There is very little exploration around the edges of students' perspective, or even an understanding of what it means to map something. In this stage, children are more interested in exploring the outer limits or edges of their perspective. Maps move beyond the family domain and begin to show a child's special places. Pieces of roads appear, along with shortcuts to friends' houses. Landscape features also begin to show up.
Children now move beyond their city blocks and start to see a bigger picture.
Roads start to appear in their true form and serve as a framework and point of reference for their maps. A child's house, once prominent in the landscape, is now less significant, replaced by increased emphasis on secret hideaways. In this stage, kids start to draw using an aerial perspective and their favorite places become more tangible. At this stage, children can begin to comprehend ideas of surveying and contour maps. At each stage, Sobel identifies appropriate classroom activities.