Playground Maps

It may be really small to see, but in my hand I am holding up a piece of chalk. In this assignment our class learned how to create a large playground map from a small image. The exact instructions are located at this link. Generally, I thought that this would be a reasonable lesson to re-enact. Our class was split into groups and given an image of either the United States or Nevada on a grid. Already drawn on the clean cement was the grid and we just had to follow the instructions.

I learned that this activity can be engaging for students and can attend to the kinesthetic and tactile learners in a classroom. One thing it can show students is the actual small detailing of borderlines. This activity can help students work cooperatively and as a result be a resource for reinforcing content. If this map becomes permanent on a school playground the students can play educational games by having to learn the names of states or state capitals.

I really enjoyed participating in the playground maps activity because I learned a technique that I can bring into my own classroom. If a student has allergies the lesson can be modified so the students draw from a grid onto a large sheet of butcher paper. This activity can be adapted to fit the needs and curriculum of all students and grades.