Map Adventures Start

Overview

Age Group: Reception (4-5 years)
Class Size: 14 students
Duration: 60 minutes
Unit: Map Adventures in Essex (Lesson 1 of 6)
Lesson Title: Introduction to Maps: What Are They?

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National Curriculum Links: Geography (Reception - Early Learning Goals)

• Understanding the World: People, Culture and Communities
  • ELG: Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places.
  • ELG: Children understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them.
• Understanding the World: The World
  • ELG: Children recognise some environments that are different from the one in which they live.

This lesson supports early geographical understanding by developing pupils’ awareness of spatial relationships and environments through use of simple maps and exploration of local surroundings.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand what a map is and what maps are used for.
2. Recognise and name simple features on a map (e.g., classrooms, playground).
3. Identify key locations on a simple map of their school environment.
4. Show curiosity and begin to ask questions about what maps can tell us.

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Resources Needed

• Large printed/simple floor map of the school ground with clear icons/labels (classrooms, playground, hall, toilets)
• Small individual paper maps (simplified version of the large map) for each pupil
• Toy figures or counters to represent children moving on the map
• Colourful stickers for labelling key features
• Whiteboard and felt-tip pens
• Picture books or images showing different types of maps (world, treasure, road maps—simple and colourful)
• Large drawing paper and crayons

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Lesson Structure & Timing

1. Welcome and Introduction (10 minutes)

• Gather children in a circle on the carpet. Show colourful picture books/images of different maps.
• Teacher asks:
  • "Have you ever seen a map before?"
  • "What do you think maps are for?"
• Introduce the word “map” clearly – “A map is a special picture that shows us places from above.”
• Show simple examples: e.g., a treasure map, a world map, a map of a park.

National Curriculum Link: Develops pupils’ understanding of environments beyond their immediate experience.

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2. Main Activity - Exploring Our School Map (25 minutes)

Step 1: Whole Class Map Exploration (10 min)

• Present the large floor map of the school.
• Tell children they are going to be “Map Explorers” today.
• Using toy figures, move around the map identifying key places: classrooms, playground, hall, toilets, etc.
• Invite children to suggest places they want to find on the map.
• Use stickers or icon markers to label these places together.

Step 2: Small Group Map Handling (15 min)

• Give each child their own smaller paper school map.
• In groups of 3-4 (with an adult/supporting teaching assistant), children:
  • Find and point to important places (classroom, playground).
  • Move their toy figures or fingers around the map as if walking to these places.
  • Colour or stick simple symbols to label places with adult’s help.

National Curriculum Link: Supports exploration of their immediate environment and spatial recognition.

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3. Creative Drawing Task (15 minutes)

• Provide children with large sheets of paper and crayons.
• Invite them to draw their favourite places at school they found on the map.
• Encourage simple marks and symbols to represent these places (classroom doors, swings, slide).
• If children can, ask them to say a sentence to describe their drawing and how it relates to the map.

National Curriculum Link: Encourages children to communicate understanding of places through drawing and talk.

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4. Plenary and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Gather the children back on the carpet and invite volunteers to show their drawings.
• Review key vocabulary: map, playground, classroom, hall, ‘special picture’.
• Ask:
  • “What is a map?”
  • “Why do you think people use maps?”
  • “What did you find on our school map today?”
• Praise curiosity – “Well done, Map Explorers!”
• Briefly introduce the next lesson focus (e.g., looking at maps of Essex).

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Assessment & Recording

• Continuous observation of children naming and identifying places on the map demonstrates understanding.
• Anecdotal notes on children’s participation and ability to use their map during group tasks.
• Collection of children’s drawings as evidence of understanding spatial representation.
• Teacher questions during plenary assess comprehension of the concept “what a map is.”

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Differentiation

• Support: Adults assist children with identifying features and holding toy figures for physically or cognitively delayed pupils.
• Challenge: Encourage more able children to think about how a map is different from a photograph and to describe features verbally.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Communication & Language: Listening carefully to explanations; using new vocabulary like "map", "place", "explorer".
• Personal, Social & Emotional Development: Working cooperatively in small groups.
• Expressive Arts & Design: Drawing, representing places symbolically.

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Teacher’s Notes & Tips

• Use clear, bright, simple visuals and icons on maps to maintain engagement.
• Have toy figures or favourite storybook characters as “map explorers” for personalised play involvement.
• Emphasise movement and physical engagement to connect the map with real-world places (pointing, walking sequences).
• Be patient with vocabulary; gently reinforce terms throughout the session.
• Incorporate local context by referencing familiar real-world landmarks (e.g., the nearest park or shop on later maps in the unit).

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This dynamic, interactive lesson helps Reception pupils grasp the foundational concept of maps through immersive, play-based learning that aligns fully with the National Curriculum’s Early Years goals for Understanding the World.