Map the Community
Planning for a community project can be fun or frustrating. The map-page (like collage only on a map) will help you take a careful look around so you can decide where to start on your project. Focus on your neighborhood, school district or town. Sharon Query and I developed the first version a LONG time ago. First, divide your group into smaller groups of 4 to 6. Use one of these group forming ideas.
Using a large piece of butcher paper, each small group will make an illustrated map of their community, putting in roads & streets, buildings, bodies of water, parks, woods… At this stage, just mark the locations on the map. Then…
Introduce the idea of going on a journey around the neighborhood, taking photos with cell phone or digital cameras, collecting items along the way when appropriate–
“A map is a special kind of picture of a community or area; there are landmarks that make each community unique. We’re going to take pictures of things in the neighborhood that we like, and things we don’t like as well. Each team will rotate the jobs of drawing, photographing, taking notes and collecting things that can be glues to the map-page. At the end of the walk, we’ll print photos and add items from the walk to the mappages.
After your walk, add items to the maps; Put yourselves in using photos or drawings–
- photos
- notes and drawings
- items collected to fill in their maps
Processing Questions–
- What happened on your hike around the neighborhood?
- How did your team work together?
- What new things did you learn about your community as you walked?
- How did you feel while you were walking around the neighborhood?
- What did you notice?
- What did you like?
- What didn’t you like?
- Did the neighborhood remind you of anywhere else you’ve been?
- How do you fit into the neighborhood?
- What other places would you like to take this walk in?
- What would you like to do for your community now that you’ve walked around?
Following the discussion, create a list of ideas for your community project. Use an activity like backward planning or webbing to plan and take the steps to completing your projects.