GeographyMaps, GIS and data skills22 min★★ difficulty

Maps, atlases and globes in practice

Grid references, scale and contour lines turn a flat sheet of paper into a working model of the real world.

Part of your national curriculum

Geographical skills and fieldwork: Build on knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom and in the field

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Build on knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom and in the field

Key learning points

• Grid references
• Scale and distance
• Contours and relief
• Globes and atlases

This lesson at a glance

22 minutes
19 parts to scroll through
3 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

knowledgeglobesatlasesroutinelyclassroom

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 19 · Discover5%

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Part 1 of 19

Maps, atlases and globes in practice illustration

Visual introduction

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Maps, atlases and globes in practice

Grid references, scale and contour lines turn a flat sheet of paper into a working model of the real world.

In a nutshell

Build on knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom and in the field

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 19

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Grid references

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 19

Learn

Grid references

Ordnance Survey maps use four- and six-figure grid references to pinpoint locations precisely, reading eastings before northings — remember 'along the corridor, up the stairs'.

Reset break

Part 4 of 19

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 19

Learn

Scale and distance

A 1:50,000 map means 1cm on the map equals 50,000cm (500m) in reality, letting you measure real distances, such as the length of a footpath, using a ruler and the map's scale bar.

Quick check

Part 6 of 19

Quick check

On an Ordnance Survey grid reference, which figures are read first?

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 7 of 19

Quick check

On a 1:50,000 map, how many metres does 1cm represent?

Give me a hint

Reset break

Part 8 of 19

Pause

That's sitting 2 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Learning cycle

Part 9 of 19

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Contours and relief

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 10 of 19

Learn

Contours and relief

Contour lines join points of equal height; closely spaced contours show steep slopes, like around Snowdon, while widely spaced contours show gentle terrain, like the Fens.

Explore the idea

Part 11 of 19

Learn

Globes and atlases

Globes show the true shape of the Earth without the distortion of flat maps, while atlases combine many map types — political, physical, climate — letting geographers compare information for the same place.

Reset break

Part 12 of 19

Pause

That's sitting 3 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Quick check

Part 13 of 19

Quick check

What do closely spaced contour lines indicate?

Give me a hint

Challenge round

Part 14 of 19

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 15 of 19

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

____ show the true shape of the Earth without the distortion of flat maps, while atlases combine many map types — political, physical, climate — letting geographers compare information for the same place.

Reset break

Part 16 of 19

Pause

That's sitting 4 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Challenge round

Part 17 of 19

Game · Recall cards

How do you read a grid reference?

Card 1 of 4

Mastery quiz

Part 18 of 19

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Maps, atlases and globes in practice

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. How do you read a grid reference?
2. On a 1:25 000 map, 1 km is…
3. Contours very close together show…
4. Which grid reference format pinpoints a feature to about 100 m?

Lesson round-up

Part 19 of 19

Lesson round-up

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Part 1 of 19 · Watch & discover

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Build on knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom and in the field