What's the BIG Idea | Activity kit 13

MATH & SCIENCE LITERACY CONNECTIONS BIG IDEA

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This kit is part of the What's The BIG Idea? series and contains:

- one map of the United States

- instructional manual

- Jonathan and His Mommy by Irene Smalls

- Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney

What do young children learn when they explore Maps and Directions?

They specify locations and descibe spatial relationships.
They use locational words such as over, behind, above, below, etc.
They describe and name direction and distance.
They collect and use data by thinking about and drawing what we observe.

The goal of this What’s the BIG Idea? kit:

To provide a general, basic understanding of maps and directions while reading books, making observations and doing hands-on investigations.

$32.99

Exploring maps and directions stimulates children's interest in the skills and concepts that are essential to understanding both science and mathematics. As children explore maps and give directions they are practicing important math and science skills.

Following a treasure map, going on a scavenger hunt, finding a book in the library and going on a trip all require spatial thinking. Children begin to understand spatial relationships when they notice and talk about the relative position of one object to another:

The book is on top of the shelf, under the window.

I think this puzzle piece will fit in that space.

These two rectangles make one square.

Spatial thinking is used in all areas of geometry. When we estimate, measure and make representations, graphs and drawings, we are using spatial thinking. Reading picture books and doing hands-on activities strengthen children’s math concepts and skills as you ask open-ended questions, encourage children to explain what they’re doing and provide many experiences with collecting and using data, and recognizing geometric shapes and structures in the environment and specify their location.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0514746. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.