Map Adventures: Lesson 1

Story: Nikki's Adventure

Nikki was excited to visit the special park her mother had been telling her about. When they arrived, she could hardly believe her eyes.

PARK ENTRANCE (Illustration 1)

As she stood on the sidewalk in front of the entrance, she could barely see over the hedge that formed a fence around the park. She could just make out the top of a red-and-white tent and the head of a dinosaur statue. She heard carousel music, the quacking of ducks, and children playing. Nikki could smell popcorn, hot dogs, flowers, and fresh straw.

PARK HEDGE

The most exciting sight of all, though, was a huge hot-air balloon swaying gently in the breeze just outside the park. It was tied down with ropes attached to stakes hammered into the ground. It was the biggest balloon Nikki had ever seen. She wanted to get a closer look inside the basket that hung beneath the balloon, connected by thick ropes.

HOT AIR BALLOON

The man who sold balloon rides was busy reading his newspaper. Nikki's mother walked over to talk with him, while Nikki wandered over to examine the basket. She had never seen a hot-air balloon up close before. The basket had tall sides, with ropes stretching up from it to the balloon overhead. Standing on her tiptoes, she peeked over the edge to get a better look. Then she pulled herself up onto the rim of the basket—but lost her balance and tumbled in headfirst!

While Nikki's mom kept chatting with the balloon operator, a breeze picked up, and the balloon began drifting upward into the sky. Nikki, sitting on the floor of the basket, discovered a leather bag filled with tools that balloonists use to find their way: a map of the park, a compass, and a telescope. Just then, she felt the balloon wobble. Peering over the side, she was amazed to see the ground so far below.

The ropes that were supposed to anchor the balloon in place had come loose and now dangled beneath it. From up high, Nikki could see the whole park spread out below her. A boat drifted toward a bridge, a flag fluttered in the breeze, children rode wooden horses on the spinning carousel, and farm animals gathered under shady trees in the barnyard.

The balloon kept rising. Soon Nikki was floating directly above the park, so high that she could no longer see the sides of the buildings—only their rooftops. The red-and-white top of the carousel now looked like a fancy pie from above. She was seeing the world the way a bird sees it.

Then Nikki spotted a loose rope dangling from the balloon into the basket. She grabbed it to steady herself—but this accidentally let air escape from the balloon, causing it to slowly sink back toward the ground. She noticed the balloon was drifting toward a large fenced pasture inside the park, and that's exactly where she landed. Nikki had experienced an amazing adventure, but she was very relieved to be back on solid ground—and even happier to see her mother again.

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EXAMPLE FOR TEACHERS: HOT AIR BALLOON

ACTIVITY SHEET 1 – CUT AND COLOR