This teaching packet is appropriate for grades K-3. Students will learn basic concepts for visualizing objects from different perspectives and how to understand and use maps. The lessons center on a story about a little girl named Nikki who visits an imaginary amusement park. Nikki goes up in an unplanned balloon ride that gives her, and the students, different views of the park. A map is a picture of a place.
Different maps show different information.
No one map can show everything. Students will compare shaded relief maps, road maps, and topographic maps. Exploring Maps is an interdisciplinary set of materials on mapping for grades 7-12. The three teaching packets all contain a large color poster, Teacher s Guide, and student activity worksheets. The teaching packets can be ordered from USGS or downloaded from the internet.