As we continue our exploration of the letter M this week, we did a map-reading project this morning.  Peter created a puzzle made up of 6 pieces that, when assembled, was a picture of a mountain.  He then hid all 6 pieces in different parts of the classroom.  Using an enlarged floor plan of the classroom designed by Alden’s mom, Sharon, he indicated the location of one of the 6 puzzle pieces.  We paired the children up and gave each team a map of the classroom.  Working together and with the help of a teacher or our parent teacher, Josh, each pair oriented themselves on the map, identified major components of the classroom, and tried to find their puzzle piece in its hiding place.

What an adventure this project was!  Many of the Tugboats had no problem at all identifying the major areas of the classroom, like the bathroom and the kitchen.  They also interpreted the shapes of things like the cubbies, couch, toilet and sinks very well, which helped them orient themselves on the map.  Although many of them could pinpoint their current location on the map, once they did so it was a bit more difficult to identify where the red star, which indicated their puzzle piece’s location, was in the classroom.  With a few questions from grown-ups, they were able to connect the places they were identifying on their maps with a physical location.  Once they found those locations, it just took some searching to find the missing puzzle pieces!

This project was great for today’s group because it posed a lot of important challenges.  They had to work in specific teams, practicing both leadership and support of one another.  The task we gave them was difficult, so they had to rely on one another’s strengths in order to be successful.  Teamwork is always important here at Harbor City School!