Reading Maps
Background Information & Activities

© 1999-2013 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Reading maps is an important skill that even the youngest of students can learn and develop from an early age. Reading maps combines reading and math skills and helps build spatial sense and visual literacy. Remind your children that a map is a tool that shows details about an area. A map can show continents, countries, states, and cities or show the roads and landmarks of a town. It can show routes of a transportation system, such as bus or subway lines, different landforms and elevations, different kinds of natural resources, or varying temperatures in a specific area. A map can also show historical data, such as changes in population, housing development, or crime. A globe is a map on a round model that shows places on Earth. Display different maps for your children and discuss what information each map communicates. Then point out different parts of the map such as the map key or map legend, scale, and compass rose.

Review with your children that a map key or map legend is a chart that explains what symbols mean on a map. On many navigational maps, a black dot stands for a city, a star stands for a state’s capital, and a star inside a circle stands for a country’s capital. Airplanes stand for airports and black or yellow lines stand for highways, roads, or streets. Different maps have different symbols, though many share the same basic symbols. Remind your children that they should always look at the map key or legend to figure out what the symbols mean. There are also other symbols or markings that may not be in a typical map key. Green shading usually stands for a park; blue shading usually stands for a body of water such as a pond, lake, sea, or ocean; thin blue lines stand for rivers, streams, or creeks; and brown shading sometimes stands for deserts or plains. Non-navigational maps, such as temperature maps or rainfall maps, use different symbols, so children should look at the map key to gain a better understanding.

Many maps have a compass rose, which is a tool that displays directions. The cardinal directions are north, east, south, and west. The intermediate directions are the points in between the cardinal directions: northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. You may want to teach your children a mnemonic to remember the cardinal directions, such as “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” or “Never Eat Shredded Wheat.” Encourage your children to come up with their own mnemonics. Many maps also have a scale, which is a tool that compares distance on a map to distance on Earth. The scale helps the user figure out real-life distances by looking at a map. For example, suppose there is a map where 1 inch represents 1 mile. Two landmarks that are 3 inches apart on the map are 3 miles apart on Earth. Different maps have different scales so children should always refer to the map key or legend to look for the scale.

Maps help people navigate, or find their way around an area. Display a simple map and have children give verbal or written directions to go from one location to another. You may wish to model an example first. Children should use sequence words, such as first, second, third, and then. We recommend watching the How-to Essay movie together as a review. They should also use language that describes direction, such as left, right, straight, and turn, and use cardinal directions and landmarks to make their directions as clear and easy as possible for the listener or reader.

Maps are not only useful tools, but they also give people a sense of place in a world. Maps vary greatly, so encourage your children to analyze maps and find different examples. Maps allow children to explore their world without having to leave their homes!

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Reading Maps Teacher Activities

© 1999-2013 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Setting Map

Have students pick their favorite book or pick a class favorite together. Then have students draw a map of the setting of the story. For example, if you picked “The Three Little Bears” students could draw a map that shows the bears’ home, Goldilock’s home, the forest, and all the paths in between. Encourage students to use clues from their stories to create a realistic map or have students use their imaginations to create a map of an entire world where the story takes place. Maybe there is a general store where the bears get their porridge or a lake where Goldlocks likes to play. Have students share their maps with the class.

School Map

Together as a class, make a map of your school or classroom. Brainstorm different landmarks or important buildings on your school’s campus or different areas in the classroom. You can create a map key together and draw symbols for each locale on the map. Discuss the cardinal directions in relation to your classroom and create a compass rose for your map. You can draw the map together on the board or on butcher paper or have students draw them in their notebooks.

As an extension, have students read the map and give directions. For example, you can ask your children to find the cafeteria and then student volunteers can give specific directions on how to walk to the cafeteria. Remind your children to use clear language in their directions and use the cardinal directions as well as words like left, right, straight, and turn. You can also have your children write or give directions to a secret location on a map. Then other students can follow the directions to see if they arrive at the correct location.

World of Maps

Remind your children that maps do not always tell about the layout of a particular area. Maps can tell historical information or details about population, weather, rainfall, natural resources, or even the destruction of tropical forests. Have students research and bring in different kinds of maps. Students can share their maps with the class, identify and discuss symbols on the map, and point out different parts of the map such as the title, compass rose, scale, and map key. How are the maps alike and different? Why are maps useful? Hold a discussion with the class.

Reading Maps Family Activities

© 1999-2013 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Hometown

Together with your child, find a simple map of your hometown. You can find one on the Internet or get one from your local library, automobile association, or gas station. Help your child find your home on the map. Then help him or her find homes of family members, friends, and town landmarks such as the library, school, park, or community center. Discuss different symbols on the map and help him or her use the scale to measure distances between different locations.

Treasure Hunt

Have your child make a treasure map. He or she can hide an object in the park, home, or backyard and create a map that leads to the treasure. Help him or her create a compass and a map key for the map. Then give the map to a friend or family member to look for the treasure. You can also make a treasure map for your child to use to find the treasure in order to practice his or her map reading skills.