There is some great online help and ideas for early map work that can be googled with lots of useful sites, good old BBC bitesize being one of the best!
There are five fundamental things you need to be familiar with to read a map successfully:
- Compass directions
- Grid references
- Map's key
- Title
- Scale
Compass directions
Compass directions are vital for finding your way around a map. There are many ways to remember where each direction goes. Everyone has probably learnt their own phrase for remembering North, South, East and West mine was associated with a well known heart healthy cereal...bet you can't guess.
Grid references
Grid references define locations on maps using Cartesian coordinates. Grid lines on maps define the coordinate system, and are numbered to provide a unique reference to features.OS maps are divided into numbered squares. These squares can be used to give a place a four or six-figure grid reference. It is important that you know both four-figure and six-figure grid references.
Eastings
Eastings are lines that run up and down the map. They increase in number the further you move east (or right). You can use them to measure how far to travel east.Northings
Northings are lines that run across the map horizontally. They increase in number the further you move north (or up the map). You can use them to measure how far to travel north.Here is a easy to watch straight forward video about reading grid references...enjoy!
Here is short quiz to sharpen up those tired mapped out brains. This could be a good plenary or introduction from a previous lesson.
http://www.games4geog.com/cg/mapwordsmatchup.swf
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