Map skills worksheets

Geography topics for you to learn and enjoy

4 figure grid references

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This activity combines learning about 4 figure grid references with looking at a map of Kenya and learning about Kenyan animals. It is free to download and print off for use in schools and at home.

Reading aerial photographs and maps of the same area

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Here we look at an aerial photograph and a map of the same area. This activity asks you to identify names of roads and features on the aerial photo using the map to help you. This is an important geography skill that is underserved by the mainstream resource makers so we hope you find this worksheet useful.

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Showing direction on a map

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This activity focuses on developing map skills, chiefly, using direction to locate features on a map. It uses a map of the UK with the major cities on as its base so you become familiar with how touse direction with a map whilst also learning where the major cities of the UK and Northern Ireland are.

Using an atlas to identify features

Using an atlas is an important skill in Geography and this activity asks you to use an atlas to find the locations of Kenya's neighbouring countries. It also tests your ability to locate cities and Kenya's longest river, the Tana river.

Given a set of directions, can you follow them towards a goal? This activity asks you to find some treasure located at the end of a long set of instructions.

Following routes

on a map

UK or GB? Can you tell which is which?

Can you tell the difference between the British Isles, the United Kingdom and Great Britain? Did you think they were all the same thing? Luckily, this activity helps you to learn which countries comprise each different name. This activity then goes on to look at the UK in more detail.

Alpha-numeric grid references

Before moving on to four figure grid references, it is best to learn alpha-numeric grid references to become familiar with the concept. This mapping activity looks at plotting Mexico's cities on to a map of Mexico. It is aimed at 6-7 year olds (Year 2 or Grade 1).

Using latitude and longitude

In this activity, we look at locating famous world volcanoes on a world map using their latitude and longitude co-ordinates. 18 famous volcanoes are listed and the map is large to allow lots of space to locate the volcanoes. We recommend using a pencil for the first few volcanoes so that you can easily correct mistakes. Also printing it in A3 makes the activity easier.

Using Google Earth to locate geographical features

Here we look at developing our digital literacy skills through using Google Earth on our tablet PCs to locate these geographical features. This activity offers a great way to learn how to use Google Earth or similar online mapping software.

Identifying and making map symbols

Here we learn what map symbols are and why we use them. In this activity you will design 10 symbols of your own for different objects and then go on identify a further 18 map symbols. There is an answer key to help.

Marking features on a map.

In this activity, the pupils have to use an atlas or an online mapping software like Google Earth to identify the 15 longest rivers in the World on the map. The pupils develop their locational knowledge of rivers and for an extension activity, the pupils can list the seas and oceans that each river flows into. The answers are provided on page two of the PDF.

locating the world's major rivers | river worksheet

Using an online atlas to identify features.

Here the pupils have to identify the correct location of the longest rivers in the British Isles. One good method our students used to locate the correct location of these rivers was to use Google images and type in searches like 'River Nene map'. There are notes to the teachers on the last page of the Answers sheet.

Make a map of an

imaginary area

In this mapping activity, the pupils apply the skills they have learnt to make their own map of an imaginary place. The worksheet gives an example of what a map might look like and it also lists the key features needed to make a good map. The map skills worksheet comes with some blank templates for drawing your imaginary map on if you wish. There are four blank templates to choose from.

Make a cross-section of a geographical feature

This activity eschews the geography tradition of making a cross section of a river valley and asks you to make a cross section of an ice sheet. This has a number of benefits whilst also learning about glaciers and ice sheets. It develops the relatively difficult skill of making cross-sections. It also helps to point out how much ice is locked away in the Greenland ice sheet and it then helps to explain why the sea level will rise so much of the greenland ice sheet were to melt. So this is glaciers, map skills and environmental studies all in one.