NY Social Studies 2.5d

Social Studies2nd GradeKey Idea 2.5

The Standard

The location and place of physical features and man-made structures can be described using symbols and specific geography vocabulary.

New York State K–12 Social Studies Framework

Geography and natural resources shape where and how urban, suburban, and rural communities develop and how they sustain themselves.

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use a compass rose to describe locations with cardinal and intermediate directions. They locate the equator, hemispheres, and poles on a globe. They use map legends and symbols to identify physical features and built structures.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given a map, a student can use the legend to identify features and describe where one place is relative to another. On a globe, the student can point to the equator, both hemispheres, and both poles.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat north as up or confuse east and west. They may think the equator is a country or mix up hemispheres and poles. They may also confuse physical features with structures people built.
How to Assess It: Give students a simple map with a compass rose and legend. Ask them to identify one feature, give its direction from the school, and label the equator on a globe diagram.

Lesson moves

Tape an eight-direction compass rose on the floor, then have students place labeled feature cards in called directions.
Display a globe and ask students to describe New York's location using the equator, hemispheres, and poles.
Play Map Legend Bingo with symbols for mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, roads, schools, and bridges.
Walk around the school block, record physical features and built structures, then draw a map with a legend and compass rose.

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