Grade: Kindergarten Subject: Social Studies Unit: Basic Maps & Globe Lesson: 3 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

🗺️ Looking at Maps

📖 Learn

A picture map shows places using simple drawings. Picture maps help us see where things are!

🏠 What Can We See on a Picture Map?

  • 🏫 Buildings - like schools, houses, and stores
  • 🌳 Nature - like trees, parks, and water
  • 📍 Special places - like playgrounds and libraries
  • ➡️ Paths - like roads and sidewalks

🔍 How to Look at a Map

  1. Look at the whole map first
  2. Find the pictures you recognize
  3. Think about where things are compared to each other
  4. Ask: What is near? What is far?

💡 Examples

Let's practice looking at a classroom map!

Example: Our Classroom Map

Imagine a map showing:

  • 📍 The door is at the bottom
  • 🏫 The teacher's desk is at the top
  • ⬅️ The reading corner is on the left
  • ➡️ The art supplies are on the right

Question: Where is the reading corner?

Answer: The reading corner is on the LEFT side of the room!

Example: Park Map

On a park map:

  • 🌳 Trees are drawn as green circles
  • 📍 The playground has swings drawn on it
  • 🏠 The restroom looks like a small building

Question: How do you find the playground?

Answer: Look for the picture of swings!

✏️ Practice

Answer these questions about maps. Try your best!

1. 🗺️ A picture map uses _______ to show places.

Think: What do you see on a picture map?

2. 🏫 On a map, a school might look like a _______.

Think: What shape is a school building?

3. 🌳 On a map, trees are often shown as _______ circles.

Think: What color are trees?

4. 📍 If something is at the TOP of a map, it is _______ away from the bottom.

Think: Is the top close or far from the bottom?

5. ⬅️ The opposite of right is _______.

Think: Which hand do you write with?

6. 🏠 If the house is NEXT TO the park, they are _______ to each other.

Think: Are they close or far?

7. ➡️ On a map, roads help us see how to _______ from one place to another.

Think: What do we do on roads?

8. 🗺️ When we look at a map, we look DOWN at places from _______.

Think: Are we looking from the side or from up high?

✅ Check Your Understanding

Can you answer these questions?

1. What is a picture map?

2. Name two things you might see on a picture map.

3. Why do we use picture maps?

🚀 Next Steps

  • 🗺️ Look at maps in books or around your school
  • 📍 Try drawing a simple map of your bedroom
  • ⬆️ Practice using words like up, down, left, and right
  • Move on to the next lesson about map symbols!