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ELEMENTARY
TEACHER’S GUIDE
FOR USE WITH PIN MAPS
Written By Doris Jones
WORLD PIN MAP TEACHER GUIDE (LOWER
ELEMENTARY)
World Geography: Using the World Pin Map
Pin It maps provide an excellent format for teaching the earth's biomes
in addition to geography. After discussing care of the map and foam
board, there is a lesson on biomes before the children begin pinning
flags. There are complete lessons on the biomes in the Primary
Teacher Guide.
Care of the pin map and controls
You will need the World pin map and the two-sided control.
 Lay the map attached to the foam board on the table or floor for the children to examine.
 Discuss the proper care of the map.
 Maps can be torn or bent.
 Never step on the map.
 Care must be taken not to bump into furniture, walls, or another person when carrying the map and foam
board.
 The map must always be placed carefully on a flat surface such as a table or rug on the floor.
 Do not try to use the map unless you have room to lay it flat.
 Do not lay papers on the map or use it as support for writing or coloring.
 Never write or color on the map.
 Make sure to return the map to its place where it will not be bumped or bent.
Invite the children to look at the control map.
Explain that there is a control map for each set of pin flags.
Care of the foam board
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Foam board breaks and chips.
Never step on the foam board.
The foam board is not a toy and should not be used to hit an object or another child.
Never remove the map from the foam board.
Never remove protective plastic corners from the maps or try to put them on if they have fallen off.
Ask the teacher for help if one of the corner protectors falls off or is missing.
The map should lie flat on the foam board. Tell the teacher if part of the map is not under the corner
protector or if the map is crooked.
Teachers, please remember there are replacements for every pin map for $9.98 each. Foam board can be
replaced for $5.98 per sheet.
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Lesson I: Introducing the pin map (Shaded relief and biomes)
You will need the World pin map and the set of biome cards which are the same as the map.
Invite the children to the first lesson on pin maps.
 Show them the map and ask them for questions and comments.
 Seeing a map in shaded relief will be new to them since the maps they have seen are in Montessori
colors or a variety of colors on a political map.
 They will ask about the pictures at the bottom of the map and about the symbols in the map legend and
on the map.
 Explain that the colors on this map are the colors we would see in a photograph of the earth with green
for trees and grass, white for ice, blue for lakes and oceans, (although they are different shades of blue
on the map.) Deserts are tan and the lavender part of the map is called tundra. In the tundra it snows
most of the year but there is a short summer when small plants grow. Mountains on the pin map look
like wrinkled lines but if the children look closely, they will see the ridge along the top of high
mountains.
The colors help to identify hot, warm, cool, and cold parts of the earth. The climate and the plants and animals
in each of these colored areas make up a biome. There are ten biomes on the World pin map.
 Point to the color bar below the name of the biome in the pictures.
 Explain that the color bar helps us to locate the biomes on the map.
 Invite the child to find places on the map that match the color bar and say the name of the biome.
 The child should be able to read or say the name of each biome and find examples of each on the World
pin map before moving on.
Follow up
Children will use the biome cards with color strip to find the ten biomes on the World pin map.
Extension
Children may use the set of six matching pictures of each biome from the free resources. It is helpful to explain
that the tundra is always near the North Pole or the ice cap on a tall mountain.
Coniferous forests are always just below the tundra on the maps. You will see them in northern Canada and
south of the tundra in Siberia.
We are referring to tropical rain forests on our maps. There are also temperate rain forests.
Deciduous forests are between the tropical rain forests and coniferous forests.
You will find the deciduous forests in eastern United States and most of Europe.
There are grasslands on every continent except Antarctica.
Children may also want to place miniature toy animals on the biome on the pin map.
Definitions of biomes for the teacher
The World Pin Map includes ten World biomes. Each continent except Antarctica has several biomes. A biome
is as an area with the same climate, rainfall, plants and animals.
