Test Scores Associated with Lessons Designed to Engage Spatial Thinking in Kindergarten and First Grade

1. Test Scores Associated with LessonsDesigned to Engage Spatial Thinkingin Kindergarten and First Grade (and second grade and middle school and . . .) Philip J and Carol A Gersmehl New York Center for Geographic Learning

2. Step 1: Review Recent Research on Spatial Cognition

3. Step 1: Review Recent Research on Spatial Cognition Goal: to recast “Reading a Map” to reflect recent research in spatial thinking

4. Step 1: Review Recent Research on Spatial Cognition 1641 articles 127 journals 63 books

5. Step 1: Review Recent Research on Spatial Cognition 1641 articles 127 journals 63 books

6. Step 1: Review Recent Research on Spatial Cognition 1641 articles 127 journals 63 books

7. Important contributions come from: - neuroscientists - developmental psychologists - robot engineers - linguists - vision specialists - architects - geographers . . .

8. Important contributions come from: - neuroscientists - developmental psychologists - robot engineers - linguists - vision specialists - architects - geographers . . . Unfortunately, people in one discipline are not always aware of the research done in other fields.

9. The human brain has several distinct “regions” that do different kinds of spatial thinking.

10. The human brain has several distinct “regions” that do different kinds of spatial thinking. Brain structures for spatial thinking develop at a very early age.

11. The human brain has several distinct “regions” that do different kinds of spatial thinking. Brain structures for spatial thinking develop at a very early age. Skills of verbal, gestural, mathematical, or graphical representation develop more slowly (and at least somewhat independently).

12. Self-directed mobility is a key variable; sex, diet, language, and handedness are also significant.

13. Self-directed mobility is a key variable; sex, diet, language, and handedness are also significant. Adult intervention can accelerate mastery.

14. Self-directed mobility is a key variable; sex, diet, language, and handedness are also significant. Adult intervention can accelerate mastery. At least some spatial-thinking brain structures remain plastic through late middle age.

16. Step 2: make a set of lessons that deal with each mode of spatial thinking individually.

17. Step 2: make a set of lessons that deal with each mode of spatial thinking individually. We are certainly aware that this list is tentative. But is progress ever made by waiting until “the science” has become unambiguous and accepted by everyone?

18. The goal – to be able to interpret (not just decode) a map like this

20. Mosque >

21. Marcus Garvey Park Mosque >

22. Marcus Garvey Park Mosque > MLK Houses

25. Inside, it looks like a lot of schools

26. Many “curricula” start with what students already know – their school. We did too, but . . .

27. We noticed that each classroom had a colorful carpet for “story time.”

28. Some of our lessons use the rug to teach basic vocabulary terms for spatial thinking.

29. Some of our lessons use the rug to teach basic vocabulary terms for spatial thinking. October: “ color the flowers in the corners.”

30. December: “Color the flower that is between letters M and O.” Some of our lessons use the rug to teach basic vocabulary terms for spatial thinking. “First, color the flowers in the corners.”

31. February: “Color the flower that is in the SE corner.” Some of our lessons use the rug to teach basic vocabulary terms for spatial thinking. “First, color the flowers in the corners.”

32. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial analogies.

33. Rather than having students try to draw classrooms and halls, we made basemaps of their school.

34. Students color some rug and desk symbols and then arrange them on a to-scale basemap of their classroom.

35. We put some colors on a map of the hall and asked students to suggest colors for the other rooms.

36. These basic activities helped students acquire the idea of representation. Most of our lessons, however, had objectives that were much more tightly focused. We put some colors on the hall basemap and asked students to suggest colors for the other rooms.

39. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial sequences.

41. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial hierarchies.

42. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial hierarchies. For each lesson, we gave teachers a background page ...

43. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial hierarchies. ... a page of plausible stages of concept development . . .

44. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial hierarchies. ... some maps to extend the spatial thinking . . .

45. This builds a foundation for the idea of spatial hierarchies. ... and some ideas to discuss with other teachers . . .

47. A child who writes that the orange plate is in the “MIDOL” has learned the rule. Exceptions – e.g. “middle” – can come later.

48. Eurasia is a continent. It follows the rule: “landmass surrounded by ocean.” A child who writes that the orange plate is in the “MIDOL” has learned the rule. Exceptions – e.g. “middle” – can come later.

49. Eurasia is a continent. It follows the rule: “landmass surrounded by ocean.” Europe is an historic exception. A child who writes that the orange plate is in the “MIDOL” has learned the rule. Exceptions – e.g. “middle” – can come later.

50. We made GIS maps of the local neighborhood . . .