How to Teach Map Skills
Being able to read a map, particularly a road map, can be an invaluable skill. But even though map reading is one of the more important skills to master, it's one of those skills that seems to elude many people. Here are some suggestions on how to teach this important skill.
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Things You'll Need
- Road map of your local area
- Map of the United States
- World map
- Computer with Internet access
Instructions
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1
Acquire a road map of your local area, one that is a bit enlarged if possible to make it easier to read. Show the person where they live, and using your finger, show them the way to school, the store or to the park. Go for a drive with a third person behind the wheel. While the car is going down the road, trace the path the car is taking on the map. When the person seems to be getting it, have them continue following the path with their finger.
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2
Show how far a mile is by driving for a mile. Get a local map with a mileage key. Using a piece of paper or ruler, mark off how much length on the map is a certain distance. Then use your paper or ruler to determine the distance between some common places you go to from Step 1. Drive to that place and see how accurate your measurement was.
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3
Get a map of the United States. Ask the person what state they are in. Point out that state on the map. Do the same with the city. Point out their city's location in relationship to other places nearby that they are familiar with.
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Use a world map to show the location of the United States in relationship to the rest of the world. Use the national news as a learning experience. Listen to where different news-worthy events are taking place. Then use the United States and world map to locate those places.
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Find free worksheets and activities for building map skills online. There are also many electronic games you can choose from to assist with teaching this skill (see Resources below).
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Resources
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Comments
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akchrist
Aug 31, 2008
Thanks for the resources. I have been looking on the internet for an hour tonight for Map Skills resources. I should have known better to come to eHow 1st. -
akchrist
Aug 31, 2008
Thanks for the resources. I have been looking on the internet for an hour tonight for Map Skills resources. I should have known better to come to eHow 1st.
