The Enabling Support Foundation

I would like to respond to Chris' invitation to explain two rather low-tech activities, one I've used as a teacher, one I've recommended to others.

The one I did was in a summer school 4th grade class. The weeks were set for the different subjects, so we could spend all day (until 1pm) on one activity after another in the subject. In Virginia, 4th grade is learning about our state, history, geography, etc. On the first day of the social studies week, I was sick and left plans for a sub. She passed out state highway maps, poster boards, brushes and poster paints. The instructions were for the kids to make an outline of the state on the first day, then let their posters dry. The second day I returned, and was disappointed at the quality of the outlines. But I said nothing. I passed out the maps again, and the posters, and told the children to fill in the rivers with blue paint, and also show the Chesapeake Bay. Many of those who'd done a poor job the day before asked to start over, and really did good outlines that could hold the rivers as they are located. Next day we added the mountain, and finally we filled in the central plain and the beaches along the edge of the ocean and the bay. The maps that were restarted after the kids realized what they were expected to do, were the best. Some kids chose to start over on the last day, and did really good maps.

The second activity was first tried by Chris when homeschooling one of her sons. It is to learn the name and locations of the continents and oceans. It involves some low-tech preparation, and is now available in book form online.

First of all take an old sheet, comforter, or other piece of large cloth. Use magic markers or fabric paint to draw the continents in their approximate places. You an also cut the continenents from fabric and either sew them on the backgroung, or use a fabric glue to attach them. Label the continents and the oceans.

Lay the large map on the floor, and teach the kids to sing the song in: http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/book/WalkWorld.html to the tune of "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands". Have the children step from ocean or continent as they sing each vers.

Admittedly, only one child at a time can "Walk the World", so desk sized world maps that the children can walk over with their fingers can allow all the children to participate as they sing.