Pre-K Students Jump Feet First Into Geography Lesson

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Students at one area school swam in oceans, climbed mountains and walked through Mississippi, all in one day.

It’s part of National Geography Awareness Week.

Before this geography class begins, there are a few ground rules, the most important, all shoes must be off, so the giant map of the United States doesn’t get torn up.

Students at Tupelo’s Early Childhood Education Center are playing the part of explorers, as they learn about geography, and different features of a map.

“The main thing is the large format, for this age child, that helps them to see on a bigger scale the map,” said Laura Russell, with the Mississippi Geographic Alliance.

The pre kindergarteners have been learning about their state, and hometown, and with the giant map, they are taught about direction.

Laura Russell is with the Mississippi Geographic Alliance and leads “Mapping Monday. ” She says students can use these skills the rest of their lives.

“The most important thing this helps them with is their spatial thinking, that goes with them all through the 12th grade, they will be working with that somehow, what we want to do with this age group, pre K through first grade, is show them the large format maps, give them some relative terms and extreme terms, like which is biggest state and smallest state,” Russell said.

This was a fun lesson for the young learners.

Is it easy or hard to read maps?
“Hard,” said Jackson McClain.
What do mountains look like ?
“Rocks,” he said.

What color is the ocean?
“Blue,” said Hattie Abraham.

What about the desert?

“Orange,” she said.

“Mapping Monday” coincides with activities in schools statewide to help celebrate Mississippi’s bicentennial.

Schools throughout our area will have special activities this week to commemorate Geography Week.