Day 1: Introduction to Map Skills and Geography Objective: Introduce students to basic map skills and the importance of geography.

• Warm-up activity: Have students brainstorm what they already know about maps and geography. Discuss their responses as a class.
• Lesson: Teach students about different types of maps (political, physical, thematic) and their uses. Discuss the importance of geography in understanding the world.
• Critical writing prompt: “Why do you think it is important to study maps and geography? How can it help us in our daily lives?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. What are some examples of how maps are used in everyday life?
  2. How does geography impact the way people live in different regions?
• Activity: Provide students with a blank world map and have them label continents, oceans, and major countries.

Day 2: Latitude and Longitude Objective: Teach students about latitude and longitude and how they are used to locate places on a map.

• Warm-up activity: Show students a world map and ask them to identify the equator and prime meridian.
• Lesson: Explain latitude and longitude lines and how they are measured. Show examples of how coordinates are used to locate specific places on a map.
• Critical writing prompt: “What is the difference between latitude and longitude? Why are they important in map reading?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. How can latitude and longitude help us navigate and find specific locations?
  2. What are some examples of how latitude and longitude are used in real-life situations?
• Activity: Provide students with a set of coordinates and have them locate the corresponding place on a world map.

Day 3: Types of Maps Objective: Introduce students to different types of maps and their purposes.

• Warm-up activity: Show students a political map and ask them to identify the different countries.
• Lesson: Teach students about political, physical, and thematic maps. Discuss the purpose and key features of each type.
• Critical writing prompt: “What is the main difference between a political map and a physical map? Give examples of when each type of map would be useful.”
• Discussion questions:
  1. How can a thematic map help us understand specific topics or themes?
  2. What are some examples of thematic maps that you have seen before?
• Activity: Provide students with a variety of maps and have them identify the type of each map and explain its purpose.

Day 4: Map Symbols and Legends Objective: Teach students about map symbols and legends and how they are used to represent features on a map.

• Warm-up activity: Show students a map with various symbols and ask them to identify what each symbol represents.
• Lesson: Explain the importance of map symbols and legends in understanding a map. Show examples of common map symbols and discuss their meanings.
• Critical writing prompt: “Why do you think it is important for map symbols to be standardized? How would it affect map reading if symbols were different on every map?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. How can map symbols help us understand the features of a map more easily?
  2. What are some examples of map symbols that are commonly used?
• Activity: Provide students with a blank map and a list of symbols. Have them create their own map using the symbols provided.

Day 5: Map Scale and Distance Objective: Teach students about map scale and how it is used to measure distances on a map.

• Warm-up activity: Show students a map with a scale bar and ask them to estimate the distance between two points.
• Lesson: Explain the concept of map scale and how it is used to measure distances on a map. Show examples of different types of scales (ratio, graphic, verbal).
• Critical writing prompt: “Why is it important to understand map scale when reading a map? How can it help us estimate distances?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. How does map scale help us understand the actual size of places on a map?
  2. What are some examples of situations where understanding map scale would be useful?
• Activity: Provide students with a map and a ruler. Have them measure distances between different locations using the map scale.

Day 6: Map Projections Objective: Introduce students to different map projections and their impact on the representation of the Earth’s surface.

• Warm-up activity: Show students two different world maps and ask them to identify any differences they notice.
• Lesson: Teach students about different map projections (Mercator, Robinson, Peters) and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Explain how map projections can distort the size and shape of landmasses.
• Critical writing prompt: “Why do you think it is impossible to create a perfectly accurate map of the Earth’s surface? What challenges do mapmakers face?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. How does the choice of map projection affect the way we perceive the size and shape of continents?
  2. What are some examples of situations where understanding map projections would be important?
• Activity: Provide students with different world maps using different projections. Have them compare and contrast the maps, noting any differences in size and shape.

Day 7: Geographic Features and Landforms Objective: Teach students about different geographic features and landforms found on maps.

• Warm-up activity: Show students a map with various landforms and ask them to identify and label them.
• Lesson: Introduce students to different landforms such as mountains, rivers, deserts, and plateaus. Discuss their characteristics and how they are represented on maps.
• Critical writing prompt: “Why do you think it is important to understand different landforms when studying geography? How do they impact the environment and human activities?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. How do different landforms affect the climate and vegetation of a region?
  2. What are some examples of how landforms can influence human settlement and economic activities?
• Activity: Provide students with a set of pictures depicting various landforms. Have them match each picture with the corresponding landform name and describe its characteristics.

Day 8: Map Skills Review and Application Objective: Review and apply map skills learned throughout the week.

• Warm-up activity: Provide students with a map and a list of questions that require them to use different map skills (latitude and longitude, map symbols, scale, etc.).
• Lesson: Review key map skills and concepts covered throughout the week. Allow students to ask any remaining questions or seek clarification on any topics.
• Critical writing prompt: “Reflecting on the past week, what are some new things you have learned about maps and geography? How do you think these skills will be useful in the future?”
• Discussion questions:
  1. What was the most challenging aspect of learning about maps and geography? How did you overcome it?
  2. How do you plan to apply the map skills you have learned in your daily life or future career?
• Activity: Provide students with a map-based project or assignment that requires them to apply multiple map skills, such as creating their own map or analyzing a map for specific information.