Giant Map Comes to Bethany

Middle school social studies students had opportunity to walk the silk road and jump over Mount Everest in some fun feet-on geography games May 4-8. Below, Juanita Hershberger, sixth grade social studies teacher at Bethany Christian Schools, watches as teams of students race to find different geographic places on National Geographic's 31x40 foot giant map of Asia.

Bethany is one of several Indiana schools to host the traveling map this year. Designed to combat geographic illiteracy by igniting students' interest in geography, the map and accompanying activities incorporate physical movement and games to teach students place names as well as physical and cultural geography and map reading skills.