How to Make a Choropleth MapContextual Teaching and Learning
Even after a century, one can still walk into the typical American classroom and see it dominated by much teacher talk, a focus on covering materials, and a focus on covering materials without much regard to application, rewarding right answers, and keeping the learner passive through much of the process (Harwell 2001).
Others see American schools clinging to the factory model of organization, where each “worker” is harnessed to a solitary spot on the assembly line of education-a desk bolted to the floor. Students continue to do much of their work alone; indeed, consulting with others, in many school circumstances, is still considered cheating and can be severely punished. In many classrooms, learning is often limited to the memorization and practice of those ingredients called “the basic skills” (Daniels 1998).
Colleges embrace the reforms of contextual learning, but behaviorist school systems still cling to the old ways hoping to raise test scores. The people running our country’s official education reform movement, that is politicians, state legislators, governors, and blue-ribbon panels of businessmen, don’t know or care much about the structures of Best Practice education-workshop, integrative units, or collaborative learning. But they do care a lot-a whole lot-about test scores. Indeed, in many States and localities, the only tangible outcomes of a decade’s worth of school reform are new layers of standardized tests, with their attendant schedules of penalties for low-scoring kids, teachers, and schools (Daniels 1998). Educators can have all the innovation they want as long as it does not change any of the time-honored traditions and expectations of education (Parnell 2001). They can change anything in schooling except the school calendar, the time-structured day, or the teaching processes. Thus, the way we have organized ourselves for education reform has little to do with the ways students learn (Parnell 2001). Until we move education reform into the classroom and match our organizational ways people learn, we will continue to work on the fringes of real reform with small gains in student achievement (Parnell 2001).
Obviously, change in education does not happen easily, but those wanting higher levels of achievement should be more open to change. Contextual teaching is one teaching methodology that has been proven to raise student achievement while enabling them to find meaning in their education (Parnell 2001). In contextual teaching and learning, students make connections between classroom subject matter to real world situations (Berns and Erickson 2001). In contextual teaching, students are also given opportunities to work in interdependent learning groups. This allows them to learn from each other and learn to work in teams. Also, when using a contextual teaching approach, teachers use strategies that are effective for students of varying intelligences. They also use questioning techniques that enhance student learning and the development of problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills (Berns and Erickson 2001).
Although change is occurring slowly and politicians continue to focus on bottom line test scores, what teachers can do through contextual teaching is the most important influence on students’ learning. Teachers will make a definite difference in how much students learn, at what level the students learn, and to what extent they retain that knowledge (Berns and Erickson 2001).
QCC# 36
Maps and Globes
Uses the term up, down, left, and right..
QCC# 37
Maps and Globes
Describes the location of various objects in the environment (near, far, up, down, under, back, front, here, there, above, below).
QCC# 39
Maps and Globes
Read simple picture maps.
QCC# 11
Geography: Region
Uses the following terms to describe location of objects including near, over, far, up, down, under, back, front, here, there, left and right.
QCC# 12
Geography: Location
Identifies a map as a drawing of a particular location (e.g., classroom, neighborhood).
QCC# 13
Geography: Location
Recognizes that there are different regions within a school.
QCC# 14
Maps and Globes
Identifies the globe as a model of the Earth.
QCC# 40
Maps and Globes
Determines that some toys are small scale models of real objects.
QCC# 23
Information Processing
Develops the ability to acquire information through interpreting graphs and charts.
QCC# 24
Information Processing
Recalls and tells major ideas following a listening activity.
QCC# 27
Problem Solving
Communicates several ways to solve problems.
QCC#29
Problem Solving
Chooses appropriate solutions to a problem
QCC# 31
Civic Participation
Accepts and carries out assigned tasks.
QCC# 1.11
Maps and Globes
Identifies a compass rose as a directional tool.
QCC# 1.14
Maps and Globes
Identifies pictorial symbols on maps such as symbols for a house, a school, a church and a road and non pictorial symbols (e.g., dots used on maps to represent entire cities).
Maps
Grade Level: Kindergarten-First Grade
Day 1
Primary Learning Outcomes
Do I know the meaning of between, under, below, above, up, down, and on? Can I move an object according to a specific spatial term?
