What People Say About Maps for All

IN THE CLASSROOM

Early November, I recently purchased a large U.S. Map from the dollar store and hung it up in my 5th Grade classroom at Sand Elementary School after I noticed there was no map present and that most of the students had no idea what the state of Connecticut was or where it was located. 

It had been one of their spelling words for the week, and yes, it disturbed me a bit, but I made it my mission to educate them about our great state.  I chose to hang it up after school, after they had left for the day.  The next morning melted my heart.  When many walked into the classroom, some quickly noticed it and I announced that we had our own map of all the 50 states and that we have to take good care of it. 

They quickly ran up to it and began touching it, pointing to names of states and/or cities they recognized. Their smiles were amazing, and I wish I could have captured it just for a moment to share with you.  Every day since then, there is not a day goes by that I don’t see many students studying it, asking me questions about it and having their own personal discussions about places on the map they have been or plan on one day traveling to.

Overwhelmingly, [a National Geographic] survey showed that educators shared one common sentiment: geography is essential to deepen student learning. When young people learn about geography, they build critical thinking skills to analyze complex human and natural systems with a richer, broader lens—regardless of the subject at hand. So, whether educators are using music, maps, or some other teaching tool, lessons infused with geographic thinking are key for students to draw connections, and grasp nuance and context about our interconnected world. - Forbes, December 1, 2020

IN THE WORKPLACE

“It was as simple as putting a map on the wall. Then, the discovery began. People began talking about where they were from, or where their parents or grandparents were from. They pointed out where they’ve been, or where they’d like to go. And they connected stories on the news with places on the map - sometimes to their own surprise. It was wonderful. Still is.” 

“When I get my coffee at work, I spend a few minutes looking at the world map, discovering countries I’d never heard of - or learning where in the world countries I hear about on the news are located. It’s always interesting.”

IN THE COMMUNITY

“I learned about the continents back when I was in school, but they didn’t spend much time focusing on different countries. Now I have an opportunity to fill in the gaps. And some of the countries in the world today didn’t even exist back then. I was really surprised at work one day when a co-worker mentioned his family was from a country I had just found on the map that week.”

If you’d like to add a comment, email Maps for All at mapsforallCT@gmail.com