Using a Map / Using a Compass

Keep your class headed in the right direction with this printable compass rose. Large and easy to read with a smiling picture of Arthur in the middle, this resource would make a fun addition to the desk of any primary grade student.

Young geographers improve their map skills by practicing locating the cardinal directions on a map, identifying symbols on a map key, and describing where objects on the map are located relative to other locations.

Second and third graders practice with basic map skills. They create their own map including a legend and a compass rose. This fabulous plan has many excellent websites linked which allow learners to explore maps of all kinds; including...

What's around the block? Or down the street? Ask your pupils to tap into their map skills by drafting the area around their home and school.

Help younger learners develop their map skills with this simple worksheet, which includes 12 questions utilizing a map legend that involves highway markers, population indicators, and other landmark signs.

Young pupils develop their mapping skills and knowledge by designing their own islands, using geographic terms and physical features they have learned as features of their work.

A great way to introduce 2nd graders to map skills would be to use this presentation. The visuals are inviting and the layout is easy to understand. This would be a terrific way to cover the basics on how to read a map. There is also a...

Young cartographers in groups hide treasure at school and then create a map to find it using pattern blocks and tiles. They make paintings with clues to create a visual representation of the location of their treasure. Groups present...

Thirds graders reinforce that a map is a drawing that shows what a place looks like from above. They use a map key and symbols to create a map of the school and its neighborhood.

Students are introduced to the key concepts of maps; direction, pathway/line, shape and symbol. They create the pathways and shapes they have "mapped" out on paper on the floor. They dance along the paths.