Classroom Idea: Kindergarten through Fourth Grade

Map Observations—Political, Physical, and Biome Maps

Introduction:

This lesson introduces students to the differences between political and physical maps and to the world’s biomes. They’ll learn how biomes are represented on maps and will be asked to consider how maps that show biomes can be useful for people who want to learn about the world. Throughout the lesson, students will practice their map-reading and observation skills. Since the grade levels specified for this lesson cover a very wide range of abilities, you may need to modify it for your students.

• Blank outline maps of the world (available in the Xpeditions atlas)

• Index cards

National Geography Standards:

• Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

• Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth’s surface

• Standard 7: The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface

• Standard 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface

Procedure:

1. Hold up the new National Geographic world map and go over map directions with the class. Call out a direction, such as south, and have the class point down to indicate the direction south as seen on a map. Do this until you’re confident that your class understands the directions on the map.

2. Hold up the map so that the whole class can see the political map, and ask them to tell you some of the things they see (countries, cities, continents, different colors, and the like). Write their responses on the board under the heading “Political Map.”

3. Turn the map over so that they can see the physical map. Ask them to describe what they see on this map, and write their responses on the board under the heading “Physical Map.”

4. Discuss the differences between the two maps. What can be seen on each one that isn’t visible on the other? What are the purposes of the two maps? Ask the students to explain when they would need a political map and when they would use a physical map.

5. Again, hold up the physical map so that the whole class can see it, and ask them what they think the colors on the map mean. What does green stand for? What about brown? And white? And blue? Discuss their ideas, and then make sure they understand the correct color representations.

6. Ask them to look more carefully at the green colors on the map. Do they think that the green at the Equator represents the same types of plants as the green that is farther north and south? What types of plants might they expect to see in the tropics? In Canada or northern Europe? Point to the map as you ask these questions so that students can clearly see the places you’re referring to.

7. Tell the class that they’re going to use the computer to look at another map and some pictures that will help them learn about the plants and the landscape in different parts of the world. Explain that a biome is an area of the world that contains a particular climate and particular types of plants.

8. Divide the class into small groups or pairs. Ask each group to pick a team name.

9. Pass out blank world outline maps for each group. Ask them to take turns looking at the MBG Biome Map at http://cissus.mobot.org/MBGnet/
   biome/map.htm. They should pay particular attention to deserts, grasslands, tropical rain forests, and taigas. (More advanced students can look at all biomes on the map.) Ask the students to work with their groups to draw these four biomes on their blank outline map. They should draw the outlines in pencil and label each biome, but ask them not to color the maps yet. Have students take turns drawing so that everyone in the group has a chance to contribute.

10. Have students go to the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Land Biomes screens at http://www.mobot.org/
    MBGnet/sets/index.htm. From these screens they can explore the different biomes of the world. Ask them to browse the screens that discuss the desert, grassland, tropical rain forest, and taiga biomes and find out what these biomes look like. Ask them to pay particular attention to plants. Then have them adorn their maps with scenes appropriate to each biome.

11. Get the class back together to discuss what they’ve found. Ask them again what the colors on the National Geographic physical map mean and verify that students now understand that the distribution of green represents different types of plants. Point to different parts of the map and have students tell you what they might find there. Explain to the students that biomes are not uniform. For example, cactus plants grow in some deserts but not in the Sahara. Ask them why they think that even within biomes, there would be different types of plants.

12. (Recommended for grades two through four). Ask students to get back into their groups and take turns using the National Geographic political wall map to locate a country or state in each biome they have studied. Have them draw these countries or states on their own maps. They’ll end up with a map that is part physical and part political, thus combining the themes of the two National Geographic wall maps they have seen.

13. Students now have an understanding of how the colors on the physical map represent several major biomes of the world and, generally, of what the landscape looks like in different places around the globe. Ask each group to write a statement (or prepare it orally) about its map. The statement should be one or two sentences that describe what a person new to the map would see. Have them write this statement below the map or present it orally to the class. Also ask them to explain how their map would be useful for someone who needs information about the world. This part of the lesson doesn’t have to be a formal class presentation; just standing up and speaking will be sufficient.

14. Tell the students that they’re going to challenge each other’s map-observation abilities by creating a quiz for other students to take. Provide a sample question: “This North African country is in the desert biome, and it is famous for its pyramids. It is east of where we live.” The class may guess Egypt as the correct response, but they may need to look at the map to be sure. Groups should come up with similar clues. These are the steps to take:

    a) Each group should think of two to six (depending on ability and time available) clues about continents, countries, states, oceans, or any other item they can clearly see on either the political or the physical map.

    b) The clues should be worded in a manner similar to the Egypt clue. Clues must include the general direction in which they would have to travel to reach this place from your school.

    c) Ask the groups to write each clue on a separate index card and to write their team name above each clue.

    d) Once every group has written down its clues and is sure that they’re accurate, have the groups turn their clues in to you.

    e) Distribute the clues to the groups, making sure that each group receives an equal number of clues and that no group receives its own clue.

    f) Give the groups a specified amount of time to figure out the answers to the clues. Ask them to take turns sending group members to the wall map. When they’ve figured out an answer, they should write the answer on the index card.

    g) After the time is up, have the groups read their clues and answers out loud and verify that they found the correct answers. Ask a few students to demonstrate to the class the locations of the answers on the map.

Younger students will need extra guidance in all steps of this activity; instead of having them work in groups to find the answers, you might present the clues to the entire class and assist them in finding the answers on the map.

Betsy Hedberg of Curriculum Adventures wrote classroom ideas and family activities for the National Geographic Society’s World Map Giveaway. The American Plastics Council, Kodak, State Farm Insurance, and Subaru of America sponsored the Map Giveaway.

For other great teaching resources, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/education.