Introduce a simplified map of the classroom on the overhead projector or on chart paper. Provide basic landmarks such as the teacher's desk and the windows and invite students to help label important details. This introduces the idea that a map represents a physical place.
Add a compass rose showing the four cardinal directions to your map. Discuss relative location by asking students questions like, "If you were at the pencil sharpener, which direction would you travel to get to the window?" Focus on one-step directions to the north, south, east and west.
Provide students with a map of the school grounds or neighborhood, showing symbols for land features including bodies of water, streets, and buildings. Have students use the map key to identify places on the map. Continue to practice directions and relative locations by having students plan routes from one location on the map to another.
Direct students to locate their state on a map of the United States. Write the name of the state on the board so students can find it easily. Have students identify the bordering states and name the bodies of water adjacent to the state. Introduce geography vocabulary including state, country, continent, ocean and river.
Show students a map of their state. Help them to locate the town where they live and the capital city. Introduce the map symbols for these items. Have students describe the location of their town relative to the capital city. Ask students to compare how their state looks on a state map and how it looks on a United States map.
Have students create a map of a real or imaginary place using modeling clay or graph paper and pencils. Encourage them to include and label several different landforms and bodies of water, as well as a capital city and roads. Ask students to describe their place in terms of relative location.