Learning Through Maps and

Mapping Our Learning:

Fostering geo-literacy through the use of online,

interactive PuzzleMaps

Workshop #2

Nov. 12, 2019

Entry Task: Please Read…

• As you come in the door, please read the portion of the

article the corresponds to the color below:

– #1/red - pp. 47-53 (Intro up to Research Methodology)

– #2/green - pp. 53-57 (Research methodology up to Results)

– #3/blue - pp. 57-end (Results to end)

• Note: You will share highlights of your section with

others in a few minutes…

Hinde, E. R., Osborn Popp, S. E., Jimenez-Silva, M., & Dorn, R. I.

(2011). Linking geography to reading and English language

learners’ achievement in US elementary and middle school

classrooms.

International Research in Geographical and

Environmental Education

(1), 47-63.

1. Brief re-introductions by sharing name tents (~10)

2. Jigsaw reading group discussions (~10-15)

3. Whole group discussion & food for thought video

(if time) (~10)

4. Sharing about your students’ experiences with

PuzzleMap (~15)

5. Thinking about possible curricular connections

(~60-80)

a) Choose and try out an activity and share out

Time to brainstorm and work in groups

b) Time to share out with the whole group

c) Sign-up for classroom observations during work

time

6. Closure (~5-10)

Agenda for Today’s Workshop

Outcomes for Today

1. Consider ways that learning

geography can support other

content areas.

2. Try out an activity that builds upon

PuzzleMap and connects to the

CCSS.

3. Begin to develop curricular ideas &

plans for teaching with PuzzleMap

and developing your students’

geo-literacy skills.

Jigsaw Discussions

• Each person briefly shares the highlights of

their section

– What was important? Interesting?

• Small group discussion

– What did you think about? Wonder?

– What questions do you have?

• Whole group discussion

– What possible connections do you see to our

work?

PuzzleMap in Your Classroom

• How has it been

going?

• What have you tried

out so far?

• What has worked

well? What could be

better?

• Student response

and feedback?

• What else?

Food For Thought

• https://www.youtube.com/results?search_que

ry=West+Wing+maps

• What did you think about as you watched this

video clip?

• Possible connections to our work?

Some Possible Classroom Activities

Which one would you like to try out tonight?

• You will pick an activity to try out with a partner.

• You can work in English or Spanish.

• You can use your travel journal if you have it.

Activity #1: Using Text Features

grade Reading)

•CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.RI.3.5

Use text features and

search tools (e.g., key

words, sidebars,

hyperlinks) to locate

information relevant to a

given topic

efficiently.

With a partner, can you

use the key words,

sidebars, and hyperlinks in

South America PuzzleMap

to discover…

Where is the Holy Stalagmite?

When did Bolivia win independence

from Spain?

Who is the president of Colombia?

Now write your own

questions for someone else

to use text features to find

the answer to.

Activity #2: Getting the GIST

grade Reading)

CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.RI.3.7

Use information gained

from illustrations (e.g.,

maps

, photographs) and

the words in a text to

demonstrate

understanding of the

text (e.g., where, when,

why, and how key

events occur).

• With your partner, pick a country that

you would like to visit…

• Together choose a place within that

country that you would like

investigate further…

• Use the graphic organizer format

modeled next to organize your

information.

• Together, write a brief summary of

what you’ve learned, using the

following structure…

• (You can do this in English or Spanish

and write in your travel journal…)

País: Chile,

Lugar: Estrecho de Magallanes

Detalles

Claves

Lo que

supí

Pensamientos

preguntas

Qué

pasaje del océano pacífo

Atlántico; Nebuloso y

tormentoso

Por

qué es tan turbulente?

Dónde

Está

al sur de la tierra

principal de

Sudamérica y

atraviesa

Argentina Y Chile

Cuándo

N/A

Por

qué?

Les

ayuda a la gente

transporter

las cosas (y a las

personas).

Cuánto

tiempo toma para

cruzar

por el pasaje?

Cómo

atraviesa por barco.

Resúmen

El estrecho de Magallanes es un

pasaje entre los océanos Pacífico

y Atlántico. Está al sur del

Sudamérica entre Chile y

Argentina. Es nebuloso y

tormentoso.

Activity #3: How much water?

grade Mathematics)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1

Know relative sizes of

measurement units within one

system of units including km,

m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr,

min, sec. Within a single system

of measurement, express

measurements in a larger unit in

terms of a smaller unit. Record

measurement equivalents in a

two-column table.

Solve the following problem with a

partner:

• Rising 741 feet, Kaieteur Falls has an

average flow of 23,400 cubic feet per

second making it one of the most

powerful waterfalls in the world.

• If there are 7.48 cubic feet in one

gallon,

how many gallons of water

fall each minute? Each hour? Each

day?

 Can you find what country

this waterfall is in?

Activity #4: Word Wizards

(6th grade English Language Arts)

•CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.RI.6.4

Determine the meaning

of words and phrases as

they are used in a text,

including figurative,

connotative, and

technical meanings.

• With a partner, pick a puzzlemap to

explore.

• Find 3-5 new or interesting words or

phrases and write your own

definition for them.

