PAGE 1: Overview OVERVIEW ======== Kenya is divided into 47 counties, and your school is in one of them. In this sub-strand you will find out the sub-counties that make up your county, describe where your county is in relation to the counties around it, and compare its size with the size of its neighbours using a map. ## Strand 1.0: Natural and Built Environments Sub-strand 1.2: Location and size of the County Suggested lessons: 5 ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Social Studies Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 1.0 Natural and Built Environments, Sub-strand 1.2 Location and size of the County ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) identify sub-counties in the county b) locate the county in relation to neighbouring counties c) estimate the size of the county in relation to neighbouring counties d) acknowledge the location and size of the county ## Key inquiry questions 1. Why is it important to learn the size and location of a county? PAGE 2: How we will learn ## Learning experiences • brainstorm and list sub- counties in their county • use relevant print or digital resources to identify the location of the county in relation to neighbouring counties • discuss the size of the county in relation to the neighbouring counties • sketch, colour, and display the map of the county in class • play games on the location of the county in relation to neighbouring counties ## Core competencies • Digital Literacy: Learners develop simple games as they play games on the location of the county in relation to the neighbouring counties • Learning to learn: Learners search for the location and size of their county ## Values • Responsibility: Learners engage in assigned roles and duties as they discuss the size of the county in relation to the neighbouring counties ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Problem Solving: Learners play creative games as they locate the county in relation to the neigbouring counties • Effective Communication: Learners brainstorm to identify sub-counties in their county. ## Links to other learning areas • English: Learners apply listening and speaking skills as they discuss in groups the size of the county in relation to the neigbouring counties PAGE 3: Lesson 1: Our county and its sub-counties — Finding the sub-counties in your county LESSON 1: OUR COUNTY AND ITS SUB-COUNTIES ========================================= ## What you will learn • State that Kenya has 47 counties and name the county where your school is. • List the sub-counties in your county. Curriculum outcomes: a) identify sub-counties in the county ## Introduction When you write your full home address you might write your village, your sub-county, your county and finally Kenya. Each name is a bigger area that contains the one before it. ## Notes ### Counties in Kenya Kenya is divided into 47 counties. The counties were set up by the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Each county has its own name, its own boundaries and its own county government. The town where the county government has its main offices is called the county headquarters. ### Sub-counties A county is a big area, so it is divided into smaller parts called sub-counties. Dividing a county into sub-counties makes it easier to serve people. Many government services are offered at sub-county offices so that people do not have to travel all the way to the county headquarters. Different counties have different numbers of sub-counties. Some counties have only a few; others have many. Each sub-county is made up of even smaller areas such as locations, sub-locations and villages. ### Finding the sub-counties in your county You can find out the sub-counties in your county by: - asking your teacher, parents or guardians, - looking at a map of your county in an approved textbook or atlas, - visiting the county government website on a digital device with the help of an adult, - asking the chief or assistant chief, or an officer at a sub-county office. Write the name of your county and the names of all its sub-counties in your book. Underline the sub-county in which your school is found. Knowing the sub-counties helps you understand your home area, find government services and read maps of your county. PAGE 4: Lesson 1: Our county and its sub-counties — List the sub-counties in our county ## Key words • county — one of the 47 areas into which Kenya is divided, each with its own county government • sub-county — a smaller part of a county • county headquarters — the town where the main offices of the county government are ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Put these areas in order from the smallest to the largest: county, village, Kenya, sub-county. Working: 1. A village is inside a sub-county. 2. A sub-county is inside a county. 3. A county is inside Kenya. Answer: Village, sub-county, county, Kenya ## Activity: List the sub-counties in our county You will need: Map of your county from an approved textbook, atlas or digital device, Manila paper and marker pens 1. In groups, brainstorm the sub-counties you already know in your county. 2. Check your list against a map of the county or ask your teacher to confirm it. 3. Write the full list on manila paper with the heading "Sub-counties in our county". 4. Put a star next to the sub-county where your school is. 5. Present your list to the class and compare it with other groups. ## Practice 1. How many counties are there in Kenya? 2. What is a sub-county? 3. Give two ways you can find out the names of the sub-counties in your county. 