The Assignment is part of a larger, year-long social studies exploration of identity, NYC neighborhoods, NYC landmarks, and city planning. By the end of the year, the students will channel all their knowledge into a culminating and much-beloved milestone—building a "Model City." 

 

As part of the Dalton Plan, which encourages students to dive deeper into their own thinking, this mapping Assignment has already been full of discovery. Mapping isn’t just about tracing a line from point A to point B—it’s about understanding space, scale, direction, and perspective. It requires careful observation, trial and error, and the persistence that Dalton second graders are more than ready to take on. 

 

Last week, some students began mapping a very familiar route—the path from the classroom to the lower roof for recess. With paper and pencil in hand and a sense of adventure, they drew out the path for their teachers to follow. What followed was a joyful blend of wrong turns, right turns, and a few impossible turns, too. Students learned firsthand that mapping a familiar route can be trickier than expected. Along the way, students brought their unique perspectives to the Assignment while developing a newfound respect for cartographers. 

 

Through trial and error, learning through exploration, and real-world connections, the Dalton Plan is in action. These second graders are gaining confidence while taking age-appropriate intellectual risks and approaching the Assignment through their lens. All while learning how to design maps and think about movement through space, like city planners. NYC will continue to be a part of our classroom as these budding cartographers will build on their NYC knowledge by exploring the city’s neighborhoods and landmarks in the coming months.