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LESSON 10: SYMBOL-O

DESCRIPTION:

Students will learn map symbols though an activity similar to Animal-O. Here they will use a map legend to learn the relationship between symbols and their corresponding features, and then proceed to locate that feature in order to find each checkpoint.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Map symbols

  • Memory

  • Spatial awareness

  • Electronic timing

  • Following a specified sequence

  • Map reading

  • Speed

MATERIALS:

  • Pictures of 10 features

  • (Traffic) cones

  • Timing Equipment:

    • SI boxes

    • SI download & printer

    • SI cards

  • Map legend/key

  • Symbol courses

  • Answer key

  • Extra teacher/volunteer

  • OPTIONAL:

    • Draw a map of the space

INTRO:

For this activity, the emphasis will be on learning the relationship between symbols and real world features. By now everyone should know how to use a map key to learn what each symbol represents. For this activity, students will need to use a key to identify the relationship between symbols and their features, and then find those features in real life.

WARM-UP:

Lightning E-Punch: Students race to each control as fast as they can.

MAIN ACTIVITES: 

Symbol-O: This activity operates almost exactly the same way as Animal-O. The added challenge here is that students will receive a sheet depicting different map symbols, and each of the images they are looking for displays the real-life features that corresponds to each symbol. They must learn the relationship between the map symbols and the actual features in order to identify each correct checkpoint.

REFLECTION:

  • How did you remember which symbols represent which features? 

  • Were some symbols easier/harder to remember than others? Why? 

  • How did you remember where each feature was hidden? (Not applicable with "Map Matching" variation) 

  • If you used a map, did you notice any connections between the checkpoints and the cones other than the matching features?

EXTRA ACTIVITY:

Moving Tower: Students have a stack of three objects which they must disassemble one piece at a time, and reassemble elsewhere. For an added challenge, give the students 3 circles to use, where they must move the objects from one circle to another, and the objects can only ever be stacked in the same order.

NOTES:

This works best if the features on each cone are also placed on that feature in real life. For example, if there is a cone with a tree image on it, try to place that cone at a tree. Same with a hill, a trail junction, a boulder, and so on. For students who are struggling, try to have some map keys printed out that they can carry with them as they go.

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