Introduction
Think about Uri's history, and his magic transportation far away without leaving their small room. We can see how huge the world is, including all its continents, oceans and of course landforms. In this class we are going to continue knowing the world, or Earth's globe, and how they can help us to locate places, or regions, and establish distances, scales and directions in it. This is the resposibility of latitude and longitude. Those lines divide the world imaginary to create a way to identify where places are, and go there easily. So, you can't see them, but they tell you many things.
Task
In groups of three, you are going to answer some questions, using the web resources provide here. The final activity is to fill a matrix with information from the research to answer these questions, and Uri's story and experience with the map (How I Learned Geography).
1. What is a map? What types of map exist?
2. What are hemispheres? How many exist? Explain and apply in the map.
3. What are the meridians and parallels? Which are the main ones? What is their relationship with latitudes and longitudes?
4. Locate the following cities, regions or countries in a map using latitudes and longitudes. Write the scale in the matrix.
5. Fill the matrix spaces, matching these new places with Uri's places in the story (How I Learned Geography)
Process
Directions:
You should answer the questions after check the resources, where you can find key information, or even the explicit responses.
The best way of response the questions, is in the order they are, because one piece of information is basic to continue with the next ones.
You can ask for help at any moment. The teacher is available to help you with anything you need. But not for answering the questions in the webquest!
The resources are online and physical, between their globe in the class.
For some questions the teacher is going to provide a matrix, that you must fill out by hand.
Questions.
1. What is a map? What types of map exist?
2. What are hemispheres? How many exist? Explain and apply in the map.
3. What are the meridians and parallels? Which are the main ones? What is their relationship with latitudes and longitudes?
4. Locate the following cities, regions or countries in a map using latitudes and longitudes. Write the scale in the matrix.
Atacama Desert
Bahamas
Apennines Mountain
Angkor Wat
Okavango Delta
Daintree Rainforest
Okasaki
Minsk
Chicago
5. Fill the matrix spaces, matching these new places with Uri's places in the story (How I learned Geography)
Online Resources (Note. These resources can be useful for more than one quesion)
- Types of maps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDb8ktsIUuo (From minute 2 forward)
- Meridians and Parallels http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/imagee.htm
- Latitudes and Longitudes
http://www.makemegenius.com/science-videos/grade_3/longitude-and-latitu…
- Hemispheres http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageh.htm
- Locate places or cities http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/latitude_and_longitude_finder.htm
Phisical Resources
The Globe and any othe map you can find in the classroom.
Shulevitz, Uri. (2008). How I Learned Geography. Farrar Straus Giroux Books. New York.
Evaluation
Rubric
A
Complete coherent answers. Clear and well-developed ideas. Details and appropriate vocabulary.
B
Complete but not coherent answers. Not well-developed ideas. Details and limited vocabulary.
C
Coherent but uncomplete answers. Not well-developed or not clear ideas. Poor details and not appropriate vocabulary.
D
Incomplete and incoherent answers and ideas. No details.
Conclusion
After this activity, students will know how to read a map, using the scale tool to locate places, cities, regions, etc. Also students are going to know the several places they can discover in a map, as Uri in How I Learned Geography. After this and the other activities we developed related with this book, students will develop how to enjoy a map, and what everyday life skills lessons.