4. Write the name of your county and the sub-county where your school is. ## Answers to practice 1. 47 2. A smaller part of a county 3. Any two: ask the teacher, parents or guardians; look at a county map; use the county government website; ask the chief or a sub-county officer. 4. The learner writes the correct names for their school, confirmed by the teacher. ## Summary • Kenya has 47 counties. • Each county is divided into smaller parts called sub-counties. • Maps, textbooks, adults and county offices can tell us the sub-counties in our county. PAGE 5: Lesson 2: Where our county is: neighbouring counties — Neighbouring counties LESSON 2: WHERE OUR COUNTY IS: NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES ==================================================== ## What you will learn • Identify the counties that share a boundary with your county. • Use the cardinal points to describe the location of your county in relation to its neighbours. Curriculum outcomes: b) locate the county in relation to neighbouring counties ## Introduction Your home has neighbours whose land touches yours. In the same way, your county has neighbouring counties that share a boundary with it. ## Notes ### What is location? Location means the place where something is found. We can describe the location of a county by saying which counties are around it and in which direction they are. This is called describing its location in relation to neighbouring counties. ### Neighbouring counties Neighbouring counties are counties that share a boundary with your county. A boundary is a line that separates one area from another. On a map, county boundaries are usually shown with a dotted or dashed line. Some counties also have a natural boundary such as a river, a lake, a mountain range or the Indian Ocean, and some counties at the edge of Kenya share a boundary with another country. ### How to locate your county on a map 1. Get a map of Kenya that shows the counties, from a textbook, atlas or digital device. 2. Find the North sign. 3. Find your county and put your finger on it. 4. Look at each county that touches your county's boundary. These are your neighbours. 5. Use the cardinal points to say where each neighbour is. For example: "County X is to the North of our county." If a neighbour touches two sides, you can say which side most of it lies on. PAGE 6: Lesson 2: Where our county is: neighbouring counties — Notes 4 Look at the practice map in the diagram. It uses letters instead of real names. County A is in the middle. County B is to the North of County A, County C is to the East, County D is to the South and County E is to the West. Now use a real map to write the same kind of sentences about your own county. Your teacher will check that the neighbours and directions you give are correct. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: Practice map (not a real place): County A with its neighbours B to the North, C to the East, D to the South and E to the West PAYLOAD: CAPTION: Practice map (not a real place): County A with its neighbours B to the North, C to the East, D to the South and E to the West [/DIAGRAM] PAGE 7: Lesson 2: Where our county is: neighbouring counties — Example 1 ## Key words • location — the place where something is found • boundary — a line that separates one area from another • neighbouring county — a county that shares a boundary with another county ## Worked examples ### Example 1 On the practice map, which county is to the West of County A? Working: 1. West is on the left of the map. 2. The county on the left of A is E. Answer: County E ## Worked examples ### Example 2 On the practice map, in which direction is County A from County B? Working: 1. County B is North of County A. 2. Swap the places: the opposite of North is South. Answer: South ## Activity: Locate our county You will need: Map of Kenya showing counties (print or digital), Tracing paper, Pencil and crayons 1. In groups, find your county on the map of Kenya. 2. Trace your county and the counties that share a boundary with it. Draw the North sign. 3. Colour your county in one colour and each neighbour in a different colour. Write their names. 4. Write a sentence for each neighbour using the cardinal points, for example "___ County is to the East of our county." 5. Play a guessing game: one learner says "I am the neighbour to the South. Who am I?" and the others answer. PAGE 8: Lesson 2: Where our county is: neighbouring counties — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. What is a neighbouring county? 2. On the practice map, which county is to the South of County A? 3. How are county boundaries usually shown on a map? 4. Name one county that neighbours your county and say in which direction it is. ## Answers to practice 1. A county that shares a boundary with another county 2. County D 3. With a dotted or dashed line (some boundaries follow natural features such as rivers or lakes) 4. The learner names a real neighbouring county and its correct direction, checked on a map. ## Summary • Location is where a place is found. • Neighbouring counties share a boundary with our county. • We use a map and the cardinal points to describe where our county is. PAGE 9: Lesson 3: Estimating the size of our county — Notes 1 LESSON 3: ESTIMATING THE SIZE OF OUR COUNTY =========================================== ## What you will learn • Estimate whether your county is bigger or smaller than each neighbouring county. • Use squares on tracing paper to compare the sizes of counties on a map. Curriculum outcomes: c) estimate the size of the county in relation to