Where Do I Live?

This last week we began our geography unit in second grade. We began by learning the mapping essential vocabulary of map, globe, key, scale, grid, birds eye view. We practiced making our own maps and creating symbols for our map keys. The students love making their own maps of our neighborhood where the school is located. After we finish our essential vocabulary and the student vocab. books, we will create these flip charts that I used last year. It really puts the concept into perspective of breaking it down from the biggest part of where they live (planet Earth) all the way to their house/neighborhood. After 8 years of teaching, I have learned this is one skill that many 1st and 2nd graders don’t understand. We can ask kids what country or continent the live on and most of the time they respond with the state or city they live in. With this unit it will help your students learn all the places that they consider home to be (my world, my continent, my state, my city, my house.