Starter activity to learn or review where ‘our place’ is in the world. Introduces the idea of scale from the street to the world.

KEY QUESTION: Where is our place?

 

Background

Using computer software programs, the class can start in their school and gradually ‘zoom out’ to understand their place in the world, in relation to other places, and to different scales of place (e.g. street, town, county, region, country, continent, planet).

Activity

1. Using one of the software programs listed below that is familiar to you (or having a go with one that isn’t!) share with the class how to look up the location of the school.

Multimap

Google maps

Google earth (this needs to be downloaded so please contact your network administrator)

2. This activity can be done on a whiteboard, or by leading learners on laptops or PCs.

3. Ask learners to comment on the other places that they see as they zoom out, and which ones they recognise.

TIP:

You could use this activity as a way of introducing a link school to your learners.