Students Get Off-the-Wall Lesson With 'Giant' Map at Wilson Middle School in Wyandotte

Students walked across the continent of South America Tuesday during a geography lesson at Wilson Middle School in Wyandotte.

Sixth and seventh grade classes needed only travel to the gymnasium to learn several lessons on top of a 26 feet by 35 feet map on loan from the Michigan Geographic Alliance.

The Giant Traveling Map gets students excited about learning, according to Wilson teacher Kristen Zemnickas.

"Moving around physically on the map engages all styles of learners," Zemnickas said. "They have fun finding latitude and longitude coordinates,  and gain valuable skills."

Student removed their shoes and stood in different parts of South America, while playing games that tested their knowledge of geography.

More than 600 students ran from one end of the continent to the other playing educational games.

"There are so many educational games that can be played using this map," Zemnickas said.

Zemnickas and the Michigan Geographic Alliance--a network of social studies teachers and geographers--acquired the map from the National Geographic website and the behemoth was delivered and stretched out onto the floor early Tuesday morning.

The Giant Traveling Map of South America makes geography come alive for students in ways they will never forget, according to the website.

Zemnickas said the day's lesson fit into curriculum requirements and crosses over into multiple subjects.

"There are maps, graphs and charts everywhere in life," Zemnickas said. "To fully understand how to read them is necessary for success."

After the day's events, the map will move on to other schools across the state promoting education.

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