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Lesson 4: From Ground to Map

"Can you find it on the ground and mark it on the map?"

Time	45-60 minutes
Space	Schoolyard or local park with an orienteering map
Materials	Orienteering maps (blank, with landmarks but no checkpoint circles), Checkpoint markers placed by teacher, Pencils, All-checkpoints map (for verification), Scorecards and pencils
Setup	Place checkpoint markers at locations around the mapped area. Students receive blank maps and must find and mark checkpoint locations.
Vocabulary	Feature, Spatial relationship, Orient the map, Thumbing

Activities

warm-up

Score-O

Warm up: quick Score-O round to review navigation.

core

Reverse Score-O

Find checkpoints on the ground and mark their locations on a blank map.

Goals

Orienteering Goals

• Navigate to find checkpoints in the terrain without map circles to guide you
• Mark checkpoint locations accurately on a blank map
• Strengthen the connection between map and terrain in both directions
• Estimate distances and spatial relationships on the map
• Use features and landmarks to pinpoint locations

PE Standards (SHAPE America)

Standard 2: Movement & Fitness Concepts

• Identifies the effective use of movement concepts within multiple dynamic environments (2.8.1). Students use terrain features and landmarks to pinpoint exact checkpoint positions on their blank maps.
• Demonstrates problem-solving skills in a variety of games and activities (2.8.7). Students determine precise checkpoint locations by triangulating from nearby map features.

Standard 3: Social Skills

• Uses communication skills to negotiate strategies and tactics in a physical activity setting (3.8.3). Partners discuss where to place checkpoint marks on their maps and compare observations.
• Solves problems amongst teammates and opponents (3.8.8). Pairs reconcile differing opinions about checkpoint placement and verify accuracy against the all-checkpoints map.

Standard 4: Personal Skills

• Examines individual and group challenges through movement (4.8.5). Students compare their marked maps to the all-checkpoints map and discuss what made some checkpoints harder to locate.
• Reflects on movement experiences to develop understanding of how movement is personally meaningful (4.8.9). Students reflect on how mapping sharpened their observation of terrain features and spatial relationships.

See PE Standards alignment for the full framework.

Delivery

1. Score-O: quick warm-up round (5-8 minutes) using the standard course
2. Introduce Reverse Score-O: "So far, the map has told you where to go. Today, the map does not show the checkpoints. You have to find them and mark where they are on your blank map."
3. Demo: walk to a nearby checkpoint together. "Where is this on the map? What feature is it near? Mark it with a small circle and the checkpoint code."
4. Reverse Score-O: students work in pairs
   • Receive a blank map (features and landmarks shown, no checkpoint circles)
   • Explore the area to find checkpoint markers
   • At each one, mark its location on the map as precisely as possible
   • Record the checkpoint code next to the circle
   • Time limit: 15-20 minutes
5. Verification: gather and compare maps to the all-checkpoints map. How close were the marks? Discuss what made some harder to place accurately.
6. Second round (if time): try individually, or with checkpoints moved to new locations

Reflection

• What was different about navigating without checkpoint circles on your map?
• How did you figure out exactly where to mark each checkpoint?
• Which checkpoints were hardest to place on the map? Why?
• How did working with a partner help (or not)?
• What does this exercise teach you about reading a map?

Extensions

• Students place their own checkpoints, mark them on an all-checkpoints map, then swap with another pair to find and map them
• Increase precision: checkpoints placed close to each other, requiring careful map placement
• Introduce distance estimation: how far is the checkpoint from the nearest path junction?
• Try it solo