The exercises within this section develop further children's familiarity with the map of Ireland and develops their understanding of what a plan is.
Activity 1: Colour the counties
Here children are asked colour places within the map of Ireland. Children will see that Ireland is divided into smaller places called counties and that colours can help us to distinguish where each county is. Children should mark their own county. They might notice whether it is near or far away from the sea.
Activity 2: A plan of a house
Children are asked to color the different rooms in particular colours. To do this they must interpret the plan. They need to understand that a plan is a view from above and that a plan of a building shows how a building is laid out and where the rooms are within it.
Activity 3: Map symbols
Here children have to match picture symbols such as a forest, water, houses and a cliff to a picture map.
Discussion points: Why are symbols used on maps? What kind of symbols could we put up in the school to show where the playground and toilets were?
Activity: Children could draw a picture map and include some symbols such as those encountered in the activity.
Story: The teacher could get children to make a story map using some symbols. The teacher can read a section of a story such as The Gingerbread Man, The Billy Goats Gruff or Red Riding Hood and children can illustrate the route taken by one of the main characters. The teacher can further consolidate the work on symbols by making a large map illustrating a section of a story and can ask children to make the symbols to represent the forest, the stream etc. This picture map can then be painted and placed on display with a caption such as 'Where the Billy Goats Gruff Went '. This will help children to remember direction, routes and symbols.