**Year 2 Humanities and Social Sciences: Basic Geography Skills**
**Lesson Plan**
**Lesson Duration:**
1 Hour
**Lesson Objectives:**
- To introduce students to basic geography concepts and terminology.
- To help students identify and understand the different features of maps.
- To teach students how to use a map to locate places and understand spatial relationships.
**Materials Needed:**
- Large world map and a local area map
- Individual student maps (simple local area map)
- Crayons/markers
- Stickers or pins
- Storybook related to geography (e.g., "Me on the Map" by Joan Sweeney)
**Lesson Structure:**
**Introduction (10 minutes):**
1. **Greeting and Warm-up (5 minutes):**
- Start with a friendly greeting and a short discussion about students' personal experiences with traveling or looking at maps.
- Encourage students to share any instances of using maps or seeing a globe.
2. **Introduction to Geography (5 minutes):**
- Explain what geography is in simple terms: “Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments.”
- Show a world map and point out a few familiar locations (e.g., their country, another country they've heard of).
**Main Activity 1: Exploring Maps (15 minutes):**
1. **Map Features Introduction:**
- Display a large map and introduce basic map features like title, compass rose, legend/key, and scale.
- Explain and show examples of symbols used on maps (e.g., mountains, rivers, cities).
2. **Interactive Map Reading:**
- Hand out individual student maps.
- Guide students in locating significant landmarks and features on their maps.
- Use stickers or pins to mark key places students recognize.
**Main Activity 2: Personal Geography (20 minutes):**
1. **Story Time:**
- Read aloud a geography-related story, such as "Me on the Map" by Joan Sweeney.
- Discuss the book briefly and connect its content to the map the students worked on.
2. **Creating Personal Maps:**
- Provide students with a blank map of the local area (e.g., the classroom, school, or neighborhood).
- Assist students in identifying and marking key places on their personal maps using crayons or markers (e.g., home, school, park).
- Encourage students to draw paths between these places to understand spatial relationships.
**Closing Activity (10 minutes):**
1. **Review of the Lesson:**
- Recap key points learned about maps and geography.
- Ask students to share one new thing they learned about maps today.
2. **Map Use in Real Life:**
- Explain some practical uses of maps in everyday life (e.g., finding directions, planning trips).
- Encourage students to look at maps with their families at home and point out places they recognize.
**Assessment:**
- Observe student participation and engagement during activities.
- Review the completed personal maps to assess understanding of basic map features and spatial relationships.
- Ask a few comprehension questions to gauge retention (e.g., “What is a map legend?” or “Can you show me where the school is on your map?”).
**Follow-Up Activities:**
- Plan a short field trip around the school or neighborhood using a simple map.
- Integrate technology by using interactive map apps or websites in future lessons.
This structure ensures that students understand basic geography skills in an interactive and engaging manner, catering to the learning needs of Year 2 students.