Methods and Strategies

I think that Google Maps and it's descendants are going to be vital tools in the world my students will inhabit. Chances are that these students have used such online resources to look up directions or find birds-eye-view picture of their house, but I want to show them what a powerful tool these maps can be for learning about the world and communicating with others.

I believe that the best way to learn how to do something is to actually do it. So, I have designed activities that will compel my students to interact with these maps and construct maps of their own. After all, the interactivity of these maps is the very thing that sets them apart from the maps I had at my disposal as a high school student ten years ago. I could turn pages, look at maps, and write information down in a notebook if I needed to. Students today can type in a place they're looking for, view pictures and videos of that place, and add markers and comments for anyone to see - all on the same web page.

I also want my students to actively monitor their ideas about the nature of various places and think about what they are learning. The Mental Maps activity is designed to aid in this metacognition, and students will be required to review the maps we make as a class. They will make comments on others' contributions and offer suggestions for improvement.

I am not afraid to conduct lectures, but I will attempt to make the time I spend addressing the class full of visual examples, compelling questions, and thoughtful answers. Students will know that they can always ask questions, and that they don't have to worry about being wrong or sounding stupid.

The result of all this will hopefully be students who have a more complete and nuanced understanding of the people who inhabit this world and why they do what they do. Just as importantly, they will leave this unit with a valuable set of skills involving the use of online mapping software.