This week, week of Feb 28th - MAP WORK

We are working on the intro section to each class' new area of study. For some, this begins in the USA, with a look at what the physical geography is all about. We spend today and will continue tomorrow on maps. 6th grade on their USA maps, 7th grade on their Europe maps, and 8th grade on their E. Med. maps.

I got some terrific maps from CIA's World Factbook, which is a must see for anyone who needs up-to-date maps, information, etc about any country. Google it for an easy find.

Here are some pictures from today's classroom work. I will shoot some more from the various classes tomorrow to make sure we represent all grades. Also, students - you should watch out for the extra-credit opportunity coming your way this weekend.

Students used both our pull-down map, as well as the SMART Board to maneuver the map to where they needed it. They shared and took turns moving countries and continents around in order to create their own maps for later reference use.

Coloring is a must if your map is to be worth any... Students used a minimum of four colors in order to never overlap when shading or coloring in the states of the United States. In addition, they labeled the states, the capitals, major rivers, etc.

Group work works very well with my students, and they often do a good of self-regulating work tasks, or controlling discipline issues. Of course, they are always eager to get on camera, and don't mind taking a quick break from learning...