Lesson #3
Lesson designed by Stefan Superina
Grades: 2-5
Content Focus:
a) Map elements (title, symbols, legend, scale, cardinal and intermediate directions).
b) Draw a map with pencil and paper that uses lines for streets, points for houses and other
buildings, and shows specific area of the local community.
Lesson Plan:
This lesson is meant to teach students rudimentary mapping skills. The culminating activity will
be for students to draw their own community map, demonstrating their understanding of the
stated lesson objectives.
Lesson Instructions:
1. Start the lesson by showing your students the map of the Northwest Territories on the
following page.
2. Explain to your students that the smaller inset graphic on the map highlights the area in red
that is shown in more detail on the larger map.
3. Help your students to identify and explain the following features on this map:
a) The directional arrow pointing north. Help them to fill out “E” “S” and “W” on the map.
b) A title for the map - “Northwest Territories.” Ask them why the map needs a title. What
information does it tell the individual looking at a map?
c) Ask your students to find the “legend” and “scale” on the map. Try to help them comprehend
why these are important on maps and what they tell the reader. Using the legend, find the
territorial capital of the Northwest Territories. Try with your class to estimate the distance
from Yellowknife to Inuvik using the scale.
Image Source: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/provincesterritories/northwest_territories
4. Ask your students to find the Chipewyan Dene community of Lutsel K’e on the eastern arm of
Great Slave Lake. Below is a different map more closely defining this area of the lake where
the community is located. Note some of the differences on this map with more detail (river
names, lakes names, longitude and latitude lines, esker lines, etc.).
5. Show your students this community map of Lutsel K’e. The image source link below will
allow you to explore this map in much more detail. You will be able to zoom in and discover
all the different meanings of the map. It’s a wonderful production! Explain to your students
that this is a community map and has a different meaning to people than a topographical map.
Try and have them understand that there are different types of maps (political, cultural,
language, etc.). They all depict different themes. The Lutsel K’e Community map is handdrawn and tells intimate stories of the community that attach significance and meaning to the
place.
Image Source: http://www.denesolinecorporation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/community-map.pdf
6. The culminating task for your students will be to work individually, or in pairs, to create their
own community map of where they live. It can be of the school community, their family, their
neighbourhood, etc. Have them draw it on a piece of poster board and tell their stories to their
classmates. Make sure they add map components to demonstrate their understanding of
legends, cardinal directions, map titles, themes, etc. Help encourage them to be creative!