Fantasy map drawing activity ideas for elementary Social Studies

🌍 Topic Summary

Fantasy map drawing is a fun and creative activity that lets you design your own imaginary worlds! It combines art, storytelling, and a little bit of geography. In this activity, you get to invent continents, countries, cities, rivers, and more, all while learning about map elements and spatial relationships. It's a great way to boost your imagination and understand how real-world maps work!

Creating fantasy maps is a fantastic way to engage with social studies topics like geography, culture, and history in a hands-on way. You can design maps for your own stories, games, or simply for the joy of world-building. So, grab your pencils, markers, and paper, and let's start creating!

🎨 Part A: Vocabulary

Match the following terms with their correct definitions:

1. Term: Continent
2. Term: Cartography
3. Term: Legend
4. Term: Terrain
5. Term: Archipelago

1. Definition: A large landmass.
2. Definition: The art and science of making maps.
3. Definition: A key that explains the symbols on a map.
4. Definition: The physical features of a land area.
5. Definition: A group of islands.

✏️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences below using the words provided:

Words: rivers, mountains, oceans, cities, forests

1. Maps often show natural features like ______ and ______.
2. ______ are large bodies of saltwater.
3. ______ are often located near ______.
4. ______ are areas with lots of trees.

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Imagine you are creating a fantasy map for a story about a hidden civilization. What unique geographical features would you include, and why?