Activity: Mastering maps
Where?
This is an activity for you to lead either in the classroom or during a trip to the South Downs National Park (or your nearest National Park).
Who for?
Key stage 2 - England and Wales
Who by?
This activity is for you to take, using the resources below.
Activity aims:
The resources for this case study can be adapted to suit the age and curriculum needs of each student. It can also be adapted to suit map work in any National Park.
From discovering how different landscapes are represented to discovering what activities for tourists there are in a National Park, this activity will help children discover the amazing amount of information contained in a map and how to interpret it. This activity takes approximately one hour to run.
Students will learn about:
- the nature of the South Downs landscape
- how height and contours are used to give a picture of the landscape
- what symbols are used to represent natural features and habitats
- how to understand scale and distance
- how many and what type of settlements there are in the South Downs National Park
- how map symbols show activities and facilities for tourists
What you will need:
- Background information on South Downs National Park - see PDF
sd_background_info.pdf - Activity worksheet - see PDF
sd_maps_activity.pdf - Pencils, clipboards (if on field trip)
- OS Landranger Map: 197 (Chichester & the South Downs); 198 (Brighton & Lewes)
www.shop.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/chichester-and-the-south-downs
Curriculum links (England and Wales):
Subject area(s): geography KS 2
Developing geographical skills:
Pupils will learn:
- to use appropriate geographical vocabulary (e.g. temperature, transport, industry)
- to use appropriate fieldwork techniques (e.g. labelled field sketches) and instruments (e.g. a rain gauge, a camera)
- to use atlases and globes, maps and plans at a range of scales (e.g. using contents, keys, grids)
- to use secondary sources of information including aerial photos (e.g. stories, information texts, the internet, satellite images, photos, videos)
Curriculum objectives: geography KS 2
- To discover the location of places and environments they study and other significant places and environments (e.g. places and environments in the news)
- To identify and describe what places are like (e.g. in terms of weather, jobs)
- To describe where places are (e.g. in which region/country the places are, whether they are near rivers or hills, what the nearest towns or cities are)
