Some teachers have found that students
have trouble getting to the State House because they have trouble
reading maps (including subway maps.) So here's a lesson plan that will help
with that, which will be
found at http://www.alri.org/lessonplans.html
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Getting Around Boston With Ease Using Online Maps
Joyce A. Barney
WAITT House
Roxbury, Mass.
May, 1996
Participants
Beginning-level adult literacy students, non native English speakers who have
no computer experience.
Objectives
Participants:
1. learn to read and use maps.
2. gain introductory knowledge of computer, mouse and Internet.
3. learn to travel around the city
4. begin exposure to culture and history of the city.
Activities
1. Participants go to MBCWEIS Maps section.
2. Participants will also access MBTA bus and subway schedules and route maps
through the MBTA Map.
3. After becoming familiar and comfortable with the various maps, participants
will concentrate on the
Copley Square area of Boston, using the interactive street
map. They will learn North, South, East, and West directions and will relate
streets to each other and to
subway stations and bus stops. Using the interactive
street map they will relate Copley Square to the Dudley area (in which our adult
education program, WAITT
House, is located) so they will know how to go to
and from both sites.
4. Participants will get printouts of the street maps and the subway and bus
route maps needed to travel
between Dudley Square and Copley Square.
5. As a follow-up lesson, the group will visit Copley Square, including the
Boston Public Library, Trinity
Church and other historic sites, as well as Copley
Place and the Prudential Center.
6. Participants will actually travel by bus and subway to the sites. Later they
will relate these to
Internet activities.
This lesson would be part of a series of lessons which included:
1) Using the computer, mouse, and printer
2) Introduction to the Internet
3) Introduction to and reading of various maps, e.g. of their own countries,
the United States, Boston.
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