Mapping, Mexico, and Poinsettias

First graders have been learning about maps and globes during our science/social studies time since returning from Thanksgiving break and we will continue with the theme after our December break as well. Our class has been blogging with and following (on Twitter) other first grade and kindergarten classes around the world throughout the school year and we have been using our giant USA and world maps on the wall to record and discuss these other places almost daily. This month we moved on to discussing maps and globes more specifically, learning about the cardinal directions and compass rose, what maps are used for, what the seven continents are, and what the major countries on our specific continent are. After the December break we will learn about map keys, how to read maps, what many of the different types of maps are, and we will create a lapbook full of different maps.

In a few months we will do a focused country study on our neighbor to the south, Mexico, so I am taking the opportunity now, during both the mapping unit and the holiday season, to introduce some things about Mexico! Our class is now familiar with the North America, Canada, the USA, and Mexico on a world map, and we have been learning about a special holiday going on right now in Mexico. Christmas is celebrated in Mexico but, before hand (from December 16-24), Mexicans celebrate the holiday Las Posadas, which celebrates the part of the Christmas story in which Mary and Joseph traveled in search of an Inn for Christmas Eve. Our class has been learning about this holiday (as well as other prominent December holidays) and about the poinsettia, which is a plant that originated in Mexico, blooming there each December. This week I brought a poinsettia to school, we read the book The Legend of the Poinsettia retold by Tomie DePaola, and the students each made a poinsettia art project (now hanging on our bulletin board in the hallway). Here are a few photos of our projects!

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