Kenya Map Activities
The activities on this page are intended to support use of the GA's Kenya Map.
This map has been specially designed by Sue Thomas for Key Stage 2 pupils, but should also be accessible to upper Key Stage 1. Three supporting activities will help pupils use a globe and atlas to locate Kenya and its neighbours in Africa, practise their map skills by planning a trip to Kenya and find out more about the wider area around the village of Kaptalamwa, the focus of the GA's Kaptalamwa locality photopack, and the life of people living in the Rift Valley.
Throughout these activities, note how geographical concepts and vocabulary are emphasised at every opportunity. Try to model this in your geography activities.
If you haven't got a copy of the Kenya Map why not take advantage of our Kaptalamwa pack and Kenya Map special offer? Purchase the Kaptalamwa photopack and the Kenya Map together for just £29.99/£19.99 GA members!
Activity 1
Pupils choose one of the grid squares and carefully study the features in it, using the key for guidance. On a piece of A4 paper folded into three equal parts, they design a travel leaflet to show what visitors could do if they visited that square. It would be good if they could also include a map of their own.
Activity 2
This is a whole-class lesson using the interactive whiteboard. Load Google Earth on the interactive whiteboard. Gradually zoom in from space to Kenya. Use a pointer to help pupils identify various geographical features, ensuring that the correct geographical vocabulary is used. Country and continent, which primary pupils are often confused by, are especially important to emphasise. Other words you could use are:
ocean, sea, island, mountains, coastline, lake, city, desert
Have the Kenya map available. As you zoom into Kenya, ask pupils to identify the high/low areas of the country, rivers and lakes, areas of vegetation, wet and dry areas on both the whiteboard and the map. Get them to think about colour, shape, size, proportion and relationships, which are of vital importance in reading maps, aerial photos and satellite images.
Activity 3
This is a whole-class lesson on the interactive whiteboard. Load up the Geograph website. Find some photos with which the pupils will be familiar (e.g. the local area or a famous place). Get them to note down what they see in the photos. Then ask them to look at the Kenya map. What features on their geograph photos might they also find in Kenya? What would they not find? How do they know? How could they check this? This is an open-ended activity and pupils have to think about what is and is not shown on maps and photos.
Activity 4
Pupils take an A4 piece of paper and lie it landscape on the table. They draw a straight line across the middle and write 'Mombasa Airport' on the line on the right-hand side (teachers could provide a prepared sheet if necessary). Pupils have to imagine they are flying low over Kenya in a south-east direction towards Mombasa Airport. Starting at the left-hand side of the paper, they draw or write what they would see out of the plane window.
Activity 5
Britain may seem big to pupils, especially when they go on long journeys, but in comparison Kenya is really big! Using an atlas, pupils can try to find out how many times England would fit into Kenya. They can then make a poster to show how they found this out.
Activity 6
The 'Rift Valley' is marked in the north-west part of the Kenya map. But what is a rift valley? Pupils can find out on the Jambo Kenya website. They should read the text and look carefully at the pictures and diagrams. Pupils then make a poster for the classroom that will help others learn about rift valleys. Information from books or other websites could also be added.
Activity 7
The continent of Africa has lots of water all round it. Using an atlas pupils find out, then write, the names of all the seas and oceans around Africa on a blank outline map.
Extension
- Pupils make a list of the African countries which have a coastline.
- Pupils make a list of the African countries which have no coastline.
- Pupils find out which country has the longest coastline.
Activity 8
Some countries in Africa are huge while others are tiny. Set a challenge for pupils to find the smallest country in Africa. It will get them looking in detail and they will have to find a way that to prove they have found the country with the smallest land area.
Extension
Pupils could research the geography of the country they think is the smallest and present their findings.
Further extension
Pupils compare the smallest country they have found with Kenya.
John Halocha
