Grade level: 1st

Approximate length of the lesson: 30 minutes

Curriculum areas being addressed: Social Studies (Unit plan)
Objectives for this learning guide: Standard 3 (Geography): Students will use
geographic tools to demonstrate how symbols and models are used to represent
features of the school, the neighborhood, and the real world.
o Objective 2: Recognize and use a map or a globe.
C. Identify the compass rose and cardinal directions on a map and on a
globe.

Personal objectives: Understand how to use and label a compass

Essential question(s): Why would recognizing and understanding map features
be important?
Enduring Understandings: Maps and globes tell stories
Materials for this lesson: Compass rose worksheet, Little Red Riding Hood story
with directionality, Little Red Riding Hood map, elmo, smart board, pencils &
highlighters for each student
Accommodations for students from the broadest spectrum of special needs
and English: Work with a partner, extra time given, all questions read aloud and
worked through as a whole class
Developmentally Appropriate Practices: New understandings are built on prior
knowledge (zone of actual development).
Phase I: Exploration and Explanation
o Teacher will explain that today we will be starting our unit on maps and to
start off we are going to look at directions and how a compass works.
o Teacher will handout and read the Little Red Riding Hood story and map to
students.
o Teacher will cover new vocabulary with the class.
o Teacher will explain that as we read we will highlight any directions from the
story to look back at on the map after we complete the story.
o Teacher will read the story and highlight on the page under the elmo for
students to copy and follow along with.
o Teacher will go over the map with the class using highlighted parts of the
story to follow the map.
o Teacher will cover compass sheet and have students fill in the blanks
Transition to Phase II:
o Teacher will review map concepts.
o Teacher will explain that we are now going to change the directions from
left, right, up and down directions on the map to north, east, south and west.
Phase II:
o Teacher will engage students in changing the left, right, up and down
directions on the map to north, east, south and west.
o Teacher will check for understanding with questions such as “what direction
would we be facing if we turned right?” and “if we make two left turns what
direct are we going to be facing?” etc.
Transition to Phase III:
 o Teacher will explain that students will be making a map of their bedroom
that has a compass on it pointing in the appropriate direction for their
bedroom.

Phase III: Independent Practice/Assessment

Phase III:
o Students will complete bedroom map and compass.
o Teacher will assess student’s bedroom maps and compasses for
understanding.