Geography: maps, globes, and how places shape lives (kindergarten) · lesson

What a map shows

A map of one street

💡 A map is a flat picture of a place from up high.

A map shows a place from up high. It is how a bird sees it.

A map helps you find your way. It shows where things are.

A map is flat. You can fold it up and put it in a bag.

🧠 How to think about it

Find the place you know first, like your house. Then look at what is next to it. The park is next to the school. So walk past the school to get there.

map: a flat picture of a place from above

🏡 Try it at home

Draw a map of your room from above. Show your bed, the door, and one toy. Then hide a toy and use the map to find it.

🔗 Map (for grown-ups to read with kids) · National Geographic Education ↗

A globe

💡 A globe is a round model of the whole Earth.

A globe is round like a ball. It is a small copy of Earth.

Blue on a globe is water. Green and brown are land.

A globe can't fold. A paper map can.

🧠 How to think about it

Look at the colors. There is lots of blue. So Earth has lots of water.

globe: a round model of Earth
model: a small copy of a real thing

🏡 Try it at home

Find a ball at home. Pretend it is a globe. Point to where the water and the land would be.

🔗 Globe (for grown-ups to read with kids) · National Geographic Education ↗

Weather and how we live

Cold days and hot days

💡 Hot or cold weather changes what we wear and what we do.

When it is cold and snowy, we wear a coat and mittens. We can build a snowman.

When it is hot, we wear thin clothes. We swim and eat cold treats.

In a hot desert, people wear thin, cool clothes too.

🧠 How to think about it

First ask: is it hot or cold? Then pick what fits. Cold means warm clothes. Hot means cool clothes.

weather: what the sky and air are like today

🏡 Try it at home

Look out the window. Is it hot or cold? Pick out clothes that fit the weather today.

Other places, other ways

Mountains, a city, a farm, and the sea

💡 People live in ways that fit their place, but all need homes.

Near water, some homes stand on tall poles. The poles keep them dry when the water is high.

Where lots of snow falls, people plow the roads. By the sea, people work on boats.

City kids and farm kids live in different ways. But all kids need food and a home.

🧠 How to think about it

Look at the place. Is there snow? Is there a lot of water? Then think: what job or home fits there?

alike: the same in some way

🏡 Try it at home

Pick a place, like a farm or a beach. Talk about what a kid there might wear, eat, and play.