Map
Skills
Name________________
Enrichment Activities
Cardinal & Intermediate Directions
Make a compass rose with cardinal directions
Make a compass rose with both cardinal and intermediate
directions,
Construct your own connect-a-dot direction map for other
students to complete (see teacher for handout).
Construct your own compass rose with intermediate
directions and pick a room in your house (bedroom,
kitchen) and use your compass rose to describe in which
direction (cardinal and/or intermediate) things are in that
space.
ex/ In my bathroom the sink is on the north wall.
Make up directions (using cardinal and or intermediate) to
find things in our classroom/school. Give the set of
directions to a classmate to locate mystery item/place.
ex/ enter the class room go east five steps then head
northwest ten steps, what are you facing.
Use your student atlas to decide which direction one state is
from another.
ex/ Arkansas is “northwest” of Mississippi
Scale
Look at scales from different maps. Use the scale to figure
out distances betweem two places.
Using a road map of Illinois (see teacher). With a partner,
figure the distance from your home town to other towns in
Illinois.
Make a map of your classroom and create a scale for that
map.
Map Symbols
Think about symbols you’ve seen in your community or on
maps, anywhere. Draw five symbols you know and tell
what they represent (stand for).
Using a blank sheet of paper, design your own symbols for
objects found in the classroom or playground.
Using a blank sheet of paper, draw a map of the playground
and design your own symbols to represent natural features
(trees, grass, dirt) and man-made features (playground
equipment, fence school). Don’t forget to include your
compass rose.
Use Symbols on Maps (see teacher) page. Redesign five
of the symbols on the page. Your new design must be
easily recognizable.
Map Key/ Legend
Study different maps in the classroom. Try to identify
different symbols on a map. Share findings with a partner.
Think of the most common symbols that you’ve seen on a
map. On a blank sheet of paper, copy them down and tell
what they mean.
Make up your ideal playroom. Create a map key for your
playroom.
Look for examples of different maps with keys in the
newspaper and/or magazines. Bring them in to share with a
small group of classmates. Make sure you are able to tell
about the symbols on your map.
Map key symbols can also be color-coded, that means
certain colors are used to stand for different items. Create
a map of a room in our school (library, gym, music,
lunchroom), then create symbols that are identified by
color.
ex/ lunchroom tables are colored brown on the
map key
Mrs. Radnitzer’s table is yellow on the map
key
Make a product map of our state, and create a map key.
First research to find out what products are made or
produced in our state. Use a blank outline of a map of
Illinois, make a symbol for each product and place them in
the correct location on the map. Make a key for that map
(see Ms. Little for the Illinois map outlines).
Other Activities
A cartographer is a person who creates maps. Do research
on the job of a cartographer. Report back to classmates.
Do research on well-known cartographer/explorers. Tell
what they are known for