Bigger map makes learning better for Harbor Day students

A pile of shoes sits at the corner of the room. Harbor Day School students needed to take them off before stepping onto a 35 feet by 26 feet map of North America laid out on the floor.

The giant map, rented from National Geographic’s Giant Traveling Maps program, has been used by kindergarten to eighth-grade students in the Corona del Mar private school’s activities center since May 18 for games and class assignments.

Made out of vinyl, labeled and colored for borders and oceans, the map depicts all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Central America.

“This is way better than sitting and looking at a textbook,” student Sam Cohen said.

Jon Grogan’s seventh-grade history class placed their meter sticks on the United States to measure mileage for their road trip projects. He had assigned students to make different cross county journeys on the map.

Grogan’s students also needed to plan where their pit-stops would be during the trip. Later on, the students will research the cities they stop in to find the best restaurants and activities for their trip.

Student Maggie Sonenshine’s trip goes from San Diego to Pittsburgh.

“It’s like walking on a giant textbook,” Maggie said. “It shows us more than just geography. We’ve learned about everything from population growth to American history from the map.”

A binder and trunk were delivered along with the map. The binder consists of instructions for games and activities on the map. The trunk contains props such as cones and cards with facts on U.S. states and other countries.

National Geographic offers floor maps of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and the Pacific Ocean. This school year, the two-week minimum rental price for a map was $610. Each additional week cost $305.

This is Harbor’s third year of renting a map from National Geographic. The first time allowed classes to study Africa, the next year was Europe.

“We like using it to supplement our social studies curriculum,” Fenner said. “It’s different for students to be able to interact with the map rather than sitting at a table.”

Nearly all classes in kindergarten through fifth grade have had the map at least once. History and social studies classes in sixth through eighth grade have studied it continuously since its arrival.

The map will remain at the school until June 9.

Fenner hopes to get a map of South America for Harbor’s students to study next year.