Contextualization

Location is a fundamental concept that we use in our daily lives, whether to find the way to school or to locate a country on a map during a geography class. It is the ability to identify our relative position in a space, whether physical or conceptual. It is through location that we can navigate from one place to another, understand geographical relationships, and, on a larger scale, understand the world around us.

In the field of mathematics, location is an essential skill for the development of spatial reasoning and geometry skills. It is also a necessary skill for understanding and using maps, charts, and tables. This project aims to explore this concept in a practical and fun context.

Introduction

Mathematics has a wide range of practical applications, and the skill of location is one of them. It is used in various professions, such as architecture, engineering, geography, navigation, among others. Knowing how to locate oneself on a map or provide directions is a skill that facilitates daily life and is essential for understanding the world around us.

The concept of location is generally introduced in school through practical activities involving maps and directions. This allows students to understand the idea of relative position (for example, 'I am here and I want to go there') and coordinates (for example, 'the treasure is at the intersection of street A and street B'). These concepts are fundamental to the understanding and use of maps, tables, and charts.

Learning these concepts goes beyond the classroom; by learning to use maps and locations, students develop useful skills for daily life, such as the ability to situate themselves in an unfamiliar environment, plan routes, and read maps and charts.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: 'The Incredible Journey of the Map'

Project Objective:

This project aims to work on the concepts of location and direction by creating a map of a place known to the students - the school. In addition, students should provide detailed directions to a specific point on the map.

Detailed Project Description:

Students will work in groups of 3 to 5 people.

In this activity, students will create a map of the school. They will need to visit the spaces, measure distances, and position objects such as trees, benches, classrooms, etc. on the map.

After creating the map, students should establish a starting point and a destination point and develop step-by-step instructions to reach the destination.

The project should take about two to four hours per student and should be completed within one week.

Required Materials:

• A3 paper.
• Pencils and erasers.
• Ruler or measuring tape.
• Colored pens.

Step by Step:

1. Form groups of 3 to 5 students.
2. Students should start by drawing a sketch of the school map.
3. Students should visit the school, drawing and noting essential features (such as doors, windows, trees, benches, among others).
4. Based on the observations, students should draw the school map to scale on the A3 paper.
5. Next, students should choose a starting point and end point on the map.
6. Finally, students should write detailed instructions to reach the destination from the starting point.

Project Delivery:

Students must submit the finalized map and written directions. Additionally, they should prepare a written report of the project, containing the following topics:

• Introduction: They should contextualize the theme of location and its relevance, the real-world application, and the project's objective.
• Development: They should explain the theory behind location, detail the activity, indicate the methodology used, and finally, present and discuss the results obtained.
• Conclusion: They should conclude the work by summarizing its main points, explaining the learnings obtained, and drawing conclusions about the project.
• Bibliography: Indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project, such as books, web pages, videos, etc.

Students must ensure that each stage of the project is well documented in the report, which should be submitted along with the map and directions.