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Students walk across America

Giant map entices kids to learn geography

Robert C. Reed

Isabella Sanabrina points out a lake on the National Geographic display map.

WANT TO SEE THE GIANT MAP?

It will be available to the public at Jenkins Elementary on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Jenkins Elementary is at 3750 N. Center St. in Hickory.

For more information, call 327-3491.

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: October 6, 2009

HICKORY - In one morning, Abby Grulick traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, the Great Lakes and the Dominican Republic.

Grulick is a first-grader at Jenkins Elementary School. The school has the National Geographic Giant Map of North America, which stretches out 26 feet long by 35 feet wide. The map is at the school through Friday and gives students ample time to explore North America.

Students in Lisa Evans' first-grade class spent part of Tuesday morning getting quizzed on where lakes in the U.S. are, as well as how far North America stretches — from Panama to the bottom of the Caribbean Islands, up to the Seward Peninsula and the Brooks Range, to Newfoundland and Greenland.

The first-graders also were asked about Hawaii, and whether they could drive there.

"We would have to take a boat," said Kaidyn Elliott.

She said she liked looking at the giant map of North America.

"I didn't know Hawaii wasn't hooked onto the U.S.," Elliott, age 6, said.

Elliott said the students were told a few days ago that the large map would be coming to their school, and she had been looking forward to it.

The students also were asked to find a country or state and lay down on it.

"I liked laying down and talking about the oceans," said Jykiri Wallace, 7.

The students learned that because Alaska is so far north, it's sometimes daylight for long periods, and it's sometimes dark for long periods. The students also discussed the north pole briefly.

"I liked learning about the north and south poles," said Kayla Poole, 7. "I learned we live in a huge world."