Mapping Rain Forest Trails

Est. Class Sessions: 3

Developing the Lesson

Part 2: Using Direction and Distance to Describe Location

Exchange Rain Forest Trails Models, Measure, and Record. The same groups that prepared the Rain Forest Trails models in Part 1 of this lesson should work together for this part of the lesson. Distribute one model to each group making sure no group is assigned the same model they prepared in Part 1. Help students visualize the next part of this lesson by telling them the following story:

Pretend you are a team of scientists studying animals in the rain forest. Two trails meet and cross at the place where you set up your camp. Your team of scientists wants to find out what kinds of animals live along these trails and where the animals are located in relation to your camp.

Direct students to the data table in the Location: Distance and Direction section of the Mapping Rain Forest Trails pages in their Student Activity Book. Explain that they will work as teams of “rain forest explorers” to locate the position of the animal pictures on the trails or axes of their assigned rain forest models. Have group members take turns measuring the distance of each animal from the origin using a centimeter ruler. Other group members can double-check the measurements for accuracy. Remind students to measure from the center of Mr. Origin. Emphasize that to precisely identify an animal’s location, they need to determine not only the animal’s distance from the origin but also its direction from the origin. Each group member will record the location of each animal on his or her own data table. Figure 2 shows a complete data table using data that matches the display model.

Once students have identified the animals’ locations on their data tables, distribute the appropriate Key for Rain Forest Trails to each student group so they can check their answers.

Map the Rain Forest Trails. Help students create a map with the location of each animal plotted along the two perpendicular axes of their assigned Rain Forest Trails model. To develop a meaningful context for making and using maps, continue the story you began earlier in the lesson:

You and your team of researchers have returned home from the rain forest. You want to help others understand where you found each of the animals in relation to your camp. You decide to make a drawing or map to represent what you found.

Ask:

What are some of the things you know about maps? (Possible responses: Maps are drawings used to represent a place or location. They can show us how to get from one place or object to another. Maps are smaller than the real place. They use a scale to help you find the location of places and objects.)
What are some examples of maps that you have seen or used? (Answers will vary; Possible responses may include: We use maps in social studies to learn about places. When my family travels we use road maps. My dad has a GPS in his car and it has a map to show us were we are going.)

Display the Map the Rain Forest Trails section of the Mapping Rain Forest Trails pages in the Student Activity Book. Ask students to look at the display and compare it to your display Rain Forest Trails model.

Ask:

How is the map on the display similar to the Rain Forest Trails model? (Possible responses: Both the map and the model have two axes that are perpendicular to each other. The axes intersect in the middle. Both the map and model show directions: right, left, front, and back. Both have an origin or a starting place for each direction.)
How is the map on the display different from the model? (Possible responses: The map is much smaller. Mr. Origin is not on the map. There are numbers on the axes going in each direction.)
Where is the origin on the map? (The origin is at a place where the two axes cross or intersect.)
What number does the origin represent? (zero)
What do you notice about the way each axis is numbered? (Possible response: The numbers all start in the middle or at the origin and then count up by twos in each direction.)
What do the tick marks on each axis represent? (Each of the marks represents 2 centimeters.)
How do you know? (Possible response: The map says that the units are centimeters.)
If you have an animal that is 7 centimeters to the right of Mr. Origin on your model, where will you place it on the map? (It will be between the 6 and the 8 to the right of the origin.)
If you have an animal that is 17 centimeters to the front on your model, where will you place it on the map? (It will be between the 16 and 18 to the front of the origin.)

Students are now ready to plot and label the points where the animal pictures are located on their maps. Tell students to use abbreviations to label the locations of the animals. See Figure 3 for abbreviations and a completed sample map using the data from your display model.

A (armadillo)
SM (spider monkey)
HM (howler monkey)
P (parrot)
T (turtle)
S (snake)

Students may confuse the tick marks on the maps with centimeter tick marks on their rulers. If you see this becoming a problem, have students measure the tick marks on their maps. They will find that the distance between marks is less than 1 centimeter. Remind students that a map is not the same size as what it represents. The map in the Map the Rain Forest Trails section of the Mapping Rain Forest Trails pages in the Student Activity Book is smaller than the actual models they created. The tick marks on the map are not intended to be actual centimeters but rather provide a way to keep track of the number of centimeters measured on their Rain Forest Trails model.

Adventure Book:

Student Activity Book: 820 821

Answers