I've written about this in the past. But this group of kids all sat at the table and worked on map piece after map piece. Highlighting markers are great because you can draw over lines and still see them.
Some drew on the lines on the map. Some just drew on the paper.
One boy drew lines across the paper. "I'm making my own map," he said.
Writing is more than creating letters and words. Kids are learning to make meaningful marks on paper. Creating their own map or following the lines or drawing specific pictures are all ways to make meaning
I know that paper maps are not in vogue anymore. But we still love to use them, even if it's for exploring writing. (And doing a little repurposing!)
