Map on the Wall
Karol McChesney

East Elementary
Belleville, Kansas

Overview:

Students will better understand where water is stored below the surface in Kansas in the Ogallala aquifer. Students will be able to identify several rivers that help recharge the aquifer. Students will be able to identify several major cities located near the aquifer.

Grade level: 4-5

Time needed: 5-7 Geography periods

Geographic theme: Location

Kansas Social Studies Standard for Benchmarks, Grade Levels, 5-K:

The student will understand the connections among people, places, and environments in the classroom, local school, community, Kansas, the United States, and different regions of the world.

National Geographic Standards, Grades K-4:

#1	The geographically informed person knows and understands how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Outcome:

The student will know and understand the location of the Arkansas River, the Cimarron River, and the Ogallala Aquifer, in relation to the Kansas cities of Hays, Garden City, Great Bend, and Dodge City.

 

Performance Objective:

The student (and the class as a whole) will construct three large wall-size maps:

1. a map of Kansas including major western Kansas cities and the counties of Kansas;
2. a map of several major rivers in Kansas, and
3. a map of the Ogallala aquifer.

Vocabulary (see Glossary):

aquifer Ogallala aquifer

saturated water-saturated zone

Materials:

overhead projector and 3 clear transparencies painter's plastic. clear (4 ft. x 8 ft.) blue butcher paper (4 ft. x 8 ft.) white butcher paper (4 ft. x 8 ft.)

permanent markers (Vis-a-Vis pen: black ink) chalk pastels plastic tape (Scotch brand tape) scissors



Procedures:
PART A:

1.	If using the overhead projector, make transparencies of each of the three maps.
2.	Tape the 4 ft. x 8 ft. plastic to the wall.
3.	Using the projector, project map #1 on the wall to sketch onto the painter's plastic. Trace the counties and following cities: Hays, Dodge City, Garden City, and Great Bend using the black Vis-a-Vis pen.
4.	Cut out the plastic map of Kansas following the border lines.
5.	Set the plastic map aside.

PART B:

1.	Tape the blue butcher paper to the wall next.
2.	Using the projector project map #2 on the wall.
3.	Using the permanent marker, trace the following rivers and creek: Arkansas River, Cimarron River, and Walnut Creek.
4.	Carefully cut out the rivers and creek.
5.	Place the rivers and creek over the plastic Kansas map made in Part A. Tape in place using clear plastic tape. Set aside.

PART C:

1.	Tape the white butcher paper to the wall.
2.	Using the projector and map #3, next trace the Ogallala aquifer onto white butcher paper.
3.	Using chalk pastels, color the Ogallala aquifer only.
4.	Cut out the aquifer.
5.	Position and tape the aquifer cutout UNDER the plastic map of Kansas with the river section taped on top.

Assessment:

Observe student participation in map construction.


Extension:

1. Pupil can locate hometown.
2. Have pupil find the river nearest to him.
3. Have pupil find the closest county to him that is above the Ogallala aquifer.


Resources:

National Geographic. (1993, March). 183(3), 82-109.

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