neighbouring counties ## Introduction Two shambas can look almost the same from the road, but when you walk around them you find that one is much bigger. On a map we can compare the size of counties in a similar way. ## Notes Size means how big or small an area is. Counties in Kenya are not all the same size. Some are very large and others are much smaller. The size of a county is the amount of land inside its boundary. The real size of land is measured in square kilometres. At Grade 4 we do not measure, we estimate. To estimate means to make a careful guess using what we can see. ### Estimating by looking Look at your county on a map and compare it with each neighbour. Ask: - Is our county bigger than this neighbour? - Is it smaller? - Are they about the same size? PAGE 10: Lesson 3: Estimating the size of our county — Notes 4 ### Estimating by counting squares Looking alone can trick your eyes, especially when shapes are very different. Counting squares gives a better estimate: 1. Draw small equal squares on a sheet of tracing paper (for example 1 cm by 1 cm). 2. Place the tracing paper over the map. 3. Count the squares that are fully inside your county. Count a square that is half or more inside as one; leave out a square that is less than half inside. 4. Do the same for each neighbouring county. 5. The county with more squares is the bigger one. For example, on a practice map, County A covers 18 squares and County B covers 11 squares. County A is bigger than County B. If County C covers 17 squares, then A and C are about the same size. You can also lay a string along the boundary of each county to compare how long the boundaries are, but remember that a long boundary does not always mean a bigger area. Counting squares is better for comparing size. Use your county map to decide which neighbours are bigger and which are smaller than your county. The size of a county can affect how far people travel to reach services. PAGE 11: Lesson 3: Estimating the size of our county — Example 1 ## Key words • size — how big or small an area is • estimate — to make a careful guess of an amount • tracing paper — thin paper you can see through, used to copy or measure shapes on a map ## Worked examples ### Example 1 On a map, County P covers 14 squares and County Q covers 9 squares. Which county is bigger, and by how many squares? Working: 1. 14 is more than 9, so County P is bigger. 2. 14 − 9 = 5 Answer: County P is bigger by about 5 squares. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 County R covers 12 squares and County S covers 12 squares. Compare their sizes. Working: 1. Both cover the same number of squares. Answer: They are about the same size. ## Activity: Compare sizes with a square grid You will need: Map of your county and its neighbours, Tracing paper with squares drawn on it, Pencil, String 1. In groups, place the squared tracing paper over the map. 2. Count the squares covering your county and write the number down. 3. Count the squares covering each neighbouring county. 4. Arrange the counties from the biggest to the smallest. 5. Discuss in your group whether your county is bigger or smaller than most of its neighbours, and share with the class. PAGE 12: Lesson 3: Estimating the size of our county — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. What does it mean to estimate the size of a county? 2. County X covers 20 squares and County Y covers 15 squares. Which county is bigger? 3. When counting squares, what do you do with a square that is less than half inside the county? 4. Why is counting squares better than just looking at the map? ## Answers to practice 1. To make a careful guess of how big it is, for example by counting squares on a map. 2. County X 3. Leave it out. 4. Because counties have different shapes, and our eyes can be tricked; counting squares gives a fairer comparison. ## Summary • Counties in Kenya are of different sizes. • We estimate size by comparing shapes on a map or by counting squares. • The county that covers more squares is bigger. PAGE 13: Lesson 4: Sketching our county map and why location and size matter — Sketching a map of your county LESSON 4: SKETCHING OUR COUNTY MAP AND WHY LOCATION AND SIZE MATTER ============================================================ ## What you will learn • Sketch, colour and label a map of your county. • Explain why it is important to know the location and size of your county. Curriculum outcomes: d) acknowledge the location and size of the county; b) locate the county in relation to neighbouring counties; c) estimate the size of the county in relation to neighbouring counties ## Introduction Imagine a new learner joins your class from another part of Kenya. How would you explain where your county is and how big it is? A simple map you have drawn yourself can help. ## Notes ### Sketching a map of your county A sketch map is a simple map drawn by hand. It does not need to be perfect, but it should show the main things clearly. A good sketch map of your county has: - a title, for example "Map of ___ County", - the boundary of the county, - the sub-counties, each with its name, - the names of the neighbouring counties written around the edge in their correct directions, - a North sign, - a key that explains any colours or symbols you have used. Use tracing paper to copy the outline from a textbook or atlas, then colour each sub-county differently. Display the finished maps in class. PAGE 14: Lesson 4: Sketching our county map and why location and size matter — Notes 3 ### Why the location and size of a county are important Knowing where