I’ve loved maps for as long as I can remember. Growing up I had a huge map in my bedroom and a sharpie that I used to outline every country I wanted to visit. I spent hours of my childhood studying and outlining that beloved map, reading country Encyclopedia entries(yes, I am that old) and dreaming of far away places.

This summer I was introduced to Map Talks from Ben Tinsley at the Fluency Matters conference. Basically, he projects a map and does what we do: speaks to his students in slow and comprehensible language, asking questions, and teaching them about real life thing. in this case, geography and culture. Here’s a post that Ben wrote, explaining the details and here’s a video of Ben Map Talking in action (French Teachers, you’ll want to check it out and also his Teachers Pay Teacher’s store…his thematic units make me want to be a French Teacher!) I left Ben’s keynote address resolved to share my love of maps with my Little Darlings and awaken their curiosity of the world beyond our small town.

In Spanish 1, we started the year out Map Talking our town, Nevada and the West Coast and the United States. Talking about what they are already familiar with is a great way to introduce some new vocabulary like pueblo, ciudad, estado, país, capital, está lejos de, está cerca de. Then we jumped into learning about Celia Cruz, sang Ríe, Llora and Map Talked Cuba and El Caribe. In Mid September we celebrated Central American Independence with a Map Talk and reenactment of the Antorcha de Independencia. Our next song was Bicicleta by Shakira and Carlos Vives so we jumped into Colombia with another Map Talk and by this time I was feeling a little exhausted so I recorded it, dropped it into an EdPuzzle and sipped my tea while they acquired away.

Rather than just pulling up Google Maps and scrolling around, it’s easier for me to drop a screenshot into a slideshow and add a few words and translations that I know my Little Darlings will need, so I can point and pause to my heart’s content:

Mini Matamoscas al Mapa

And would I even be Señora Chase if I didn’t turn my love of maps in a game?! Here’s a NO PREP game that you can keep in your back pocket when you need a little filler at the end of class. My Little Darlings LOVE this one and get super competitive. Here are the instructions and a video below if you’re the type who wants to see it in action.

Spanish teachers, print out these maps back to back. Hole punch them, pass them out and you’re ready to go. (If you’re not a Spanish teacher, go ahead and find 2 maps of the regions that speak your target language. You’ll want a simple line map with the countries named and another one that only has the country outlines but no names.)

Before you start playing, there’s a little pre game involved. Instruct everyone to look at the side with the labeled countries. Pick a country, ask them to touch it, and ask some questions about it.

¿Dónde está Colombia? ¿Está en América Central o en Sudamérica? ¿Quién nació en Colombia? ¿Está Colombia más cerca del Caribe o más cerca de los Estados Unidos? ¿Hace frío en Colombia? ¿Qué hablan en Colombia?

You know the drill: talk slowly and deliberately. Teach to their eyes. Check their comprehension. Pick a few countries to talk about and have them touch the country you’re highlighting. When you feel like they’re getting restless or their attention is wavering, it’s time to play!

Partner up your Little Darlings: I use Compañeros de animales for this, but you just follow your heart. One partner should put away their map and the other should put the map between both partners so each can access to the map. Start with the county name side of the map facing up.

The teacher will say a country and the fastest partner who touches the country gets a point.

A few rules: everyone should extend their pointing hand above their head so no one has an unfair advantage before the round starts (you’ll see me demoing this in the video below) and also, students must point with one finger. No one can smack their palm down onto South America when you ask, ¿Dónde está Bolivia?

I also teach ¡Tramposo! (Cheater!) and ¡No hagas trampa! (Don’t cheat!) because it’s fun to yell it at your partner to add to the mayhem that makes games fun.

Play a few rounds, and after each round ask students to show you their points on their fingers. After they’re feeling confident, have them flip over their maps (so only the country outlines are visible, no county names) and play a few more rounds for double points!

And remember, our goal is to load them up with comprehensible language. In addition to asking, ¿Dónde está…? change it up! ¿Dónde nació Celia Cruz? ¡La Señora Chase estudió en….Costa Rica! ¿Dónde hablan portugués en Sudamérica?

Wanna see it? Here you go!

• The video starts with the pregame, talking about a few countries.
• The game instructions start at 3:12
• Playing the game starts at 5:08

Dear friends, I hope that you’re having a lovely year and your Little Darlings are behaving and cooperating and acquiring loads of language. I hope you’re feeling supported and valued and fulfilled at your schools.

And if that’s not the case, I am so very sorry. I know how that feels. Praise Jesus, this year has been good for me, but my year from hell is still fresh in my memory and my heart goes out to you. If that’s how you’re feeling right now, I encourage you to keep experimenting. Figure out what’s going to work with the particular bunch you have this year and modify your expectations to your current situation. Teach the ones you have, not the ones you used to have or the ones you wish you had. I can’t offer much, but I’ve got plenty of prayers. If you feel comfortable, drop me a message or comment below. It would be my pleasure to pray for you during your tough year.