Rosie's Walk

Mary Frances Higuchi

September, 2001

Overview: In this lesson students are introduced to physical and human characteristics, positional words, and cardinal directions. The lesson begins outside the classroom where students apply the positional words and cardinal directions, observe their surroundings, and record what they've seen.

Grade Level: K-1

Hawaii Geography Standards and Performance Standards:

WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS: GCS1: Students use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments.

K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark:

Read and make geographic representations (i.e., maps, globes, graphs, charts, models) to locate and describe locations, distances, directions, and scale.

Performance Standards:

The student will:

1. Create a map that includes the title, orientation, date, author's name, legend and scale

2. Show the selected features (man made and/or natural) of the environment being studied.

3. Use geographical terms to describe a specific location and human/physical characteristics of a place.

PLACES & REGIONS: GCS:2

Students understand how distinct physical and human characteristics shape places and regions

K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark:

Use physical and human characteristics to compare and contrast places and regions locally and globally.

Performance Standards:

The student will:

1. Describe the similarities and differences of the physical characteristics (landforms, climate) of a community with another.

2. Describe the similarities and differences of the human characteristics (landmarks, population, products) of a community with another.

3. Show how the physical and human characteristics of a place/region determine the uniqueness of a place/region

Geographic Skills:

Engage in field work to collect information

Create maps that include title, orientation, date, and author's name

Vocabulary:

Positional words from the book, such as over, under, above, around, behind, through

Physical characteristics like mountains, water bodies, rivers

Human characteristics such as, farms, buildings, roads

Materials:

Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. First Aladdin Paperbacks Edition. 1986.

8 1/2" x 11" white paper and markers

Large sheet of paper, approximately 4' x 3'

Glue or tape

Rosie's Walk Directions Game

Strips with sentences/phrases written, prepared ahead of time

Worksheet (optional) for students to draw their pictures (outside)

Assessment:

Check students' work. How well can students distinguish between physical and human characteristics? How well can students give the locations where Rosie went? How well can students apply the positional words? How well did students describe the physical and human characteristics of their school community and Rosie's community. Could they compare the similarities and differences and describe why each place is unique?

Procedures:

Part I: Field Work

1. Take students outside. Discuss the key positional words from the book. Give students oral directions, for instance, walk around the pole; walk under the tree; walk over the rock.

2. If students are working on directions, have them walk in the different directions. For instance, face north. Tell the students to walk five paces north. Ask them questions like: What do you see ahead of you? Turn to the west, what do you see? Turn back facing north. Turn south, what do you see? Turn back facing north. Turn east, what do you see? If students know the song, "The Sun is Rising from the East," have them sing it while turning in the different directions.

3. Combine positional words with cardinal directions: For example, Face north, walk ten steps north. Walk around the tree. Face south.

4. Have students give oral commands to the rest of the class.

5. Discuss physical characteristics. Point out the mountains, streams ( if available), and other characteristics. Ask students which direction the mountains or streams are.

6. Discuss human characteristics. Point out the buildings, roads, etc. Ask students which direction the buildings are, etc. Ask students if the pole that they went around is a physical or human characteristic?

7. Have students draw four pictures of what they saw, each in the direction that they saw them...north, west, south, and east. They could also write or dictate what they did. For example, the north picture may read, "I went around the tree." The worksheet may be used. Or, have students draw the pictures on drawing paper, color, and glue to a larger piece of paper. Be sure to have the cardinal directions on their large "map."

Part II: Rosie's Walk Book

1. Read Rosie's Walk to students. Discuss physical and human characteristics. Discuss positional words.

2. Divide class into readers, artists, and actors/actresses. The readers will practice reading the story. Each student should have a sentence/phrase. For example, "Rosie the hen went for a walk." The artists will draw a picture for each scene. The actors/actresses will practice acting the story out.

3. Performance: Round 1: The readers read while the artists show their pictures. Round 2: The readers read while the actors/actresses act out the story. Pay attention to the positional words.

4. On a large sheet of paper, students will create a map by placing Rosie's house in the middle and the rest of the pictures on four sides of the house. Tape or glue the pictures on the paper. Write the title and the orientation arrow on the map. Ask students questions: i.e., If Rosie wanted to go from her house around the pond, which direction would she have to go?

5. Have students dictate or write a description of one of the places that Rosie went. They should include the location and human/physical characteristics.

Part III: Reinforcement Directions,

Have students play Rosie's Walk Directional Game. See game for directions.

Part IV: Assessment

Have students describe the human and physical characteristics of their school setting where they did the activities in Part I and do the same for Rosie's community. Have them compare the similarities and differences and tell why each is unique.

Rubric: World In Spatial Terms

Rubric: Places and Regions