This document outlines a 3-week unit plan for teaching 3rd grade students map skills. The unit is aligned to state standards on using maps to retrieve social studies information. Week 1 activities introduce map vocabulary and teach skills like using a compass rose and map key. Students practice skills and create their own classroom map. Week 2 focuses on map grids and differentiating between political and physical maps. Students compare map features and begin a map project. Week 3 reviews map types and has students complete their map project. Formative and summative assessments are used to check understanding throughout the unit. Differentiation strategies support varied student needs.

1. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
Melissa Lewis
FRIT 7430: Instructional Technology
Stage 2, Understanding by Design
Fall 2009

2. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
Title of Unit Map Skills Grade Level 3rd
Standard:
GPS
MAP AND GLOBE SKILLS (No number identified)
GOAL: The student will use maps to retrieve social studies information.
Map and Globe Skills
3. use a letter/number grid system to determine location
4. compare and contrast the categories of natural, cultural, and political features found
on maps
6. use map key/legend to acquire information from, historical, physical, political,
resource, product and economic maps
8. draw conclusions and make generalizations based on information from maps
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
 The eight directions, including cardinal and intermediate, are used to develop a
relationship between two or more locations.
 There are several different types of maps because each one is used for a different
and specific purpose.
 The map legend is an integral part of the map that allows the features to be
defined and the map to be easily and efficiently used to gather a variety of
information.
 Maps are only representations of geographic areas; therefore, places, objects,
and size are not depicted in actuality. Instead the map grid is a tool that uses
numbers and letters to more specifically locate objects and places within an area
on a map.
 Creating a map is a complicated endeavor that can come with a variety of
limitations.
Related Misconceptions:
 A map depicts the exact sizes and distances of locations.
 There is only one universal type of map.
 Directions are often get reversed.

3. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
Essential Questions:
Overarching Questions: Topical Questions:
 Why learn how to use a map?  Must a map have a legend?
 Why is it important to know where  How can you tell the difference
places are? between a political and a physical
map?
 What problems would arise if there
was only one type of map?  In what activities or job situations
would a map grid be useful? Why?
 In what situations in your own life
will you need to use a map?  How would things be different if
directions had never been invented?
 What limitations could mapmakers
come up against?
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences
Week 1
Type week 1 activities here (use page 26 of the UbD text as an example)
1. Begin with a guessing activity to introduce the subject of maps. H
2. Show students the unit map which includes the essential questions and standards
that will be studied. W
3. Give pre-assessment E2, W
4. Introduce essential question: Why learn how to use a map? Play give one get
one to gather prior knowledge students have about maps W, H, E1
5. Create a word map of all the words students came up with on the previous activity
with the smart board using worlde.com. E1, R
6. Complete a KWL Chart W
7. Introduce and discuss key vocabulary terms: Map symbol, map legend, political
map, physical map, compass rose, cardinal directions, map key, grid. W, E1
8. Students fill out a graphic organizer to define and illustrate unit vocabulary words.
E1
9. Play a game to introduce cardinal directions and introduce essential questions:
Why is it important to know where places are? How would things be different if
directions had never been invented? W, H
10. Teach key skills: using cardinal directions and how to read and understand a
political map using a transparency. E1
11. Using smartboard have students practice identifying directions between locations
based off of example scenario’s. E1

4. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
12. Play a map symbols guessing game. W, H
13. Explain and demonstrate the use of symbols and the map legend using map
transparency led by the essential question: Must a map have a legend?. E1
14. Complete a worksheet to practice using symbols, identifying directions, and
gaining information from a map. E1
15. Led by the essential questions: Why is it important to know where places are?
Break the students into groups and instruct them to create their own map of the
classroom by creating symbols for the furniture and label it with a map legend. E1,
T
16. Write in reflection journal to record what has been learned so far by answering the
essential questions that have been presented. R, E2
Week 2
Type week 2 activities here (use page 26 of the UbD text as an example)
1. Review skills from previous week (using cardinal directions, reading and gaining
information from a map) using a powerpoint presentation. Students answer
practice questions using student whiteboards. H, E1
2. Take quiz: Using a Map. E2
3. Introduce essential question of the day: In what activities or job situations would a
map grid be useful? Why? Then demonstrate and teach how to use a map grid
using a smartboard template. Lead students in an inquiry discussion to
brainstorm in what job settings this tool would be useful. E1
4. Students work in collaborative pairs to identify specific locations on the
smartboard template using their student white boards. E1, T
5. Explain and play the battleship game in collaborative pairs. Students who
perform on a lower level will be placed in a group of three to work directly with a
partner to complete the activity. E1, T
6. Students write in reflection journal explaining in their own words how to use a map
grid and answer the essential question. R
7. Present essential question: How can you tell the difference between a political
and a physical map? Then introduce physical maps by allowing students to take
on the role of an explorer. H
8. Use a powerpoint presentation to first review landforms and then to teach the
purpose of a physical map. E1
9. In collaborative pairs students use a venn diagram to compare and contrast the
symbols found on a political map and the symbols found on a physical map. E1
10. Introduce essential question: What limitations could mapmakers come up
against? Introduce the performance task to students. The teacher will introduce
an enrichment activity for a specific group of students that includes writing a page
for the textbook to go with the map. W, T
11. Go over each section of the performance rubric in order to inform students of what
is expected on them in the final product. W, E1
12. Allow students time to look through atlases and current text books to look for
examples of current physical maps of Georgia. Then students will begin to
develop their own map. Then discuss as a group the limitations that mapmakers
may come up against. E1, R

5. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
Week 3
Type week 3 activities here (use page 26 of the UbD text as an example)
1. Present essential questions: What problems would arise if there was only one
type of map? Then pass out examples of historical, physical, political, resource,
product and economic maps. Students at each table will create a list of noticings
for all of the maps. H, T
2. Teacher will create a class list that combines everything that each table of
students came up with for the different types of maps. E1, R
3. One by one the teacher will introduce and teach each type of map represented by
the examples. The name of each map will be given along with the purpose and
specific features. E1
4. Periodically the students will be instructed to turn to their collaborative partners
and list three things about each one of the maps in order to check learning
progress. R, T
5. Students are given time to work on their performance task using resources from
the classroom and checked out from the library by the teacher. E1
6. Play a matching game to remind students of the different types of maps. H
7. Using the smartboard the teacher will begin to fill in a graphic organizer that
identifies each type of map with help from the students. E1
8. The students will then work in collaborative pairs to complete the graphic
organizer: Different Types of Maps. E2, T
9. As review the students will work together in table groups to complete a variety of
questions testing their knowledge on the different types of maps. This will be
played as a game with tables competing against one another. E2
10. Students write in reflection journals and develop a short paragraph to describe
each type of map and answer the essential question: What problems would arise
if there was only one type of map? E2, R
11. Students are given significant time to work on their projects and instructed to take
them home if a substantial amount of work is left. E1
12. Instruct and demonstrate to students how to use the rubric to check their project
to make sure it meets all of the requirements. E1
13. Break students up into pairs based on ability to give them the chance to review
each other’s projects using the rubric and give each other feedback. E2
14. Play a jeopardy game on the smart board to review the map unit. This is a
chance for students to review for the test. Higher level thinking questions are
incorporated. R, E2, T
15. Fill in the L section of the KWL chart. E2, R
16. Students will take post assessment. E2
17. Each student will be given a chance to share their final physical map project and
then they will turn them in for grading. E1, E2
18. Students will finish with writing in their reflection journal about what they learned
during this entire unit by answering this essential question: In what situations in
your own life will you need to use a map? If students have trouble with writing
they will be given the opportunity to tell the teacher what they have learned
through the unit. Then they will be asked to write a few sentences with pictures
(depending on their level). R, T

6. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
Notes to the Instructor
Use this area, if needed, to explain to the instructor how your planned activities above
satisfy specific elements of the scoring rubric.
Each of my learning activities is directly linked to one of the
standards listed for the unit. Every activity allows students the
chance to get closer to learning the knowledge and demonstrating
the variety of skills needed to fulfill the standards. Also, each
essential question is answered through the activities during the
course of the unit. The essential question linked to the activity is
presented before the teacher begins that lesson.
Throughout the unit there are several times in which the teacher
differentiates instruction in order to reach all students in the
classroom. This is indicated with a T. One way of differentiating is
by using technology during many of the learning activities. The
smartboard is used on several occasions along with a lesson with a
powerpoint and use of worlde.com.
Stage 3 Scoring Rubric
(0 Points) (2-3 Points) (4-5 Points) Your
Score
1 Does not clearly Codes some Clearly codes each
. communicate learning activities activity with WHERETO
WHERETO for with WHERETO
learning activities Includes a pretest to check
for prerequisite skills
Fails to provide a and knowledge.
pretest for
learners.

7. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
2 Alignment is not There is evidence Alignment is clearly
. demonstrated of alignment demonstrated
between between some of between instructional
instructional the instructional strategies, standards,
strategies, strategies, and understandings of
standards, and standards, and the unit.
understandings of understandings of
the unit. the unit.
Matches all essential
questions,
understandings, skills,
and knowledge with a
corresponding
instructional strategy.
3 Instruction has Utilizes Gardner’s Utilizes Gardner’s
. one global starting strategy to provide strategy to provide
point for all different “Entry different “Entry
learners. Points.” Points” to meet the
needs of all types of
No evidence of an Evidence of an intelligences.
attempt at attempt at
differentiation differentiation Clear plan for
exists differentiation
4 Fails to provide Provides Provides numerous
. opportunities for opportunities for opportunities for
students to students to students to RETHINK
RETHINK ideas, RETHINK big big ideas, REFLECT on
REFLECT, and to ideas, REFLECT on progress, and to
REVISE work. progress, and REVISE work.
REVISE their work.
5 (0 Points) (1 Points) (3 Points)
. Does not indicate Includes the use of Includes the use of
the use of technology technology in a
technology in a meaningful way.
meaningful way
“Off the shelf”
resources are
properly referenced

8. FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 3 Assignment
6 (0 Points) (1 Points) (2 Points)
. Assignment is not Assignment Assignment is
organized somewhat organized
organized
Assignment Assignment
Instructions not Most assignment Instructions followed
followed instructions
followed No errors in grammar
Several errors in or form that distracted
grammar and A few errors in the reader.
form, which grammar and form
distracted the which distracted
reader the reader
Your Total Score /25