Grade 2 Spring History - Immigration Stories: Why Families Move, How They Journey, and How They Make Home
Lesson 8 40 min hist.g2.s.lesson_08

Mapping Journeys - Distance and Direction

Skills targeted
Objectives
  • Students locate continents on the world map.
  • Students use a scale bar to estimate journey distance (cross-link to Math G2 Spring measurement).
Vocabulary
continentoceanscaledistancecardinal directionscompass

Lesson plan

Warm-up

5 min

Continent chant from G1-Spring: name all 7 continents. Then ocean chant: name 5 oceans.

Teacher moves
  • Affirm prior knowledge
  • Add direction: continents we'll see on the migration map today

Direct instruction

12 min

Today we use the world map to measure JOURNEY DISTANCES. The scale bar tells us: 1 inch = ~1,000 miles on this map. We can use a ruler to estimate how far a family traveled. We will trace 2 journeys today: (1) Yuyi Morales from Xalapa Mexico to San Francisco California; (2) Allen Say's grandfather from Japan to California and back.

Key examples
  • A journey by car or bus would take many days.
    model About 2.5 inches = about 2,500 miles.
    prompt Yuyi Morales: from Xalapa to San Francisco - about how many inches on the map?
Checks for understanding
  • What does the scale bar tell us?
  • What is the unit of distance we use?
Sourcework
Source type
MG-5 World Map (laminated wall) + personal world map pages + scale bar reference
Routine
MAP-NOTICE-WONDER-SOURCE applied to journey paths
Media
M-2-S-GEO-08-B Diagram
Display map 11x17 showing two example journeys: (1) Xalapa Mexico (red pin) to San Francisco (red pin) with red dashed a

Display map 11x17 showing two example journeys: (1) Xalapa Mexico (red pin) to San Francisco (red pin) with red dashed arrow ~2,500 miles labeled; (2) Hiroshima Japan (blue pin) to Berkeley California (blue pin) with blue dashed arrow ~5,300 miles labeled, then back arrow showing return. Scale bar prominent. Header: 'TWO JOURNEYS. TWO STORIES.' Footer: 'From Allen Say and Yuyi Morales autobiographical sources.'

Guided practice

12 min
Tasks
  • Pair-trace 2 journeys on personal world map pages with string and ruler. Measure approximate distance.
    scaffold Distance answer key for self-check
  • Mark cardinal directions on your map (N at top).
Media
M-2-S-GEO-08-A Map
Worksheet map 8.5x11 landscape showing world map with 7 continents outlined, 5 oceans labeled, scale bar at bottom (1 in

Worksheet map 8.5x11 landscape showing world map with 7 continents outlined, 5 oceans labeled, scale bar at bottom (1 inch = ~1,000 miles), compass rose at corner. Equator visible. Space at bottom for child to write distance estimates. Style: clean, child-readable, sufficiently large continent labels.

Formative assessment

3 min
Exit ticket
  • Measure the distance from one ancestral place to the school on your personal map. Report the estimated miles.
scoring Reasonable estimate using scale = mastery

Closure

2 min
Moves
  • Add 'scale', 'distance' to Word Wall
  • Preview: tomorrow we visit Ellis Island and Angel Island

Homework

5 min
Tasks
  • Measure the distance between two places that matter to your family on the world map at home or online.

Exercises in this lesson

hist.g2.s.geo.journey_paths.ex_02
Measure the distance from one ancestral place (your family's or chosen family's) to your school on the world map. Estimate using the...
 distance measurement · diff 3

Differentiation

Scaffolds
  • Pre-marked journey paths
  • Larger ruler
  • Scale-bar reference card
Extensions
  • Compute journey distance in km as well as miles
English Learners
  • Bilingual scale/distance vocabulary
Ieps 504s
  • Tactile raised-relief map
  • Adult-supported measurement

Teacher notes

PROTOCOL: Cross-link to math G2 Spring length-measurement (inches). The Math teacher can co-teach this lesson if scheduling permits. Be sensitive that for some families, the journey distance is the literal distance their family traveled - a personal scale matter. Affirm that LONG distances took LONG journeys.