Objective:

By the end of the lesson, the kids will be able to:
  1. Memorize their address;
  2. Understand that their home is part of larger community that it is part of a street, that a street is a part of a barangay, that a barangay is part of a city/municipality, that a  city/municipality is part of a province (Philippine setting), that a province is part of a country and so on;
  3. Identify their barangay, city, province, country, and continent on a map;
  4. Understand where they are in relation to the rest of the world. 

Learning Activities:

A. Read the book "Me On the Map" by Joan Sweeney. This book follows a girl as she maps her room, house, street, town, state, country, and planet. The book can be read online at archive.org for free after registration (which is also free). Just do not forget to return the book after reading :) 

Me on the Map
Photo from rif.org

Begin by asking the kids "Can you be in two places at the same time? Why or why not?" Explain that they will be able to answer the question after reading the book "Me on the Map." Tell them to think about the question as read the story. 

Start reading the book. At appropriate times during reading ask the following questions:
  1. Where is the little girl in the book located? (bedroom)
  2. Where is the girl now? (house)
  3. Can she be in her room and her house at the same time? How is this possible?
  4. What is the street of the girl? (Oak street) 
  5. What is the name of our street?
  6. On the map of the town, what other place we can see? (her street)
  7. On the map of the state, what other place we can see? (her town)
  8. What is the name of our town/city?
  9. On the map of her country, we can see what other place? (her state)
  10. What state does she live? (Kansas)
  11. How about us? What is our province?
  12. On the map of the world, what other place we can see? (her country)
  13. What is her country? 
  14. How about us? What is our country?
  15. What does the story teach you about your location?
  16. Can you be in two places at the same time? Why or why not?

B. Show the kids their location using Google Earth
  1. Tell the kids that you are now going to look at your house using Google Earth.
  2. Open Google Earth and type your address. Find your place and zoom in as close as possible. 
  3. Show the kids your house and your street. Ask them "How do you know it is our house?" (point out the landmarks)
  4. Zoom out so they can see the village or subdivision and ask "Can you still see our house?"
  5. Explain that as you zoom out, the area that you can see increase but the detail of the area decreases. Explain that your house is in a neighborhood, so they are in the neighborhood too.
  6. Zoom out to show the barangay, then the city/town, province, country, continent, and finally the world. 
  7. Ask them if they can still your house and why.
  8. Zoom in to show in reverse order, the world, continent, country, etc. until you end up back at your house. (Source: http://faculty.csbsju.edu)

3. Map your Home

Tell the kids that you will be creating a map of your house similar to the book, Me on the Map. Provide each of them with papers, pencils and crayons and ask them to draw an outline of your house, filling in the different room locations such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, etc. When they are finished, ask them to share their maps. 

4. Stacking Cups  

To reinforce the topic, give the kids a hands on activity that focuses on where they live from the smallest to the largest location – from their house all the way to their galaxy and vice versa. This can be done through nesting boxes, nesting circles, booklets or stackable cups. Click here for the details and free printables of this activity.


Assessment

Objectives are fulfilled when the kids are able memorize their address, identify their barangay, city, province, country, and continent on a map, create their house maps, and arrange the stacking cups in the correct order.