Henry’s Map

Free lesson plan, writing template and printable word-search for kids

Best suited to: K – Year 1

A fun introduction to the idea of maps as a way of working out and describing where things are and where they are in relation to other things.

KLAs covered:

English, maths (position, directions), geography concepts (mapping);

Learning:

• what are maps?
• why do we need them?
• how do maps help us?
• how can we make a map?

NSW Syllabus Outcomes:

ENe-1A: Communicates with peers and known adults in informal and guided activities demonstrating emerging skills of group interaction;

EN1-6B: Retells familiar stories and identifies settings and characters;

EN1-2A: Plans, composes and reviews a small range of simple texts for a variety of purposes on familiar topics for known readers and viewers;

EN1-10C: Thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts;

MAE-GM-01: Describes position and gives and follows simple directions;

MA1-16MG: Represents and describes the positions of objects in everyday situations and on maps;

GEe-1: Identifies places and develops an understanding of the importance of places to people. Investigate how the location of places can be represented;

GEe-2: Communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools. Investigate how the location of places can be represented;

GE1-1: Identifies and describes features of places and understands location;

GE1-3: Communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools for inquiry;

Australian Curriculum Outcomes:

ACELA1437: Understand the use of vocabulary in familiar contexts related to everyday experiences, personal interests and topics taught at school;

ACELT1587: Discuss how depictions of characters in print, sound and images reflect the contexts in which they were created;

ACMMG010: interpreting the everyday language of location and direction, such as ‘between’, ‘near’, ‘next to’, ‘forward’, ‘toward’;

Need to know:

• a funny, simple text about a pig who wants to organise the farmyard in which he lives so he draws a map;
• Henry’s map is a drawing of the farm which includes all the animals’ homes;
• at the end of the story, Henry takes the animals up the hill to show them his map. They compare the map to the farm below them and see that they themselves appear on the map but are missing from the farm (because they’re up on the hill);
• a fun introduction to the idea of maps as a way of working out where things are in relation to other things;​

Discussion Questions (before reading):

• what do you think this book will be about? Why do you think that?
• read the title of the book together and ask the children: what is a map? 

Discussion Questions (after reading):

• what happened in the story? (discuss beginning, middle and end);
• what did the animals think when Henry told them about his map?
• what happened at the end of the story when the animals were all up on the hill looking at the map and at the farm?
• show the children Henry’s finished map on the double-page spread. Briefly discuss the various points on the map using positional language: the woolshed is next to Henry’s sty; the chicken coop is below the stable; 

Activities:

• discuss the story’s setting: what does the word ‘setting’ mean? What is the setting for this story? Children write or draw about the setting.
• discuss the characters: what is a character? Who are the characters in this story? What are they like? Who is the main character in the story? Children draw or write about the characters.
• What happened in the story? Discuss beginning, middle and end using the words ‘first’, ‘next’ or ‘then’ and ‘finally’. Children draw or write about what happened in the beginning, middle and end of the story.
• children draw their own maps of their playground, house or anything else they choose. Some children may wish to draw a map of their bedroom, their neighbourhood or a fantasy map, such as a pirate map showing the location of buried treasure;
• if time allows, children can show their maps to the class, describing what the features show;

Your free, printable word-search puzzles and writing template

This free, printable word-search for kids is great for building and reinforcing the vocabulary used when discussing Henry’s Map. 

Need some more done-for-you resources for this lesson?

Our Henry’s Map resource pack is filled with a range of great, simple literacy ideas for Kindergarten and Year 1 students to help you deliver rich, engaging lessons which are also fun. Check it out below.