Unit Plan 17 (Grade 3 Social Studies): Maps Around the World
Students learn continents and oceans, compare political and physical maps, use titles, legends, and directions, and evaluate which maps are most reliable for answering questions.
Focus: Use political and physical maps to identify the seven continents and five oceans, read titles, legends, and direction symbols, and begin to evaluate which maps are the best sources for answering specific questions.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: Social Studies (Geography • Inquiry/Source Evaluation)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students become world map explorers who use political maps (showing countries and borders) and physical maps (showing landforms and water) to identify the continents and oceans. They practice reading titles, legends/keys, and direction symbols (N, S, E, W) to find places and describe where they are on the globe. Students also begin to think like critical thinkers by comparing different map sources—a classroom wall map, an atlas page, a cartoon map, or an online image—and asking, “Is this map useful for my question? Is it showing facts or someone’s opinion?” By the end, students create a simple “World Map Explorer Guide” that labels continents and oceans and gives advice for choosing helpful maps.
Essential Questions
- What do political and physical maps show, and how are they different?
- Where are the seven continents and five oceans located on a world map or globe?
- How can titles, legends, and direction symbols help us read maps accurately?
- How can we tell whether a map is a good source for our question or if it is more of an opinion or cartoon?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use a world political map to locate and label the seven continents and a world physical map to locate and label the five oceans.
- Explain the difference between a political map (countries, borders, cities) and a physical map (landforms, water, elevation).
- Read and use map features: title, legend/key, and direction symbol (compass rose) to answer simple “Where is…?” questions.
- Compare at least two different map sources (e.g., wall map vs. cartoon map vs. online image) and decide which one is more relevant and trustworthy for learning about continents and oceans.
- Distinguish between fact (“Africa is a continent”) and opinion (“Africa is the most interesting continent”) in short map-related statements.
- Create a “World Map Explorer Guide” that includes a labeled world map and simple tips for choosing a good map source.
Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (C3-based custom)
- 3.C3.Geo.2 — Use and create maps with titles, legends, scale symbols, and cardinal/intermediate directions.
- Example: Draw a neighborhood map using N, NE, E… to describe a route.
- 3.C3.Inq.3 — Evaluate sources for relevance and basic credibility; distinguish fact, opinion, and perspective.
- Example: Identify which paragraph is opinion vs. fact in a community newsletter.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can point to and label the seven continents and five oceans on a world map or globe.
- I can tell the difference between a political map and a physical map and explain what each one shows.
- I can use a map’s title, legend, and direction symbol to help me find places.
- I can decide which map is more helpful for answering a question and explain why.
- I can tell the difference between a fact about maps and an opinion about a place.
- I can make a World Map Explorer Guide that shows continents, oceans, and tips for choosing good maps.