Which Floor?
Children in groups of 5 will construct an apartment building with a movable elevator by stacking a series of five boxes to form the floors. Next, they will number the floors from the ground up beginning with one. Then, they will draw and color different sized people and animals and affix them to each floor. Each group will receive a block of wood and will tie a string around it to create an elevator. Then, the group will decide who will operate the elevator. The elevator operator will raise or lower the elevator to a floor and ask the other students in the group a question such as which children live below floor 2 or is the elevator above or below floor four. Children should rotate being the elevator operator.
Day 2
Primary Learning Outcomes
Do I know the difference between left and right? Can I describe location using left and right?
Determining Direction
Begin by reading the book Bears Left and Right by Keith Faulkner. Then, discuss how to tell ones left hand from right hand. By having children hold up their hands and make correct and incorrect L models with their hands. To review left and right, children participate in “The Hokey Pokey.” Finally, have children work in groups of 5 to make an oversize map of streets and intersections outside on the blacktop. Give each group signs that include “left turn,” “no left turn,” and “right turn only.” Have 3 children hold a sign in various intersections on the map and the other two children move along according to the signs. Children should rotate holding signs and moving along the roads.
Day 3
Primary Learning Outcomes
Do I know the difference between east, west, south, and north? Can I describe location using north, south, east, and west?
Determining Direction
Introduce cardinal directions by having the children turn into compass kids. Make sure the walls in the classroom are labeled north, south, east, and west. Ask children to stand facing north with their arms extending outward. Explain that east is always to their right, west is always to their left, and south is behind them. To play Compass Tag, place the direction signs and pairs of similar objects in different parts of the room. For example, place one board eraser in the north, another in the east. Then ask a player to tag one of them by saying: "Find the eraser in the east." The player must move to the correct eraser and tag it. Continue until every child has had at least one turn. Every few turns, remove one sign, until only NORTH is left. Also, rotate the objects so that they are in different positions. Finally, have the students fill in a compass rose.
Day 4
Primary Learning Outcomes
What is a map? Can I name different types of maps and give their purposes?
Me and My World
Ask the students if they know what a map is. Explain that there are many different types of maps and the purpose is to represent a specific region. Show the students a variety of maps including a road map, United States, treasure map, map of the word, map of the school, and discuss how each map differs and how they can locate where they are. Next, Read Me on the Map by Joan Sweeny. Then, the students will make a triple fold booklet by cutting out phrases and maps and putting them in order correctly. They will also correctly match the phrases to the map. To make booklet take 3 papers and lay them out flat placing each piece so they are about 11/2” down from each other. Then, turn the pages over and fold it down to create 6 work pages with the smallest ones on top (The teacher should have the books made in advance). Working with their upper grade buddies, the students should draw a picture of their school for the first page and use the accompanying phrase “Me on the map at __________ school.” Then, add the city on the next size, then state, county, continent, and world.
Day 5
Primary Learning Outcomes
How do objects look from the ground?
Views from the Ground
Ask the students to look at Illustration 1 and make a list of what they think is in the park. Next, read Part 1 of Nikki’s Adventure. Pass out activity sheet 1. The students will color in the balloons and put their name in the banner area and cut them out. When complete, they will post their balloons next to illustration 1. Finally, have the students predict what they think will happen next in the story.
Day 6
Primary Learning Outcomes
How do objects look from a higher point of view? How does this differ from the ground view?
Views from a Higher Point
Review illustration 1 and have the student look at illustration 2. Next, initiate a discussion about the new point of view of the same park. Ask the students where Nikki is and discuss ways that a person could see a park from the same angle. Also, mention that one could achieve a similar view from a tower, a plane, a tall building, or the top of a ferris wheel. Next, read the second part of Nikki’s Adventure. Point out the following features in illustration 1: The tree outside the park, the front gate to the park, the top of the clock, and the top of the carousel. Next, show illustration 2 and point out how these features have changed. For example, one can now see both the side and the top of these items. Note that with the tree, you now see less of the trunk and branches.
Day 7
Primary Learning Outcomes
How do objects look from overhead? How does this differ from the ground view and the higher point of view?
