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PlayOwl

Geography · Grade 3

Map Evidence and Route Decisions

Maps are evidence for decisions. On a made-up county map, learners read the key, scale and directions, measure two routes to the same park, weigh barriers such as a footbridge, a steep hill and a busy road, decide which route is best for different travelers, and write a route recommendation backed by map evidence.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 85 minutes
  • Route decisions check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, plot points, highlight a text, match pairs and type a number
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Read evidence from a map (key, scale, directions, features) to describe and locate parts of a route.
  • Measure and compare routes using a scale and the barriers or helps along each one.
  • Choose the best route for a traveler's needs and explain the trade-offs.
  • Write a route recommendation with a claim, map evidence and reasoning.

Lessons

  1. Read the map's evidence 5 steps2 practiceabout 20 min
  2. Measure and compare routes 5 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  3. The best route for whom? 5 steps2 practiceabout 20 min
  4. Make your case 4 steps2 practiceabout 25 min
  5. Route decisions check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Globe ExplorerSpin a real 3D globe, flip to the flat map, and find continents, oceans and countries.
  • Pin the PlanetDrag the pin onto wonders, cities and exact latitude and longitude points.
  • Mapmaker QuestFollow directions to make a map, then read its legend, compass rose and scale.

More 3rd grade geography

Guide for grown-ups