Mapping My Street

Had I been a classroom teacher, this would have been the lesson when I herded my children out of the classroom to map our school building.  However, since we're learning at home (Me: "Xander, what did you do at Sunday school today?"  Xander:  "No, I homeschool."), we mapped our street instead.

This lesson turned out very well - Sophie enjoyed it, it was a chance to get outside, and it drove home the concept of street numbers for her.  A useful bit of information for life skills.  It also made her really think carefully about how her map was oriented, and where to place each 'house'.

Lesson:  Mapping My Street

Objective:  Child will create a map of her street, showing the houses and street numbers.

Materials:  A sheet of paper.  Pen.  Construction paper, cut into 1 inch squares.  Glue.  A hard surface to write on (book or clipboard)

Process:

1. Before you go outside, explain that you are going to create a map of your street.  Draw the street down the middle of child's paper.
2. Walk to the end of the street.  Stop and observe the first house.  
3. Glue a square (representing the first house) on the paper.  

4.  Instruct child to observe the house again and find its street number, then write street number on the corresponding square.

5.  Instruct child to observe the house across the street.  Glue another square in the appropriate place, corresponding with this house.

6.  Direct child to observe this house's street number, and write on the corresponding square.  

7.  Continue the process down the street.  

... And maybe stop to say hi to the friendly puppies on the way!