Fostering Originality through the ETC Map Game

Today marks the one year anniversary since the release of The ETC® Map Game, and during the week of July 23, 2018, you can get the map game with a 10% discount.

In designing this set of materials the primary approach was to provide children with the opportunity to express their creativity, while still allowing them to meet a variety of learning objectives. The entire approach is based on using synthesis thinking skills, where one is able to bring together the base knowledge of geography while incorporating the study of earth science, ecology, cultural, fundamental needs of humans, weather and climate.

The set comes complete with 72 square 2" x 2" cards that are designed to fit in a variety of ways giving you a large number of iterations. Students are no longer limited to a fixed number of land forms or island formations. Included are 13 figures which may be used to create stories or understand climate and biome formation. The material also comes with all the necessary pieces to create a legend, and grid system. Finally, a box with a lid is provided so that you can easily and efficiently containerize the material and place it on the shelf. 

A rubric is also available for download that allows a guide to evaluate the constructions and the activities. For those who wish to go even further with their exploration, ETC provides a series of Map Game research cards for both 6-9, and 9-12 levels.

Printing of these cards has made use of a brand new, technologically advanced series of paper. Realizing that Montessori teachers like to have their materials laminated, ETC chosen to use a new innovative material that will hold up to everyday use. With an impressive thickness and a tangible, velvety texture on the surface, these cards are printed on a specialty paper that no other Montessori publisher has ever used. This triple layer of material looks and feels incredible. It's sleek! It's bold and it's guaranteed to make an impression on students.

In printing this material we can once again count on ETC's innovative approach to various printing techniques. A 700 gsm (your average card stock is 120 gsm) "Smart White" paper made up of three layers, with a black middle layer, was used giving it the equivalent feel of a 20 mil lamination thickness. The result is cards that do not require lamination, and give a superior surface allowing the images printed on them to come through. This paper is designed to provide depth and a unique appearance.

The ETC® Map Game is also available as a bundle that includes the actual map game along with the research and task cards for levels 6-12.