Ed+Rabel+6C1+Lesson+Plan

Students will understand how legends work on a map. Pittsburgh: 40.44, -79.99 Philadelphia: 39.95, -75.16 Harrisburg: 40.27, -76.88 Students will then create a map of the first floor on the school. They are to include at least four different symbols on their legend and show the cardinal directions on the map.
 * __ Title __** : Exploring a Primary Source Railroad Map of Pennsylvania
 * __ Grade __** : 7th
 * __ Source Link __** : []=
 * __ Objectives __** : Students will demonstrate an understanding of latitude and longitude.
 * __ PA State Standard __** : 7.1. Basic Geographic Literacy
 * __ Introduction __** : The class will be introduced to the concept of maps. We will look at a small map of the local town and the streets. The students should be familiar with their town and help them understand the map.
 * __ Body __** : The class will then be shown the primary source map of Pennsylvania and how the cardinal directions are demonstrated. We will also discuss the concept of latitude and longitude and how it organizes points all over the world. We will then look at legends on maps and show how each symbol represents something on the map such as landmarks, railroads, parks, and others.
 * __ Assessment __** : The students will be asked to locate the city based on the latitude and longitude points given below.

​ **Ed, I really enjoyed that you are giving the students the task of using latitude and longitude. This is a skill that I haven't often seen used in classes and I believe it is a lost art. My husband is a model railroader and it is amazing to hear the stories of those who worked the railroads and what it meant when a train was late and the cities and industries that grew based on the railroads. Fascinating! Thank you for the lesson! Shirley**

Ed: I like the way you have the students map the building and add the "cardinal directions". I also complete an activity similar to this in Planetary Science, but you have provided me with some great ideas for students to add to their maps. I would also like them to add the coordinates using longitude and latitude,as this is also part of our lesson in the same unit. Thanks for the great ideas, as my students can also add a railroad track that is found directly behind our school building. Shelly Budinger