Gan Aleph on the Map!

In conjunction with Parshat Lech Lecha, we began the week discussing all of the various ways to find directions should we get lost. The children discussed the functionality of a GPS, compass, map and even how important it is to ask for help when we need it. This week, we focused on maps and how and why they are so important. We read the book Me on the Map, by Joann Sweeney.
We followed up this book with an interactive geography activity. The children were presented with stacking blocks that had pictures of the universe, the earth, United States, New Jersey, names of our towns etc. We discussed that the biggest place out of all of these is the Universe since it is all inclusive of the rest of the blocks. We then stacked the earth on top of the Universe and North America on top of the earth. Each block got smaller and smaller until we ended with a big tower and a funny picture of Morah Aviva up on top. This activity allowed the children to really conceptualize and visualize our place on the map. We are a part of a family in a house which is a part of a street, which is a part of a town etc. The tower was left on the science table for the children to manipulate and play with on their own.