Over the past few weeks, 4th Class have been busy honing their geography and mapping skills in a creative and hands-on way. What began as an exploration of fantasy map-making evolved into a realistic and purposeful project that had the whole class thinking like real cartographers!
We kicked things off by analysing the features of Ordnance Survey maps, identifying the key elements that make a map not only functional but accurate. Drawing on their previous knowledge from designing fantasy maps, the children learned how to shift from imaginative lands to real-world locations, using map symbols, colour coding, scale, and perspective to represent their surroundings.
To deepen their understanding, the class went on an observation walk around the school grounds. Clipboards in hand, the children noted important landmarks, structures, and natural features, considering what symbols and details would best capture the reality of our school environment.
Next came the artistic and technical challenge of drawing their own accurate, detailed maps of the school grounds. Using the information they gathered, the children created beautifully coloured maps, each with its own strengths and unique design.
In a democratic and private vote, the class chose Zoe’s map as the most effective representation – congratulations, Zoe! Her map was then professionally copied and given to each group as the official navigation tool for the next phase!
Each group received a copy of the map with 11 locations randomly marked. Their mission? A fast-paced race to each spot to collect a hidden clue. But that was only half the task – once all 11 clues were collected, the real brainwork began!
The final challenge was to solve the clues and crack the code – an anagram that revealed the hidden message:
“We Love Maths”
