Year 5: Maps

“That explains a lot,' he said. 'I suppose it's also why we've never glimpsed that giant compass in the corner of the Atlantic. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed.” —Gideon Defoe

From hiking in the hills to finding your way in a shopping centre, we use lots of types of maps in our day-to-day life. This topic will develop your skills at reading and using maps, as well as explaining how large-scale maps of the whole Earth can be interpreted.


In this unit, you will learn:

  • About the features of a map

  • To recognise the points of a compass

  • To recognise and interpret map symbols

  • To read four- and six-figure grid references

  • To interpret scale

  • To understand latitude and longitude

Home learning opportunities:

To develop your understanding of this unit further at home, you might like to:

  • Create a map of a fantasy kingdom

  • Use an O.S. map to plan a walk and take photographs along the way

  • Make a compass by magnetising a needle and floating it on something in a bowl of water

  • Research a famous explorer and their journeys

External links:

Features on a Map

“Map-making had never been a precise art on the Discworld. People tended to start off with good intentions and then get so carried away with the spouting whales, monsters, waves and other twiddly bits of cartographic furniture that the often forgot to put the boring mountains and rivers in at all.” —Terry Pratchett

A map is a drawing, usually on a flat surface, of a whole or part of an area - a bird’s eye view.

There are many different types of maps that show specific things.

Maps can display political boundaries, population, physical features, natural resources, roads, climates, land height, and economic activities.

A map is a simple view of the real world on a flat surface so we can move it about.

  1. All good maps need a key. This shows what the symbols and colours are on a map

  2. All good maps need a scale. This shows the area that map represents in real life.

  3. All good maps need a north point. This shows which way the map needs to be pointing in real life (orientation).

  4. All good maps need a border and a clear title.

  5. Ordnance Survey maps also have grid references so places can be accurately located.

  6. OS maps also have contour lines to show height accurately.

  7. A good map needs clear symbols