Making and reading maps in an outdoor setting is fun and educational as SUNY Fredonia students in the Early Childhood Integrated Teaching Methods course discovered at the SUNY College Lodge in Brocton on August 27 when RTPI staff took over the class.
They learned how simple maps of shapes drawn in the sand of the volleyball court can teach geometric shapes.
Turning their maps into treasure maps demonstrated how maps can be used as a lesson in spatial awareness. In a concluding activity these future teachers traveled the trails of the lodge property using a specially prepared map to locate pieces of a puzzle which, when assembled, reveals the location of a prize.
Of course the real prize for these education students is discovering how to use maps as teaching tools, which may serve them well when they embark on their teaching careers.
Tina Nelson-Scherman
Visitor Services/Educator
