The Map To Learning

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Some students from Eugene Field Elementary in Sioux Falls took a trip across the country today. They will again tomorrow and every day for the rest of the school year, thanks to a new addition to their playground.

It's not often someone can walk from the east coast to the west coast in one day, but students at Eugene Field elementary can, thanks to a huge map of the United States on their playground. 

"I think it's really cool, because it's a different way to learn all of the states instead of just in a text book," fifth grader Brady Grapevine said.

It's a map for future learning, because when it comes to educating children, sometimes there are no boundaries. . 

"I see it as an extension of the classroom, a learning tool for Eugene Field, we'll come out here and learn about the different states and also learn about Native Americans and explorers and say which state did they come from so we'll also learn about directions," principal Cathy Coulter said.

Eugene Field use to have a similar map on the playground years ago, but it got wiped off the map, so to speak, after years of play and weather. But thanks to some local volunteers, the students will have this territorial tutor for years to come. 

"They used a real durable paint they said so it should last for quite awhile," Coulter said.

Hopefully, long enough so even the youngest students at Eugene Field will get to learn from it.

"I think the kindergartners will find it pretty cool too, because of all the colors and shapes, they might not know what it is, but," fifth grader Megan Zimmer said.

Volunteers of Midcontinent Communications and Telephone Pioneers not only painted the massive map, they donated all the materials and time. It took them about a week to paint.