Week 8 - Mapping

View Important Landmarks Around Michigan in a larger map

While teaching in Detroit, Michigan I found that my students are not familiar with their state.  They do not know any other cities around Detroit or some of the major landmarks that most of us are familiar with in Michigan.  One of our social studies objectives in our curriculum is to be able to identify and describe some Michigan landmarks.  I put together this map to highlight some interesting things around Michigan.  I thought my second graders need to be familiar with the great lakes, capital building, their school, and the Mackinaw Bridge.  I also wanted to add some personal touches so I add the college I went to along with my co-teachers college she attended.  My goal at the end of this lesson is to make sure the kids have learned that Michigan is a large state with a lot of interesting places to see and visit.  

I think google maps would make this lesson interesting because the students would be able to "travel" from place to place.  While traveling around the map we can also work on our directions traveling north, south, east, and west.  There are a ton of things we can bring into the classroom to teach about Michigan and this map would just be the beginning!