Political Maps Explained

Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 20 students
Grade: 4th Grade
Unit: Mapping New York State (Lesson 1 of 5)
Lesson Title: Introduction to Political Maps and Their Importance

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify key features of political maps including cities, capitals, and boundaries.
• Explain the importance of political maps in understanding the relationships between geographical areas and governance.
• Use a political map of New York State to locate and describe characteristics of different regions.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

Social Studies Related Standards (integrated from CCSS & other National Curricula)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 – Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. (Used when reading map legends and explanatory text.)
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1 – Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas