Central America Model Magic Map – Part 1)
MAP IT: (30-45 min.)
Begin by reviewing with students all of the continents of the world: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.
Next, explain to students that this year we are going to learn about Latin America.
Latin America is not a continent like Africa, Europe or Asia. Instead, it is an area that spreads over part of North, and most of South America, and also includes many Caribbean Islands. It gets its name from the Europeans who began settling in these areas in the 1500s. They came from Spain, France and Portugal - places where the languages were based on Latin.
During Semester 1, we will learn about:
• Mexico
• The Caribbean Islands
• Central America - the countries between Mexico and South America
During Semester 2, we will study the continent of South America.
The goal of this lesson is for students to make a physical map of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
What you will need:
Download Central America Grid Map, print on card stock
Model Magic, 0.5 oz. per student
Assorted toothpicks, Q-tips and plastic knives
Before handing out the materials for this project, explain to the children that they are going to be shaping a map of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. This project has several steps so let them know they will need to follow your instructions very carefully. This type of map will take two weeks to create. This week, the children will be shaping their maps. Next week they will be painting and labeling them.
Directions:
Step 1: Each child should be given an 8 1/2 x 11 map of Central America (resource R-1e) that has been printed on card stock. Each child will also need a 1/2 ounce of Model Magic which can be purchased at your local craft store. Additionally, place toothpicks, Q-tips, and plastic knives on the tables for shaping and defining the physical features.
Step 2: Before beginning, have the children write their names on the backs of their maps.
Step 3: Ask students to use their Model Magic to fill in the outlines of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands (They should only cover the larger islands. The smaller ones can just be painted later in the project.) Instruct the children to spread out the clay in as thin a layer as possible. Model Magic has moisture in it, and as it dries, it can shrink and make the paper “draw up”. The thicker the layer of Model Magic, the more profound this problem will be.
Step 4: Once the general outlines are covered, the children will need to create the different physical features listed below. They can use R-1f_Central America Reference Map as a resource to guide them.
Physical Features:
Mountains: Once a thin layer has been pressed onto the map, build up the “dough” to symbolize the mountainous region of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, and extending into Central America. Note: This mountain range is a continuation of the Rocky Mountain Range in North America!
Tropic of Cancer: Use a plastic knife to carve out line representing the Tropic of Cancer. Follow the gridlines on the outline maps for proper placement of this line.
Water: Use a Q-tip to make the indention for Lake Nicaragua. Then use a toothpick to trace the Rio Grande River and the Panama Canal. Note:
Lake Nicaragua – Largest lake in Central America
Rio Grande River – large river in the Southwest United States and forms part of the border between Texas and Mexico
Panama Canal - man-made canal across the Isthmus of Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. Completed in 1914 by the United States, the canal substantially shortened the amount of time it took to sail to the West Coast of the United States, allowing ships to avoid the long and hazardous journey around Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America.
The smaller Caribbean islands will be painted and the oceans labeled on the following week when the maps are dry. Older students may also choose to label the physical features noted above. Countries and capitals will not be labeled.
Step 5: Collect all maps to keep until the following week.