Finding Their Way: Developing Map Skills Through Unit Study

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you already know that I rarely worry about getting lost  while driving when my GPR is in the car with me; that’s Global Positioning Ryan (my 9-year-old son) for the newer reader.  From an early age, Ryan has shown an uncanny affinity toward maps.  At four, he would spend hours on Google Maps “traveling.”  At five, he asked my Dad, “Grandpa, do you know how to get from New Jersey to Rhode Island?” and then proceeded to tell him two different ways he could travel, complete with route numbers.  Ryan has a knack for directions and location.  He knows where he is, how he got there, and how to get to the next location, even if he has yet to travel there.  Ryan reads maps better than most adults, and is one of the few kids I know who lists “map reading” as a hobby.

My younger son, Connor, is not quite as interested in maps as his older brother, but with Ryan’s  strong interest in maps, map collecting, map reading, and map studying, Connor couldn’t help but pick up an understanding of maps and how to read them.

When I first learned I would be reviewing the Map Skills Unit Study by Kim Kargbo of Soli Deo Gloria Resources, I was excited, and imagined my boys would be, too.  After all, the oldest is a self-proclaimed “map kid” and the younger one is fascinated by anything that interests his big brother.

Soli Deo Gloria Resources designs unit studies that “cause learners to be captivated by God’s ‘bigger picture.’”  The Map Skills Unit Study is a hands-on two to three week study.  It is designed to introduce students in kindergarten through third grade to geography and map reading skills.   It retails for $14.00 in print form and $11.50 in electronic form, and does recommend the purchase of a map workbook (approximately $5 at Rainbow Resource), although the unit can be completed without it.

Upon further exploration, I discovered that the Soli Deo Gloria Resources Map Skills Unit Study was a very basic introduction to understanding directions and reading maps.  Although well-written and thorough as a beginning map unit, it was far below the skill levels of either of my boys, and so we did not use the unit study in our homeschool.  In looking through the study and discussing some of the suggested activities with the boys in order to write this review, both Ryan and Connor agreed that a student unfamiliar with basic map skills would have fun completing this unit study and would learn a great deal in the process.  They particularly liked the unit ideas for the compass games, some of which we did play with our Cub Scout Den on a recent Family Camp Out.  I liked the suggested literature list, and did check out several of the recommended texts from our neighborhood library.

Overall, I believe the Map Skills Unit Study would be useful in working with young children with little to no understanding of directionality and map reading.  Students with a working knowledge of maps, like my boys, will likely find it too simplistic; but don’t take my word for it.  Check out what other Crew Members had to say about their experiences with the Map Skills Unit Study in their homeschools.