Fourth Grade · Reading · week 23

Maps and Charts as Texts

Read a chart's title and key to accurately answer specific questions using its data.

Maps, charts, and graphs are texts too -- they carry information through numbers, symbols, and a key (or legend) that explains what each symbol or column means. Reading them is a skill: find the title, read the key or legend first, then find the specific data point you need.

Read this chart. Title: "Average Monthly Rainfall in a Northern California Town (inches)." Jan: 4.5. Feb: 4.0. Mar: 3.2. Apr: 1.5. May: 0.5. Jun: 0.1. Jul: 0.0. Aug: 0.1. Sep: 0.3. Oct: 1.1. Nov: 2.8. Dec: 4.2. On a hiking map, a legend might show: a solid line means a trail, a dashed line means an unpaved road, and a triangle means a campsite.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Pull up a real weather chart, sports stats table, or a map with a legend from your own area and practice these same three steps together.
  • Ask "what would happen if you skipped the key or legend?" to show why that step cannot be skipped.
  • Point out that charts let you compare numbers at a glance in a way a paragraph of text could not do nearly as quickly.
  • If your family is planning a trip, use a real map legend together to plan a route -- practical practice sticks best.
Talk about it:
  • Why might a chart communicate some information faster than a paragraph would?
  • What is a chart or map you have used in real life recently?
  • Which month's rainfall surprised you the most, and why?

Mastery looks like: They can read a chart's title and key to accurately answer specific questions using its data.

Common stumbles: Guessing at a symbol's meaning instead of checking the key or legend first; misreading which column or number a question is actually asking about.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
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