your county is and how big it is helps in many ways: - It helps you give directions to visitors and describe where you live. - It helps people plan journeys to neighbouring counties, for example to trade, visit relatives or go to school. - It helps us understand why the weather, crops and animals in our county may be similar to or different from those in counties far away. - It helps us understand that services such as hospitals, schools and roads need to reach people across the whole county. A big county may need more roads and offices so that people do not travel too far. - It makes us proud of our home area and helps us work well with our neighbours. PAGE 15: Lesson 4: Sketching our county map and why location and size matter — Notes 4 Every county, big or small, is an important part of Kenya. Neighbouring counties share roads, markets, rivers and people, so we should live in peace and cooperate with them. ## Key words • sketch map — a simple map drawn by hand • key — a box on a map that explains what the colours and symbols mean ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner has drawn a map of her county with the boundary and sub-counties. What else should she add? Working: 1. Check the list: title, boundary, sub-counties, neighbours, North sign, key. Answer: A title, the names of the neighbouring counties, a North sign and a key. ## Activity: Our county map display You will need: Tracing paper, Map of the county from an approved textbook or atlas, Crayons or coloured pencils, Manila paper 1. Trace the outline of your county and its sub-counties. 2. Colour each sub-county and write its name. 3. Write the names of neighbouring counties in their correct directions around the map. 4. Add a title, a North sign and a key. 5. Display your map in class. In groups, discuss why it is important to know the size and location of your county. PAGE 16: Lesson 4: Sketching our county map and why location and size matter — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. Name three things a good sketch map of your county should have. 2. Give two reasons why it is important to know the location of your county. 3. Why might a very large county need more roads and offices? ## Answers to practice 1. Any three: title, boundary, sub-counties, neighbouring counties, North sign, key. 2. Any two: to give directions, to plan journeys, to understand our weather and activities, to cooperate with neighbours. 3. So that services can reach people in all parts of the county without them travelling too far. ## Summary • A sketch map shows the boundary, sub-counties, neighbours, North sign and a key. • Knowing location and size helps with directions, planning and services. • Every county is an important part of Kenya. PAGE 17: Lesson 5: A fact file, digital maps and a location game LESSON 5: A FACT FILE, DIGITAL MAPS AND A LOCATION GAME ======================================================= ## What you will learn • Record the location and size of your own county in a fact file checked against a map. • Use a game to describe neighbouring counties and compare their sizes. Curriculum outcomes: b) locate the county in relation to neighbouring counties; c) estimate the size of the county in relation to neighbouring counties; d) acknowledge the location and size of the county ## Introduction A visitor who only hears the name of your county still does not know where it sits in Kenya or whether it is large or small. A fact file, checked on a map, lets you describe your county clearly. ## Notes ### A county fact file A fact file is a page of true information about your own county. Copy these headings. Fill a line only after you have checked a map or your teacher has confirmed it: - Name of our county - Sub-county where our school is - List of sub-counties - Neighbour to the North, the South, the East and the West - Any other neighbouring counties - What lies on a side that has no county, if your map shows another country, a lake or the ocean there - Neighbours that cover more squares than our county - Neighbours that cover fewer squares - Neighbours that cover about the same number of squares PAGE 18: Lesson 5: A fact file, digital maps and a location game — Why the fact file is worth keeping Leave a line empty until you are sure. A guess written down as a fact can send a visitor the wrong way. Not every side of a county has another county beside it. Counties at the edge of Kenya may touch another country or a large water body. ### Print and digital maps An atlas and your social studies textbook show the counties of Kenya. There are 47 counties, so look carefully until you find yours. A digital map on a computer or phone can show the same boundaries if an adult helps you open it. Zoom in until you can read the names around your county. Compare the screen with your fact file and correct any line that does not match. ### A location and size game Write each neighbouring county on a card. A partner says, "I am the neighbour to the North. What is my name?" or "Am I bigger or smaller than our county?" Answer from the fact file, then prove the answer on the map. The square-counting method from your sketch tells you who is bigger. Groups can race, but the map is the judge, not the loudest voice. ### Why the fact file is worth keeping It helps you tell a new classmate where your county is, plan a journey to a neighbouring county, and see why roads and offices must serve the whole county. Knowing the location and size of your county is a way of knowing your home area well and of respecting the neighbours who share your boundaries. ## Key words • fact file — a page where you record information you have checked and know to be true • digital map — a map shown on a computer, tablet or phone PAGE 19: Lesson 5: A fact file, digital maps and a location game — Example 1 ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner writes "The northern neighbour is the biggest county in Kenya" because a friend said so. What should the learner do before leaving that sentence in the fact file? Working: 1. A fact file should contain information checked on a map or confirmed by the teacher. 