One of our clients recently shared her son’s 4th-grade social studies project for his unit on maps. He chose to map his newly completed Normandy kitchen because the kitchen is an important part of his home and his life, as he explains in his paper. We loved his description of the role his kitchen plays in his home, and are so happy we can be a part of creating these lifelong memories. The following is the unaltered, unmodified text that we were provided, his drawing, and the Normandy rendering of the space designed by Stephanie Bryant so you can see for yourself what a nice job he did of representing his kitchen.

Social Studies
November 18, 2010
Map Project

Map of the kitchen

I mapped our kitchen because the kitchen is an important place in most homes. In the beginning, people probably only used campfires to prepare dinners. Now many homes have kitchens that do many different things for different families. Our kitchen is important because it is where I do most of my homework, help prepare dinners, clean, and entertain my friends with great after-school snacks.

My kitchen is located at the back of the first floor of my home. The kitchen is 18 feet by 20 feet; the cooktop is located on the east wall. The kitchen opens into our great room on the west side of our house. We have a breakfast bench and table on the south wall of the kitchen. My map only shows the kitchen and all of its contents.

This map is useful and important because it is a new kitchen and it will help my cousins find what they need and where to put things away when they visit during the holidays. I like the kitchen because my mother made sure that the stove looks like an airplane and even bought a new blender to encourage my brother and me to enjoy fresh fruit mixed up.

This map shows the bench where I sit during breakfast and dinner. The family has great moments together socializing at this bench. The map also shows the island which is in the middle of the kitchen, this is where I do most of my homework. It shows how many hardwood floors there are for me to dance on. It also shows where I can cook and store food, pots and pans, and dishes. I can even use the sink that is located in the center of the island. The refrigerators keep our food safe. We are able to cook because of the stove and we have a separate refrigerator for adult drinks. There are a lot of windows, so I can look out and see my neighbors.

My grandmothers share a lot of stories with me when they visit. They always spend time in the kitchen because they both enjoy cooking and making great feasts. We also entertain a lot of friends in our kitchen and family room, which are west of the kitchen. We have music in our kitchen and because I like music it makes homework so much more fun to do. Ms. Stephanie designed this kitchen with plenty of floor space. We have enough flooring for me to do my Michael Jackson dance steps. I often get my family to dance with me in the kitchen. This kitchen has a lot more space than our old kitchen. So this kitchen is unique in that I have and continue to make many memories in our kitchen.

The kitchen is my favorite place because my family has a lot of really fun times together. There is always something going on in the kitchen and that is where Thanksgiving and birthdays and many other celebrations are held. So it is just a very fun hangout spot.

The End