Puzzle Maps Make Geography Less Puzzling
A Geography Puzzle Map Provides a Great Free Lesson Learning Plan
Sep 3, 2009
Teachers and parents always seek special objects or ideas that can turn ordinary teaching days into extraordinary ones. A teacher recently obtained a wooden map of the United States from a thrift shop that became a cherished possession, and a terrific teaching and learning tool.
Puzzle Map Organization and Arrangement for Promoting Geography Understanding
A typical puzzle map is pictured in photos below. The wooden puzzle represents all the states of the U.S.A. This puzzle map's features are outlined for clarity about this puzzle map:
- all 50 states are represented in the puzzle.
- 32 states have distinct, individual cutouts.
- 8 states are in 4 pairs (North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia, Indiana and Ohio).
- 4 states form 1 cluster of (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland).
- 6 states form the final cluster (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island).
The shapes and sizes of individual states are clear and correspond to true map configurations. Clustered or grouped states on a single piece are dealt with accordingly. A free lesson plan follows.
Free Geography Map Lesson Plan That Works for All Ages
This geography lesson plan is free, flexible, fun, and an excellent learning and teaching tool. Teachers first should study and become comfortable with the details of the large map or any puzzle map. Further, clear explanations of the puzzle and what it contains are critical. Here are some lesson plan ideas.
- Use a large map or overhead projection map to name and clearly pronounce each state. Have the students repeat the names. Begin at the home state and work in a logical manner around and across areas bordering and surrounding that state.
- Name all the outer margin states of the puzzle. This action frames the four outside borders of any puzzle. Ask students about apparent and unique features of each state. Seek out the critical shapes and sizes of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, California, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Maine. Pieces of the puzzle map can be removed and shown and felt for their distinguishing characteristics.
- Explain the puzzle map according to the bulleted list above.
- Locate, connect and highlight features of neighboring states and make associations. Here are some important ideas to relate here:
- Which 4 states border Mexico? Which of those states has the longest, and which has the shortest, border with Mexico?
- Which are the two smallest states and which are the two largest states on the map?
- Which state seems to be in the exact middle of the United States?
Geography learning and fun can be extended with blind, touch and guess games and contests. Class teams may be organized to compete for the Geography Cup — awarded to the best team of 4 to accumulate the most correct guess points.
The game can be organized as follows and may be modified to suit anyone's particular class.
- All the states are mixed up from the puzzle into a pooled box or container that is deep enough to hold all the puzzle pieces in a flattened manner. A random sample is picked by a blindfolded participant who points only one finger downward into the box and touches a piece without any further motion.
- The teacher is the referee and arbiter who removes the touched piece, and gives it to the blindfolded team member who has 15 or 30 seconds to guess the state by manipulating and feeling the state contours. No one else on the team can guess that piece.
- If the guess is correct, the state piece is removed and awarded to the team correct point box. If the state answer is incorrect, the state is returned to the box.
- The contest proceeds with alternating teams and players until a time limit is called.
Geography is an adventure. Take a learning trip today.
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