成人快手

What do you need to know?

Two people hold a map and compass.

To read a map you need to understand:

  • what directions mean and how to use a compass.
  • grid references.
  • how to find what symbols mean by using a key.
  • which type of map you are reading, for example, Ordnance Survey (O/S) maps, street maps, atlases and globes.
Two people hold a map and compass.
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Watch: Reading maps

Play the video to watch Ayesha and James learn how to read maps so they can find the treasure.

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Grid references

A map showing the grid reference for the park's location at 3311.

This person is pointing to the park. It is located where two lines cross. If you follow the lines to the edge of the map you will see a number.

Tip:
First you find the number that goes across the bottom, which is 33 here.

Then you find the number going up the side, which is 11 here, so the grid reference is 3311.

You may see brackets around a grid reference and a comma to separate them, for example: (33,11).

A map showing the grid reference for the park's location at 3311.
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Watch: Navigating the UK

The UK is made up of different countries, counties, towns, cities and villages. It also has lots of geographical features like mountains, rivers, forests and motorways. Maps can help us explore and find out more about landscapes.

Learn more about using maps in the UK in this 成人快手 Teach video.

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Compass points

A compass showing 8 compass points

Sometimes the direction you need to take isn鈥檛 exactly north, east, south or west and it might be in the middle of two points:

  • north-east (NE) is in-between north and east.
  • south-east (SE) is in-between south and east.
  • south-west (SW) is in-between south and west.
  • north-west (NW) is in-between north and west.
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Map-reading tips

Take a look at useful tips with compasses and maps:

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 6, James is pointing at the red needle of a compass to show where north is, Finding north To find north, hold the compass in your hand and turn around until the coloured needle points to 鈥楴鈥.
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Did you know?

Photo of a trig station built after World War One
Image caption,
One of over 6,500 trig stations built after World War One.

Ordnance Survey or O/S maps cover the whole of the UK. After World War One, over 6,500 triangulation stations (like the one in the photograph), also known as trig points, were built across the country. Surveyors (people who observe the condition of land) placed their measuring instruments on them.

Today this method has been replaced by planes and digital photography, but many trig points can still be found around the UK.

Photo of a trig station built after World War One
Image caption,
One of over 6,500 trig stations built after World War One.
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Activity: Quiz 鈥 Map-reading

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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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