2. A friend's guess is not enough. Answer: Check a map of the counties, or ask the teacher, and change the sentence if it is not shown to be true. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 On the west, a county's boundary touches another country and not a county. What should the fact file say for that side? Working: 1. Not every side has a neighbouring county. 2. Write what the map actually shows. Answer: Write the name of the country that touches that side, and leave the neighbouring-county line for the West empty or marked "no county". ## Activity: County location game You will need: A print or digital map of the counties of Kenya, Cards, Your square-count notes, Exercise book 1. In groups, open a print map or, with an adult, a digital map, and find your county. 2. Complete a fact file: sub-counties, neighbours by direction, and which neighbours are bigger, smaller or about the same size. 3. Make cards for the neighbouring counties and for "bigger" and "smaller". 4. Play the game: one learner gives a direction or a size clue, and the others name the county, then prove it on the map. 5. Discuss why it is useful to know the location and size of your county, and display the fact file beside your sketch map. PAGE 20: Lesson 5: A fact file, digital maps and a location game — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. When should you fill a line in your county fact file? 2. A side of your county touches a lake, not another county. What do you record? 3. In the location game, what decides whether an answer is correct? 4. Give one reason for keeping a fact file about your county. ## Answers to practice 1. Only after checking a map or after the teacher confirms the fact. 2. Record the lake for that side. Do not invent a neighbouring county. 3. The map, together with the square counts for size. 4. Any one: to describe where the county is, to plan a journey, to compare its size with its neighbours, or to explain why services must reach the whole county. ## Summary • A fact file records checked information about your own county. • Print and digital maps show neighbours and help you compare size. • Not every side of a county has another county beside it. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. How many counties does Kenya have? A. 8 B. 40 C. 47 D. 50 2. A county is divided into smaller parts called ___. A. countries B. sub-counties C. continents D. provinces 3. Give one way of finding out the sub-counties in your county. 4. Counties that share a boundary with your county are called ___ counties. 5. On a map, a county is on the right-hand side of your county. In which direction is it? A. North B. South C. East D. West 6. What is a boundary? A. A road inside a town B. A line that separates one area from another C. The biggest town in a county D. A type of map 7. County M covers 16 squares on a map and County N covers 10 squares. Which is bigger? A. County M B. County N C. They are the same 8. Which is the best way to estimate and compare the size of two counties on a map? A. Measure the length of their names B. Count squares on tracing paper placed over the map C. Count the towns D. Look at the colours 9. Give one reason why it is important to know the location and size of your county. 10. Which of these should a sketch map of your county always have? A. A North sign B. A photograph C. A price list D. A poem 11. You want to write the names of neighbouring counties in a fact file. What should you do first? A. Guess from a story B. Check a print or digital map C. Copy another learner's county D. Count the classrooms 12. The western side of a county on a map touches another country. What is true? A. That side must still have a neighbouring county B. You should invent a county name C. That side has a country as a neighbour, not a county D. The county has no location PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. C. 47 Kenya is divided into 47 counties. 2. B. sub-counties Each county is made up of sub-counties. 3. Any one: ask the teacher, parents or guardians; read a county map; use the county government website; ask the chief. These are reliable sources of information about the county. 4. Neighbouring Neighbouring counties touch our county's boundary. 5. C. East On a map with North at the top, East is on the right. 6. B. A line that separates one area from another Boundaries separate counties, sub-counties and countries. 7. A. County M 16 squares is more than 10 squares. 8. B. Count squares on tracing paper placed over the map Counting squares compares the amount of land inside each boundary. 9. Any one: to give directions, to plan journeys, to understand services people need, to cooperate with neighbouring counties. Location and size help us understand and serve our home area. 10. A. A North sign The North sign shows direction on the map. 11. B. Check a print or digital map Location facts must match a map of your own county. 12. C. That side has a country as a neighbour, not a county Counties at the edge of Kenya may touch another country or a large water body.