in models or contour mapping is not expected.
Language Arts and Literacy
2. Write informative/explanatory texts that introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Inquiry questions:
Why are maps important?
How do we use a map to help locate bodies of water?
What features on the map do we use to help us?
Overview of learning experience: Students will be able to explain why maps are important and how we use them to locate bodies or water and landforms. Students will be creating their own map to help foster their background knowledge. The students will use Google Maps to help further understand their thinking.
Narrative of lesson: Students will be drafting our their own maps of the major lakes and rivers located in Wrentham. They can put their house, school, church or any other landmarks onto their map. After the students explore this activity independently, as a class we will use Google Maps to bring up Wrentham MA. We will focus on the major lakes and rivers in Wrentham. We will compare the map to the maps we made, making notes how they are similar and different. Students will also be introduced or retold the elements of a map (title, compass, scale, key, etc.) These map elements will be hung around the classroom during this unit for the students to look at and refer back to. The students will create another map of Wrentham using the knew information they have learned. These maps should include more detail using key elements and specific information from Google Maps. These maps will be hung up around the classroom. Students will be collecting important information in their Science notebook which they will use throughout the unit.
Students can write a letter to a potential classmate explaining their map. This would be for a new student coming into the Delaney school who has no experience or background knowledge of being in the town. Within this letter, they can welcome them to the town of Wrentham informing them the local lakes, rivers and other major landmarks. The letter can also be an explanation of the map the student has made.
Student's can read this article with their teachers of local people discussing Lake Pearl and Lake Archer.
Resources:
Click on Google Maps to bring you straight to the website!
