Today we discussed places we have been and are going to go, and we visualized these places using maps. The students each chose a color and shaded in the states they have visited or plan to visit soon in that color. We also identified our home state, Maryland, and the special body of water we are situated around: the Chesapeake Bay! The bay is the largest estuary in the United States. An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with rivers running into it and a connection to the open sea. Students also colored maps of Maryland, and we saw how many counties our state contains. We saw where our schools and some of our homes are on the map. At the end of the day, we read “Me on the Map” by Joan Sweeney, which is an inspiring tale of a girl who makes her own maps of her room, her house, he street, her town, her state, her country, and even the world! You can really map everything!

Social Studies

• The students learned about the concept of states and their locations on a map. They also identified their home state, Maryland.
• They explored the Chesapeake Bay and learned about estuaries, understanding it as the largest estuary in the United States.
• They colored maps of Maryland, discovering the number of counties in the state and locating their schools and some of their homes on the map.
• Through the book "Me on the Map," they were introduced to the idea of mapping different levels of space, from their room to the world.

For continued development, consider incorporating hands-on map-making activities where students create their own maps of their homes, neighborhoods, or favorite places. Encourage them to include symbols or landmarks that are important to them. Additionally, you can introduce concepts of distance and travel by calculating the distance between different locations on a map and discussing modes of transportation.

Book Recommendations

• Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton: A simple introduction to maps and globes, perfect for young readers.
• Follow That Map! by Scot Ritchie: This interactive book takes children on a journey around the world, teaching them about various places and how to read maps along the way.
• Where Do I Live? by Neil Chesanow: This book helps children understand their place in the world by exploring different levels of space, from their home to the universe.