Treasure Maps

Hello Parents!

My name is Ms. Scupp, and I have been spending time with your first grader this semester as
a practicum student from James Madison University. For one of my assignments I was
required to implement a creative lesson. I chose a lesson where students would create their
own treasure map.

Description of Activity:

Over the last few weeks, Ms. Grim has been teaching your
student about maps during social studies. With maps there
have been three components we have focused on: a title, a
key, and a compass rose. The students also have been learning
about directions. My lesson fell at the end of this unit,
therefore, it was an informal assessment of the students’
knowledge about maps.

On Tuesday, we started the social studies time talking about

pirates and treasure maps. Each student was given “old” paper;
they could use any utensil to create their treasure map. The
only restriction was that the map needed to include the three
elements above and a hidden treasure. The students loved
drawing landmarks such as volcanos and sea monsters! After
everyone finished their creations, a few students shared how
to find their treasure. You could ask your student how to find
their treasure.

The Importance of Creativity:

With open-ended projects, research

shows a higher engagement rate in
class and a stronger understanding
of the material. Students are given
the chance to explore and present in
a way that is meaningful to them. By
working in a medium where they are
the most comfortable, they can
explore the information more fully.

By letting the students decide what

they drew and how they did it, they
were given an open-ended project.