Public learning track
Geographic Perceptions and Personal Mental Maps
4th Grade · Social-studies · US-WI-SS
9 lessons
Goal
Explore how culture, personal experiences, news, and education shape mental maps, and understand how perceptual regions are formed.
9 lessons
0 of 9 done
- 1How Personal Experience and Culture Shape Mental MapsUp nextStart
- 2Why Places Matter to PeoplePremiumNot started yet
- 3Comparing Mental Maps Drawn by Students from Different CountriesNot started yet
- 4Perceptual Regions: The Midwest, the Rust Belt, and the Sun BeltNot started yet
- 5How Travel and Education Expand and Correct Mental MapsNot started yet
- 6Comparing Mental Maps Before and After Learning About a RegionNot started yet
- 7Mental Mapping of Major World Megacities and CapitalsNot started yet
- 8How World Events Reshape Our Mental Map of PlacesNot started yet
- 9Synthesizing a Comprehensive Global Mental Map AssessmentNot started yet
Standards Covered
- SS.Geog1.c.mWisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Construct a mental map of regions and locate the major regions of the world and their physical and cultural features including continents, cities, countries, bodies of water, landforms, mountain ranges, and climate zones. Compare mental maps shaped by individual perceptions of people, places, regions, and environments.
- Geog1.cWisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Mental mapping and maps from memory
- SS.Geog1.c.4-5Wisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Create and label a map (paper or digital) of the local community, state, tribal lands, and country, including both physical (e.g., oceans and continents) and human (e.g., roads, buildings) characteristics. Identify and construct regions (digital or paper) in Wisconsin and the United States.
- SS.Geog1.c.hWisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Compare and contrast a mental map before and after an event to see if perception reshaped their perspectives. Explain how using a virtual or electronic mapping application can aid in the development of a more complete and accurate mental map of places and region.
- Geog2.aWisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Population and place
Curriculum Framework
4th Grade · Social-studies · US-WI-SS
1
6 lessons
Foundational Map Skills: Mapping Familiar Spaces
Learn essential map conventions such as compass directions and legends, and apply them to create top-down maps of personal and school spaces.
2
8 lessons
Community Cartography and Advanced Mapping Skills
Master map scale, coordinate systems, and mental mapping techniques to construct, evaluate, and digitize detailed community maps.
3
7 lessons
Exploring Terrain and Thematic Map Types
Learn to interpret elevation, landforms, cartograms, and thematic distributions such as choropleth, dot density, and resource maps.
4
8 lessons
Analyzing Geographic Data, Flow, and Multi-Layer Maps
Synthesize geographic data across climate, flow, and weather maps while learning to evaluate multi-layer maps, detect bias, and construct thematic maps.
5
4 lessons
Wisconsin Physical Geography and Glacial Landscapes
Explore Wisconsin's location, major waterways, five geographic provinces, and distinct glacial and Driftless landforms.
6
5 lessons
Wisconsin's Sovereign Native Nations and Tribal Lands
Understand tribal sovereignty and map the lands, histories, and treaty boundaries of Wisconsin's federally recognized Native Nations and communities.
7
6 lessons
Wisconsin Human Geography, Economy, and Communities
Analyze Wisconsin's agricultural zones, urban centers, transportation networks, natural resource conservation, and population trends.
8
7 lessons
Exploring the Five Physical Regions of the United States
Introduce geographic regional criteria and explore the distinctive landforms, waterways, and physical features across the five major U.S. regions.
9
8 lessons
U.S. Environmental Systems, Resources, and Human Geography
Analyze thematic geographic systems across the United States, including climate zones, watersheds, natural resources, population patterns, and regional interdependence.
10
6 lessons
Building Mental Maps of the World
Develop accurate mental maps of Earth's continents, oceans, major landforms, climate zones, and global regions from memory.
11
9 lessons
Geographic Perceptions and Personal Mental Maps
Explore how culture, personal experiences, news, and education shape mental maps, and understand how perceptual regions are formed.
12
6 lessons
Foundations of Digital Maps and Geospatial Tools
Learn to use online map engines, virtual globes, GPS, and GIS thematic layers to navigate and build digital spatial awareness.
13
9 lessons
Applied Geospatial Analysis and Earth Monitoring
Analyze real-time and historical satellite data to track environmental changes, solve community problems with GIS, and create digital story maps.
14
9 lessons
Foundations of Migration and American Historical Movements
Introduce core migration concepts—such as push and pull factors and voluntary versus forced moves—through key historical migrations and regional settlement patterns.
15
7 lessons
Global Migration Patterns, Cultural Diffusion, and Community Impacts
Examine contemporary global migration drivers, investigate how cultural traditions spread, and analyze the social, economic, and geographic impacts of population movement.
16
8 lessons
Human Settlement Patterns and Geography
Explore how physical geography, natural resources, and transportation networks shape where humans settle and how communities form.
17
7 lessons
Urbanization and Sustainable City Planning
Analyze global population trends, megacities, urban zoning, and infrastructure to design sustainable future communities.
18
6 lessons
Mapping Historical Change Over Time
Analyze historical maps, boundary shifts, and human-environment interactions to understand how communities, regions, and travel have evolved over time.
19
9 lessons
Spatial Analysis and Environmental Problem Solving
Use thematic maps, GIS data, and spatial analysis to evaluate modern environmental and community challenges and design geographic solutions.