• Describe some of the places you’ve

explored using these words.

• How did you determine the meaning

of these words and/or decide what to

include in your definition?

Activity #5: Mini-Research Project

(4th grade English Language Arts)

4-ESS3-1.Obtain and

combine information to

describe that energy and

fuels are derived from

natural resources and their

uses affect the environment.

W.4.7 Conduct short

research projects that build

knowledge through

investigation of different

aspects of a topic.

https://www.nextgenscience.

org/pe/4-ess3-1-earth-

and-human-activity

With a partner, pick a puzzlemap to

explore and do the following:

• Can you find 3 or more examples in any

othat show evidence of how people have

changed their environment?

• What are they?

• Using a graphic organizer (next slide),

briefly describe how these projects

provide energy and fuel for people.

• How does their use affect the

environment?

Place

Country

Benefit

Drawback

Demerara

Harbor Bridge

Guyana

Helps people

travel to islands

and back; Faster

Maybe bothers

fish and other

sea life? More

pollution on

island?

Activity #6: Send a Post Card

(8th grade Writing)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3

Write narratives to develop real

or imagined experiences or

events using effective

technique, relevant descriptive

details, and well-structured

event sequences.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.D

Use precise words and phrases,

relevant descriptive details,

and sensory language to

capture the action and convey

experiences and events.

• Write a postcard to a classmate (pick

a pen pal in advance) telling them

about a real or imagined experience

in one of the places you explored

using PuzzleMap.

• Use as many descriptive words and

details as you can to convey this

experience.

• Decorate the cover of your post card.

• Exchange postcards and read!

Debrief

• How did your activity work for you today?

– What did you notice, wonder, think about?

• How might it work with your own students

and what adjustments might you make?

• What language & literacy connections did

you notice today?

• How might these activities support

emergent bilingual students/ELs?

How

else

might you incorporate geoliteracy

into your teaching?

Possible Curricular Working Groups

Group One

• Bridgette (3

, Maya Angelou)

• Veronica (3

, DL, Fuerza)

• Ana (4

, DL, Amistad)

Group Two

• Kendall (4

, Westgate)

• Dominique (4

, Westgate)

• Angela (4

, Westgate)

Group Three

• Trevor (4

, DL, McClintock)

• Melanie (5

, McClintock)

• Laurel (5

, McClintock)

Group Four

• Curtis (8

, LA & SS, Ochoa MS)

• Leora (9

& 10th, Chiawana HS)

• Matthew (HS, Delta HS?)

• Meg (9

& 10

, Pasco HS)

Connecting Geoliteracy to

Your

Teaching

Option One

• Revisit PM and write down some of the content that

interested you/applied to your teaching context

• Jot down a few ideas about what you learned

• Brainstorm possible topics/curricular connections

• Research your own connections to any of the

standards

• Possible language & literacy learning opportunities???

• Record the group’s ideas on chart paper – you may

want to create a graphic organizer similar to the

example for option one – or, create your own!

Option One Example…

PuzzleMap

Discoveries

What you learned

Curricular

Connections/

Topics

Applicable

Standards

Kaa Iya National

Park in Bolivia

One of the last

places where

jaguars still live in

the wild.

Only national park in

the Americas

founded and

administered by

native people.

Animal habitats

Ecosystems

Conservation

NGSS 4

-ESS3 –

Earth and Human

Activity

Obtain and

combine

information to

describe that

energy and fuels

are derived from

natural resources

and their uses

affect the

environment.

Connecting Geoliteracy to

Your

Teaching

Option Two

• What curricular content, in general, are you hoping to

support with PuzzleMap?

• What are some of the key ideas and skills that need to

be taught?

• What CCSS are relevant?

• What are some of your ideas for activities and lessons

to connect PuzzleMap to this content?

• Possible language & literacy learning opportunities???

• Record the group’s ideas on chart paper – you may

want to create a graphic organizer similar to the

example for option two – or, create your own!

Option Two Example

Content Area:

Key Ideas &

Concepts

Key Skills

Relevant

Standards

Possible

Activities &

Lessons

Time to Share Ideas…

Revisiting Our Outcomes for Today

1. Consider ways that learning

geography can support other

content areas

2. Learn 3+ activities that can build

upon PuzzleMap and support

various curricular areas

3. Begin to develop curricular plans

for teaching with PuzzleMap and

developing your students’ geo-

literacy skills

For Next Time…

1. Workshop #3: Creating Our Own

PuzzleMap, Session 1: Research

Please bring the following:

Laptop/Device (or you can use our

chromebooks)

Your Science or Social Studies

curriculum/Teacher’s Guidebook related

to the area you want to focus on with

PuzzleMap

Any other teaching materials you want

to think about in connection to teaching

geo-literacy and/or teaching with

PuzzleMap

Please provide feedback from today!

• What worked well for you today? Less well?

• What are some specific ideas that will support

your teaching??

• What are some suggestions for improvement –

either for the workshops and/or PuzzleMap?

• Anything else you would like for me to know?

Sarah N. Newcomer: sarah.newcomer@wsu.edu