Directions

Have students block off areas of their paper to create a map. For example, when the dandelion seed is crossing on front of the car, have students draw a road. The order in which they will be adding features to their map should be a flower garden by a house, a road, a city, and a seacoast bordered by a field and leading to a mountain.

While reading the book, pace yourself so that students have the opportunity to draw the geographical features without feeling rushed. It is sometimes best to read the book once straight through, and then a second time to provide time for drawing.

Students may choose to study the illustrations in order to add other details to their maps. They may want to draw the farm buildings in the field where the seed landed, or some more extensive roadways near the city. Students can then use the colored pencils to add color to their maps, and the writing pencils to label them.

Lesson Extensions

Using construction paper, have students work together to create a map that can be posted on the bulletin board. Once the art work is done, have them use index cards for labeling. Have students create a map key for their individual map.

Related Resources
Mapping Penny's World by Loreen Leedy
As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps by Gail Hartman