Goal Statement
The overall objective for this unit is for students to use prior knowledge alongside newly learnt knowledge, to demonstrate the skills involved with basic mapping. These skills should include the students’ ability to: recognise basic symbols that are represented within maps and discuss their importance, it should also include awareness of relative position, landmarks and specific locations. Students will learn the importance of maps and why, when and how they are used. The students will also learn to communicate and share their ideas using texts and terminology that is associated with social and environmental studies. This will be conducted in the manor of individually or collaboratively using strategies that create a learning environment that is diverse and productive. Throughout the duration of the unit, students will use tools such as information technologies to create and communicate ideas and notions within the context of the unit. At the end of the unit students should be able to organise the information given to them enough for it to be demonstrated in the form of a culminating assessment task, where students will map their own city.
Studies of Society and Environment Content/Concept and Skills Statement
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Throughout this unit students will develop a knowledge and understanding of mapping within the context of local, state and national perspectives. Students will be asked to activate prior knowledge in order to build upon and engage in new learning. Specific skills students will learn include recognising basic map symbols, including references to land, water, cities and roads, using cardinal directions on maps, identifying the physical shape of the map in the specific area, locating city centres, rivers, major roads, major developments and other aspects that build a town. Students will work through a series of activities based upon the Social Investigation Strategy which allows students to formulate questions, engage in critical thinking and reflection.
The students will develop knowledge of maps and mapping skills through activities being sequenced a succession of lessons that lead to the students demonstrating what they have learnt in the culminating task of the unit. The activities have been structured and sequenced in a way that scaffolds the students learning.
The key processes that will be developed in the unit are the students ability to interpret a map and identify the relative position of features including landmarks and locations. Students will develop these through lessons and activities that provide them with the opportunity to:
· Recognise key features on a map and be able to interpret their meaning
· Be able to recognise that different cultures have different interpretations of maps and their features
· Why we use maps and the different types of maps
· Identify differences in scales in maps and mapping.
Each lesson leads to a skill being learnt by the student that is then linked to the next. The students will also develop a learner centred enquiry approach. This approach is used so the students are able to enquire what they have learnt and comprehend by themselves or with fellow students. The skills being developed by the students are of importance to the student as they provide the students with the ability to read maps and comprehend the meaning behind the features on a map. The culminating task will demonstrate the students gained knowledge thorough their ability to produce a map and indicate the features that are represented on the map.
The students will develop knowledge of maps and mapping skills through activities being sequenced a succession of lessons that lead to the students demonstrating what they have learnt in the culminating task of the unit. The activities have been structured and sequenced in a way that scaffolds the students learning.
The key processes that will be developed in the unit are the students ability to interpret a map and identify the relative position of features including landmarks and locations. Students will develop these through lessons and activities that provide them with the opportunity to:
· Recognise key features on a map and be able to interpret their meaning
· Be able to recognise that different cultures have different interpretations of maps and their features
· Why we use maps and the different types of maps
· Identify differences in scales in maps and mapping.
Each lesson leads to a skill being learnt by the student that is then linked to the next. The students will also develop a learner centred enquiry approach. This approach is used so the students are able to enquire what they have learnt and comprehend by themselves or with fellow students. The skills being developed by the students are of importance to the student as they provide the students with the ability to read maps and comprehend the meaning behind the features on a map. The culminating task will demonstrate the students gained knowledge thorough their ability to produce a map and indicate the features that are represented on the map.
Statement of Intention
By the end of this unit students should be able to demonstrate their ability to:
- Read and interpret a range of simple maps
- Understand common symbols and representations for locations and landmarks
- Identify when maps are used and their purpose
- Demonstrate their ability to effectively design and draw a map with inclusion of the BOLTS strategy
- Effectively communicate and reflect on their findings in a written and verbal form