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Desert-very dry, hot or cold-almost nothing grows 1/5 earth is desert on every continent except Europe
Tundra-cold and dry, treeless with low plants growing only during the warmer months of the year
Coniferous forest-cool with little rain-evergreen trees with needles
Deciduous forest-cool with moderate precipitation-trees lose their leaves in the autumn
Rain forest-warm and very wet all year with two thirds of the world's plant species more than half tropical
rainforests found in Brazil
Grassland-windy and so little rain that trees cannot grow-vast areas of grass -also called savanna, prairie,
steppe, and pampas
Mountains-at low altitude mountains may have grassland and deciduous forest, higher altitudes have
coniferous forest, above the tree line is the tundra and the peaks of the tallest mountains are always covered
with ice and snow
Salt water-oceans, seas, and a few lakes
Fresh water-lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks
Ice sheets-usually in Polar Regions where snow and ice remain permanently
When discussing the plants and animals of the biomes, it is helpful to use the word habitat. Habitat brings the
biome down to the home of the plants and animals.
Habitats are smaller locations within the biome where specific species of animals and plants act together to
create shelter and food chains.
Lesson II: Pin safety
You will need the green pin flags for the seven continents. If available, you will need
a pin cushion or extra piece of foam where this set of pin flags is stored while in use.
Pick up a pin flag and point to the flag, pole or shaft, and silicon base.
 Explain the purpose of each part. The flag tells the name. The pole holds the
flag up and keeps the pin from bending. The base holds the pole and keeps
the pin from poking through the back board and hurting someone.
 Explain that the child should never remove this protective shield. He is to
report it to the teacher immediately if he finds a pin with the tube and base
removed.
 There should be only one fourth of an inch of pin and point exposed.
Photo by Deb Chitwood,
Living Montessori Now
Decide ahead of the lesson whether the child will:
 Reach into the container for a pin while he is working OR
 Dump out the pins into a larger tray OR
 Put the pins into a pin cushion or extra piece of foam before he starts pinning. (Recommended)
Make a copy of safety rules (next page) for each child to keep in his/ her folder. In the space provided under the
rules, the child can copy the rules or add his/ her own rules on how to safely use the pin flags.
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Safety Rules
1. Never remove the protective shield. I should report it to the teacher immediately if I find a pin with the
tube and base removed.
2. Pay attention when picking up pins. Do not pick up a pin by its point.
3. If I drop a pin on the floor, I will look for it until I find it. If I cannot find it, I will ask my teacher.
4. Do not play when the pin flags are out.
5. The pin flags must be carefully put away when I am finished.
6. Check my work area carefully and make sure all of the pins are picked up.
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Demonstrate how to pick up the pin flag by the ball of the pin or flag.
 Invite the child to pick up the pin flags one at a time and return them to the container or pin cushion.
 You may instruct the child to return the pins in the manner you have decided and then pick them up
again and return them to the container, tray, or pin cushion.
Invite the child to repeat the pin flag safety rules.
Lesson III: How to pin the Continents on the World pin map
You will need the World pin map and the container or pin cushion with the green pin flags for the
continents. You need the control that says World Continents and Oceans. Children will be practicing pinning
the flag so you may wish to have a thick piece of foam board or they may be ready to pin directly on the pin
map.
Explain that the child should use the head of the pin to press it into the map/foam board and not press with the
flag.
 Demonstrate how to pin the pin flag into the pin map by pressing down on the head of the pin rather
than on the flag.
 Invite the child to practice pinning the pin flag on a piece of foam board or on the pin map.
o If the child has difficulty pinning the flag on the map, pin it for him and ask him to remove it.
o Removing the pin flag is easier for children with fine motor skill problems.
 Some children will have trouble getting the point of the pin into a dot and will then push down with their
fingers on the pole.
 This is good practice in eye-hand coordination and also for improving fine motor skills.
Ask the children to look at the word on the pin flag they are holding.
