I like to begin the school year with a review activity, focusing on map elements. Here’s how it works:

1. I pass out a rolled up paper (tied in a ribbon) to each student. 
2. I tell them that inside is a treasure map! The map will lead students to a treasure hidden somewhere at the school.
3. Students then open the document to find this:

4. I send the kids out of the room to begin the hunt with a flurry of excitement and energy.

Most students will simply run off, barely looking at the map. Those who look at the map will see obvious issues – I do my best to keep a straight face as I encourage these individuals to just go off and do their best. 

5. I wander around the school, watching students try their best to make some sense of the directions. This is a great strategy as kids will surprise you with their ingenuity. I had one boy this year compare my map to the fire/evacuation maps posted around the campus. I also work hard trying to dodge questions/concerns from confused students (but, I also keep a mental note of what they are asking – that will be important later when we meet to discuss what happened!)
6. Eventually, I gather up the students and we return to my class. We sit around in a circle and we talk about the activity. Here I usually provide a snack as a reward – the kids demand something when they realize that they are not finding any treasure!
7. During our discussion, we talk about what just happened. Why didn’t anyone find any treasure? Students may come up with a variety of ideas, so do your best to keep them focused on map-related issues. I like to bring up the questions that certain students asked when I first sent them out the classroom door, such as “Is this X marking the location of the treasure, or is it the location of our class?”
8. Eventually, students begin to articulate the problems with the map – there is no context (does it represent the school, the middle school quad, our classroom?), there is no idea of direction, there are no symbols, etc. 
9. Then, we return to our desks and begin a brainstorming session: what could we add to this treasure map to make it more effective? Students provide ideas and I write them all on the board. Next, we go through all the suggestions and highlight the ones that would make the biggest impact. 
10. Finally, I introduce the students to map elements that geographers feel are the most important to include on a map. I have the students explore the elements through a self-directed research activity. Here is the second part – I do Longitude and Latitude separately because of their complexity. 

Once students have completed the research tasks, we meet together in a circle and take it up together to check understanding. 

Then, we apply our learning. 

I challenge students to create an effect map of our school’s middle school quad area, containing all the elements that we just explored. For this, I provide tools like grid paper and rulers. I also borrow a surveyor’s wheel or trundle wheel from our PE department. Students love using this tool to measure the quad. 

This is a great activity to get kids outside and engaged in the practical value of geography skills and knowledge. I am always looking to improve what I do, so if you have any suggestions, please send your ideas my way.

Best of luck!

Ed X!