"Bed Sheet" Map and Accompanying Puzzle Pieces
Mary Frances Higuchi
Hawaii Geographic Alliance
11/99 Revised
The "Bed Sheet" may be used for any type of map ( World, United States or any other country, Region, etc.), or it can also be used for a game board. It is excellent for younger students because the sheet can be folded, unfolded, stepped on, and washed, as needed. The sheet can be placed on the floor, or on any other flat surface. Dining table cloth (plastic on one side and flannel on the other) can be used in place of the sheet.
Directions for Construction:
1. Tape old newspaper or butcher paper to a flat surfaced wall. Tack or tape a solid colored or white bed sheet over the newspaper. (Note: The newpaper helps absorb the ink from the pen while tracing. Otherwise, ink marks may be left on the wall.)
2. Make a transparency of the map, or game.
3. Use the overhead projector to project the transparency onto the sheet.
4. Using a permanent fabric pen, trace the map onto the sheet.
5. When tracing is completed, remove sheet from the wall.
6. To construct puzzle pieces for a map, place oaktag on the wall. Trace the different parts (islands, continents, countries, etc.) on the oaktag. Cut out, spray paint, and laminate each piece. If preferred, large colored construction/butcher paper can be used to trace each piece. Students found it easier to associate different places with different colored pieces.
7. Accompanying labels can be written, cut, and laminated. (Example: names of continents, oceans, directions, major lines - equator, prime meridian, etc.)
To Use "Bed Sheet" Maps:
1. Place map on an open space in the room.
2. Students sit around the map.
3. Randomly, pass out puzzle pieces and labels to students.
4. As each place is discussed, puzzle piece and label are placed on the map.
5. Songs can be sung as you play the game. (Example: To the tune of "Where is Thumpkins?" similar words can be sung:
Where is Asia? Where is Asia?
Here I am. Here I am.
Put me on the map. I am on the map.
Walk away. I am away.
Students love to make up their own words.
6. To learn about relative distances within places, students then play the "Twister" game. Example: Put your right foot on Asia; put your left hand on North America; put your left foot on Antarctica; put your right hand on Africa. The object of the "Twister" game is to see if students can stretch to given places, as well as, learn the various places. It is wonderful to reinforce right and left for primary students.
Note: The "Bed Sheet" map is excellent when teaching basic map skills for primary grades. I've made a set using the continents as the puzzle pieces. The students sit around the map. After placing the continents and labels on the map, use yarn to mark the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Prime Meridian, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle. Discuss hemispheres, directions, and even explorations of certain explorers.
Once students have walked on the map and made their associations, they can begin to transfer their knowledge to an outline map on paper.
From this stage, have students work with laminated mercator maps. Two pieces of yarn are tied around the map. One piece is used to mark the latitude and the other piece is used to mark the longitude. The absolute location is the point at which both yarns intersect with each other. Practice placing the yarn on the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, etc. Check to see where the Equator and the Prime Meridian intersect.
For the younger students, locate continents and well-known countries. In this case, use a simple map. For older students, a more detailed map is used. After reviewing the directions and teaching the basic skills for reading latitude and longitude, give the students coordinates to locate the place. For example: Tell the students to place the piece of yarn at 21 degrees North, they will move the yarn to that position. Then, tell them to place the "longitude" yarn at 158 degrees West. When both pieces of yarn intersect, the students have already learned the "absolute" location for Hawaii. Give students many coordinates and have them find the places.
After the students are pretty comfortable with the coordinates,
play "Twenty Questions". They ask questions to quess where you
are thinking of. For example, if you are thinking of Hawaii, key questions
may be: "Are you in the Northern hemisphere?" "Are you
in the Western hempishere?" "Are you between 0 and 30 degrees
south? etc. Questions as to continents, latitude/longitude, between such
and such degrees, etc. will be asked. It's a fun way to get students to
learn to read latitude and longitude.
© Copyright Hawaii Geographic Alliance. All rights reserved. Nov.99