 They will read the names of the continents or you will read for them.
 Ask the children to look at the name on the back of the flag. It says world and is used for sorting.
 Ask them to look at the control map, World Continents and Oceans.
Explain that the green flags go anywhere within the boundaries of the continent.
 Europe and Asia are divided by the Ural Mountain Range.
 They may pin the Europe flag anywhere west of the Ural Mountains and the Asia flag anywhere east of
the Ural Mountains.
Instruct the children to use the control to pin the green pin flags until they know them and to always check the
pinned flags with the control.
Follow up
Children will practice pinning the green continent pin flags on the World pin map using the control map to
locate the continents and to check them when finished.
You may wish to leave the container with the seven pin flags on the shelf or explain to the children that they
should give you the container of pins when they are finished and you will give it to them when they want to
work on the pin map again.
Lesson IV: World Map with Ocean & Geographic Line/Point pin flags
You will need the World pin map, the World Continents and Oceans control map, a container with the blue pins
for the oceans and the grey pins for lines and directions and a globe.
Begin by holding up the World pin map and asking the children if they can point to the continents and say their
names without the control map.
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Review the names of the oceans on the control map.
Explain to the children that they will see a small blue circle on each ocean where they are to place the
flag.
Show them the five blue pin flags for the oceans.
 Explain that the ocean is very large and the blue circle just gives the general location.
Show the children the control map and ask them if they still need to pin anything after the continents and
oceans.
There are nine grey circles for cardinal directions and geographic lines.
 Use the globe to show children that the geographic lines are imaginary circles around the earth.
 Review or teach the compass rose, cardinal directions, and geographic lines.
Instruct the children to use the control map to locate the places on the pin flags until they know them. Each time
they will check the pinned flags with the control map.
Flags for geographic lines are grey and are represented on the pin
maps with dotted black lines. This set of maps contains seven
geographic lines, not all on the same map. They are the Arctic
Circle, Antarctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn,
and the Equator.
Definitions
The compass rose is on every map. It is a design/symbol printed
on a map which shows the directions on a compass, North, South,
West, and East.
The Equator is an imaginary circle around the Earth halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. It
cuts the Earth into two equal parts, the northern and southern hemispheres.
A hemisphere is half of the Earth. The Northern Hemisphere is north of the equator, the Southern Hemisphere
is south of the equator. The Western Hemisphere contains North and South America. The Eastern Hemisphere
contains Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia and Oceania.
The Arctic and Antarctic Circles are lines of latitude three-quarters of the way from the Equator to the North
Pole and from the Equator to the South Pole respectively.
The Tropic of Cancer is a line of latitude about twenty-three degrees north of the Equator. This is the farthest
north that the sun can shine directly on the Earth.
The Tropic of Capricorn is the line of latitude about twenty-three degrees south of the Equator. This is the
farthest south that the sun can shine directly on the Earth.
Follow up
Children will now use the blue and grey pin flags in addition to the green continent pin flags to pin the map.
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Lesson V: Map Legend Symbols
You can use the World pin map or the North America pin map. The
continent pin map legends have the symbols for Capital and City, which are
not on the World pin map.
Invite the children to a lesson on map symbols.
 Some of the symbols are exact locations and some of them represent a point on a much larger area.
 Ask the children to look at the symbols and tell you which ones show a specific location.
o Mountain peak, volcano, waterfall are specific.
 Ask the children to find symbols that represent large areas.
o Rivers, water, landform, mountain range, island, and geographic lines represent a point in a
larger area.
o Discuss the vastness of oceans and mountain ranges.
Discuss the imaginary geographic lines which circle the globe.
If you are using a continent pin map:
 Ask the children if the red star for capital and the red circle for city on the continent maps are specific or
a point in a larger area. They are specific.
 Discuss archipelago and that this is a point in a large group of islands.
Follow up
Children may make a list of symbols on the pin map which represent a specific place and symbols which
represent a point in a larger area.
They will continue using pin flags on the continent, oceans and geographic lines.
Lesson VI: Command cards for the Continents & Oceans
For the teacher:
There are four levels of commands.
Level I is for children to use without the control to check for mastery.
They may also be used by the teacher or older child to instruct a group of children who take turns pinning the
flags.
They may be read to the child or the child may use them independently.
They may be used when a child coaches another child.
They may be used by a child to keep track of his progress if he will be coming back to the map.
Level II commands will encourage children to repeat pinning the flags.
There is a worksheet to record answers as they pin and a control to check answers.
This may also be used by a group of children who are taking turns.
It is a good review if the child is revisiting the pin map after a break.
There is no age requirement for the levels of commands but levels III and IV require higher thinking skills and
may be more appropriate for older children.
You will need a set of Level I commands for each child's folder and an example of Level II.
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Invite the children to a lesson on command cards.
 Give each child a copy of Level I commands.
 Ask them to think of ways to use these commands.
 They may be used with the control to read each command, find it on the control and pin the flag.
 They may be used without the control to check for mastery.
 They may be used when a child coaches another child.
 They may be used by a child to check off his progress if he will be coming back to the map.
Explain Level II commands.
 This page of commands is to be used then the child has demonstrated mastery with Level I.
 It will be placed on the shelf for students who have demonstrated mastery of Level I.
 There is a worksheet to fill out as the child pins the flags and a control for checking the answers.
 Level II commands may also be used as a review at a later time.
Level III and Level IV commands use higher level reasoning skills, but there is not an age requirement.
Follow up
Children will place Level I Commands in their folder and use it to demonstrate mastery.
Lesson VII: World
and Water forms
You will need the World pin map, Land and Water forms control map and blue and yellow pin flags. You may
wish to present this in two lessons. You will also use the set of land and water photo and information cards from
the free teacher resources.
Invite the children for a lesson on land and water forms.
 Ask the children to look at the control map and find a place they think they have heard about before.
 Explain that land and water forms on the World pin map are important for some reason such as being
very high, long, or a boundary or a very large desert or body of water.
 Point out that landforms on the control map are printed in yellow and use the yellow flags. Blue flags are
used with water forms. There are also white flags for islands and grey flags for imaginary geographic
lines.
 Children should use the control to pin the flags until they know them.
Show the children the picture/information cards.
 There is a Level I set of commands when they think they can pin without the control.
 Level I simply says to pin the location.
 For Level II the child needs to read the first sentence of the information card with the picture set.
 Level III and IV will use information from the rest of the information card.
Follow up
Children will pin the land and water forms. They will use the set of picture/information cards to learn about the
land and water forms. They will use the command cards to check for mastery. They should use the worksheet
and control to check their answers for Level II.
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Extensions
Children may draw pictures of landforms and label them for their folders.
Children may research the animals that are found only in one tropical rain forest, comparing tropical rain forests
in South America, Africa, and Asia.
Children may research temperate rain forests and compare them to tropical rain forests.
Children may research the biomes found on the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Children may research the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands, comparing Mauna Loa and Kilauea.
Children may research the biomes of Patagonia.
Children may research flooding in the Ganges Delta.
Children may research the climate and wildlife of Siberia.
Children may research the explosion of Laki volcano in Iceland in 1783.
Children may research the Grand Canyon or choose another landform to research.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Doris Jones
I am a science teacher with over thirty years’ experience. I graduated summa cum laude from North Park
University in Chicago with a degree in biology and earth science and earned my Masters in Science Education
at Illinois University. From experience, I know science concepts and terms are taught best with hands-on
activities. While teaching in public schools, I team-taught with the geography teacher. My love for learning has
inspired me to create a blended curriculum for Pin It! Maps, LLC.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Chitwood, Deb., Living Montessori Now, Pin flag on page 3 -- All Rights Reserved.