Views from Overhead
To begin the lesson, show illustration 3. Have the students locate the same four items as in lesson 6. Ask them how they look different in this view. From above, the trees may look like circles and the buildings like squares. Explain that although this is an unfamiliar view, it is the one used in most maps. Point out the rolled up map in the leather bag. Ask the students how Nikki might use the map? Lead a class discussion reviewing where students have seen maps and what different uses they have. Tell the students they will hear the final part of Nikki’s Adventure.
Day 8
Primary Learning Outcomes
How do you read a map? How is a symbol on a map like a picture? What and how do you use a legend on a map?
Symbols and Legends
To begin the lesson, reintroduce illustration 3 to the students. Explain that maps are often unable to show the same level of detail for objects or features found on the Earth as shown in illustration 3. Consequently, mapmakers often use symbols to represent some of these objects or features. For example, in a map of your city, mapmakers will not draw a separate picture of every school. Instead, they draw a square with a flag on top as a symbol of a school. Then, each school, whether it is big or small, long or narrow, will have its location marked with this same symbol. Colored symbols are often used to depict features. Features are often symbolized with the color they are associated with. For example, water features such as rivers and lakes are shown as blue; vegetation cover such as trees, shrubs, and grass are shown as green; and constructed features such as buildings and streets are shown as black.
Explain that when we look at a map, we may be unsure of what a particular symbol represents. On a map, symbols are identified in an area called the legend. The legend often displays other important information including scale and direction.
Point out the legend in the illustration. Have the students identify what information this legend shows them. Go over each symbol and have the students find it on the map. Ask the students if they can identify the circle with the red and white triangular shapes? What is the rectangle with the blue and white shapes? If they didn't know the other part of the story and see the other illustrations, could they still identify the carousel and snack bar? What else could they have been? A tent? A big blanket? Ask the students to find things in the illustration that are not on the legend. Explain to them that only a permanent feature or object on the ground would be included on a map. Consequently, things such as the animals or people would not be included on a map or in the legend.
Pass out the picture symbol cards and identify what symbols go with each place. Next, have children work in groups of four to play memory match. They should match the picture symbol to the places they represent.
Day 9
Primary Learning Outcomes
Discuss the furniture placement and how each item is arranged in regards to other furniture pieces/centers.
Put the students in pairs and give them a large piece of drawing paper and a pencil. Then, ask them to draw a map of your classroom. Remind them to use shapes to represent the furniture and center areas in order to reduce confusion and write the names of the objects/ areas using phonetic spelling. After students have completed their map have them share their maps and compare their representations with the actual arrangement. Encourage students to use directional terms when describing their maps and be sure to ask questions to verify that the students understand the spatial terms. After sharing, allow students to make any necessary changes to their maps so that all maps reflect an accurate depiction of the classroom. Lastly, read the questions attached below to the students to properly assess the students' knowledge of maps and comparing distances.
Day 10
Primary Learning Outcomes
Can I explain how to get from one place to another? Do I know how to describe where my classroom is? Can I make a map from the school entrance to my classroom?
How to get to Homeroom
Introduce the lesson by asking the students to think of something that a person might use in order to find their way from one place to another. Explain that maps assist people in finding the locations of desired sites that they are trying to find. Ask the students to think of some of the kinds of maps that they have seen and allow them to share.
Ask the students to think about the school and all of the different rooms and
areas there are. Have the students name the regions of the school such as the
kindergarten wing, the cafeteria, the office, the gymnasium, etc. On a sheet
of transparency film, begin drawing a basic floor plan of the school and display
it on an overhead projector. While drawing, encourage the students to offer
the names of the areas and have them assist you in labeling it.
Tell the students that when new students or visitors come to the school they are unsure of where specific areas are located. Ask the students what they think they can do to help them find out where they want to go. After the students have offered several suggestions, tell them that having a map of the school can be very useful for finding any room in the building. Tell the students that they are going to help you give some directions on how to go to certain regions of the school. Direct the students’ attention to the entrance of the school from the overhead map and explain how to get to the school’s office. Point out where the office is, then use spatial terms to describe how to get from the main entrance to the desired location. Point out to the students what other rooms/ areas are near and far to the office, which regions are to the left of, to the right of, etc. After the students understand the concept, allow volunteers to come up to the overhead projector and use an overhead marker to draw a line from the main entrance to another desired region. Then, have the student verbally explain how a person would arrive there by using directional terms.
