Lesson Plan (Grades 9-12): Digital Story Mapping with GIS - Bringing Literature to Life Through Geography

I. Introduction

Lesson Title: Digital Story Mapping with GIS

Grade Level: Grades 9–12

Subject Area: English Language Arts & Geography/Technology

Overview Stories unfold not only in time but also across place. In this comprehensive, multi-session unit, students will harness basic Geographic Information System (GIS) tools—such as Google My Maps—to chart the world of a chosen novel or short story. Working in small teams, they will:

1. Identify at least six significant narrative settings in their text, noting chapter and page references.
2. Plot these locations accurately on a digital map, adding custom markers, icons, and color coding to differentiate setting types (e.g., home, conflict site, resolution point).
3. Annotate each marker’s pop-up window with direct quotations and 2–3 sentence analyses explaining how that place shapes character development, plot progression, or thematic resonance.
4. Incorporate multimedia elements—photographs, historical maps, or video links—to enrich spatial context and connect fictional settings to real-world geography.
5. Present and navigate their interactive story map to peers, demonstrating spatial literacy, technical proficiency with GIS, and depth of literary insight.
6. Reflect in writing on how mapping deepened their understanding of setting and its influence on character choices and thematic development.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives Students will be able to:

1. Locate Settings: Identify and list six or more narrative settings in the novel, each supported by a book citation (chapter and page).
2. Master GIS Basics: Create and configure a custom Google My Map, adding markers, layers, and base map styles.
3. Compose Annotations: Write concise but insightful 2–3 sentence pop-up descriptions for each location, linking quotations to analysis of setting’s impact on character or theme.
4. Utilize Multimedia: Embed one relevant image or link per location—historical photos, architectural plans, or short video excerpts—to contextualize the fictional place.
5. Present & Defend: Guide classmates through their interactive map, explaining spatial patterns, narrative connections, and multimedia choices.
6. Collaborate Digitally: Work in teams to share editing access, divide mapping tasks, and troubleshoot technical or interpretive challenges.

Standards Alignment

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1 / RL.11-12.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of explicit details and inferences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3 / RL.11-12.3: Analyze how complex characters develop and how their actions shape the plot.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 / SL.11-12.5: Incorporate digital media and visual displays in presentations to enhance comprehension.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 / W.11-12.6: Use technology to produce and publish writing and interact and collaborate.
• Geography Standard (NCSS): Use geographic tools to interpret spatial data and analyze human–environment interactions.
• ISTE Student Standard 6.2 & 6.4: Students communicate and collaborate in digital environments, curate information responsibly.