Locating places: people live in places

Early Stage 1
Geography: Kindergarten
Topic: 
Locating Places: Pictorial Maps

Locating places: people live in places

Students explore the places they live in and belong to. Students discover how the location of places can be represented.
Key inquiry question #1: 
What are places like?

Content

Locating places

Students:

  • investigate how the location of places can be represented, for example:  (ACHGK001)
  • location of familiar and local places on maps   
  • description of the location of places  

Background Notes for Teachers

The focus of these activities is on developing an understanding of the features and uses of pictorial maps and using the language of position to describe location.

Pictorial maps are a geographical tool that can be used to represent data in geographical inquiries. A pictorial map is defined by the NSW Geography K-10 syllabus as ‘a map using illustrations to represent information on a map’. Pictorial maps are usually represented from a bird’s eye view or from a slanted angle.

Positional language includes: across, around, over, past, through, under, beside, behind, between, near, far, above, below.

Student Activities

Activity 1

Pictorial maps

Students locate places by using a zoomable map.

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity 2

Activity 3

What is a map?

Students study a picture book and discuss the maps shown and understand how to use positional language. 

Number of set tasks: 1
Map

Activity 4

Activity 5

Describing location

Students understand how to use positional langauge when describing location and geographical features.

Number of set tasks: 1

Activity 6

A Playground Walk

Students  study a picture book then plot a trail through their pictorial map and use positional language to describe.

Number of set tasks: 1

NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum Geography K–6

Outcomes

A student:

  • GEe‑1 identifies places and develops an understanding of the importance of places to people
  • GEe‑2 communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools

Geographical Inquiry Skills

Acquiring geographical information

  • pose questions and make observations (ACHGS001)
  • record geographical data and information (ACHGS002)

Processing geographical information

  • represent data using charts or graphs (ACHGS003)
  • draw conclusions based on discussions of observations (ACHGS004)

Communicating geographical information

  • present information (ACHGS005)
  • reflect on their learning (ACHGS006)

Geographical Concepts

  • Place: the significance of places and what they are like (e.g places students live in and belong to and why they are important).
  • Space: the significance of location and spatial distribution, and ways people organise and manage the spaces that we live in (e.g location of a place in relation to other familiar places).
  • Environment: the significance of the environment in human life, and the important interrelationships.

LAC

Learning across the curriculum

  • Information and communication technology capability
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Personal and social capability

Resources

Picture books

My Map Book by Sara Fanelli

Maps by Aleksandria Mizielinska

Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins

Pictorial maps

Winnie the Pooh – pictorial map of the Hundred Acre Wood 

Tourist map of Penrith from the 1980s 

Concept work for Sydney City Map 

Map of Luna Park Sydney