Tell the students that they are going to read a book that describes a typical morning at their school. Distribute the below listed booklet to the students and direct them to write their name on the title page. Then, read the pages to the students as they follow along. If necessary, review how to tell time by the hour and have the students draw the hands on the clock to represent the designated time. On the subsequent pages, have the students color the pictures that represent the text. Then on the last page, direct the students to draw a simple map that illustrates how to get to the classroom from the main entrance of the school. After the students have completed their books, collect them and use them as a means of assessment.
Title: How to Get to Homeroom Booklet FileName: How to Get to Homeroom Booklet.doc
Description: Print these sheets and staple prior to teaching the lesson.
Clipart images taken from Microsoft Design Gallery Live
Day 11 and 12
Primary Learning Outcomes: What is a choropleth map? Hw do we construct a choropleth map?
How to Make a Choropleth Map
1) Look at picture number 1 on the right. Each dot in the square represents a child standing in the school playground.
2) Using a ruler and a pencil, join up the markers on opposite sides of the square. You will need to draw 8 straight lines. When you have done this, you will have made a grid (with 25 squares in total).
3) Count the number of children in each square in picture 1, and write down that number in the correct square on picture 2.
4) On picture 3, join up the markers on opposite sides of the square. Now, color in the squares on this picture using the correct colors from the key below:
|
Number of children |
Density |
Color |
|
0 – 2 |
Low |
Yellow |
|
3 – 5 |
Medium |
Green |
|
6 – 8 |
High |
Red |
5) Now look at your results. Why do you think children are not spread evenly across the playground? Suggest some possible reasons in the space below and on the back of this sheet.
Created by Mark Warner - Teaching Ideas for Primary Teachers - http://www.teachingideas.
Lesson 13 and 14
Primary Outcomes: Can students demonstrate their knowledge about maps as they create salt dough maps?
Salt Dough Maps
|
Materials:
Procedures: Divide students into cooperating groups. Hand out map key.
Conclusion: Bring the class back together. Discuss how they went about doing this project. Discuss what worked, what didn't. Let the maps dry and display them in the room. Day 15 and 16 Primary Outcomes: Can the students go through the writing process? The teacher will read Roxaboxen by Alice McLearren.
As a culminating activity, the students will make a map of their own imagery place or a place they would like to live. The students will write a story about their place and share. |
Assessments:
Title: Assessment Coloring Sheet FileName: Assessment Coloring Picture.doc
Description: Print this sheet and distribute to the students. Clipart
images taken from Microsoft Design Gallery Live. .
Title: Assessment Question Sheet FileName: Assessment Question Sheet.doc
Description: Print this sheet and use to record students’ responses.
Place a checkmark or an “X” beside the questions to indicate if the students
correctly answered the questions.
Title: What a Great, Big World Assessment FileName: What a Great Big World Assessment.doc
Description: Print this sheet and distribute to the students. Clipart
images taken from Microsoft Design Gallery Live. Map made by using Neighborhood
Map Machine.
Bibliography
Daniels, H., & Bizar M. (1998). Methods that matter: Six structures for best practice classrooms. Maine: Stenhouse.
Harwell, S. H., & Blank, W. E. (2001). Promising practices for contextual learning. Texas: CCI Publishing.
Georgia’s Learning Connection. Georgia Department of Education. (1999). Quality core curriculum standards. http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/passwd/search/srchqcc/homepg.htm.
Parnell, Dale.(2001). Contextual Teaching Works! Increasing Students’ Achievement. Texas: CCI Publishing
Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (1998). Best practice: New standards for teaching and learning in America’s schools. 2nd ed. New Hampshire: Heinemann.
Paula Guy is a tenth year elementary teacher in Bartow County, Georgia. She taught eight years in Las Vegas, Nevada, before moving to Georgia in August 2002.
Biography:
Kathy Ciomek is a twenty-five year elementary teacher in Bartow County, Georgia. She will begin working on her specialist degree in the summer of 2004.
