3rd grade transparent landscapes

3rd grade Map Makers

I always like to collaborate with classroom teachers and integrate academic subjects into the art curriculum. Since student were studying land forms in their classroom I thought this would be a great art lesson. We looked at all kinds maps and talk about how they are used. We discussed and reviewed land forms and talked about how a map is different from a landscape painting as a map is a birds eye view. Students learned about cartography and what a cartographer does.

Students designed their own map of a fictional or real place. They had a lot of freedom to create and were required to include the following: water and land, a title, a compass rose, and a map key with at least six land forms. 

3rd Grade Map Making Project

Students  created their own fictional historical maps.  They came up with a type of map they wanted to create (for example: explorer, treasure, fairy tale, medieval, etc.). They learned about landforms, longitude, latitude, and compass roses to create their maps.  We looked at ancient maps to gain inspiration. Here are some of their creations.