Introduce mapping with a literature choice, such as "Rosie's Walk" by Pat Hutchins. This picture and limited word book describes the travels of Rosie the Chicken. There is a two-page picture of Rosie's farm, which you can use to map out Rosie's travels.
Conduct a classroom discussion about maps after reading Rosie's story. Allow the children to discuss where they have seen maps in the past. The discussion will lead to children talking about their limited map knowledge.
Present each child with a photocopied version of Rosie's barnyard. Give each child a small replica of Rosie the Chicken so children can "map out" Rosie's travels. The children can use numbers to mark Rosie's path in order from the story. The small replica of Rosie is a tactile tool for the children to use while retracing Rosie's steps.
Help children conduct their own maps by drawing buildings, landmarks and symbols to represent different areas. Children can choose either Rosie or a new animal to navigate the map. A literacy piggyback activity includes helping children write two or three sentences about their map adventures.