Maps and Compass Skills
By Rob Crisco
How a Compass Works
• Compass operates with a magnetic
needle that floats freely on a pivot that
points toward magnetic north (an area
in Canada that more than a thousand
miles away from the North Pole); truenorth (as on maps) points toward the
North Pole.
• The difference between true north and
magnetic north, measured in degree,
is called declination.
Parts of a Compass
Parts of a Compass (cont)
•
Baseplate - hard, flat surface on which the rest of the compass is
mounted. It has a rulers on its edges for measuring distances on
maps. It's edge is straight and useful for laying lines on a map
•
Scales - each edge of a compass may have different rulers for use
with different map scales
•
Direction-of-Travel Arrow - marked on the base plate. You point this
the way you will be traveling
•
Index Pointer - butt end of the direction-of-travel arrow. It ends right
at the edge of the dial and is where you take degree readings
•
Magnifier- for seeing small map features better
•
Declination Marks - use to orient the compass in an area with
known declination
Parts of a Compass (cont)
•
Dial - ring around the housing that has degree markings engraved.
You hold the dial and rotate it to rotate the entire housing
•
Orienting Arrow(Shed) - marked on the floor of the housing. It
rotates with the housing when the dial is turned. You use it to orient
a compass to a map
•
Orienting Lines - series of parallel lines marked on the floor of the
housing and on the base plate
•
Needle - magnetized piece of metal that has one end painted red to
indicate North. It sits on a fine point that is nearly frictionless so it
rotates freely when the compass is held fairly level and steady
•
Housing - main part of the compass. It is a round plastic container
filled with liquid and has the compass needle inside
How to read your compass.
• Hold your compass steadily in your hand so
the base plate is level and the direction-oftravel arrow is pointing straight away from
you.
• Hold it about halfway between your face and
waist in a comfortable arm position with your
elbow bent and compass held close to your
stomach.
• Look down at the compass and see where
the needle points.
• This compass is pointing due North (also 0
degrees)
Exercise
• Stand up
• Using your compass as an aid, locate
southwest
• Turn east
• Point to the northeast
• Now go face west.
• Sit down
How to Read a Map
Directions
•
•
•
•
North – usually at the top of the map
South
East
West
Scale and Distance
• Maps are made to scale. There is a
direct connection between a unit of
measurement and the actual distance.
• Example, each inch on a map
represents one 1500 feet on Earth.
Identify Topographic Symbols
Basic Colors:
•
Black - man-made features such as roads, buildings, etc.
•
Blue - water, lakes, rivers, streams, etc.
•
Brown - contour lines – elevation and steepness
•
Green - areas with substantial vegetation (could be forest,
scrub, etc.)
•
White - areas with little or no vegetation; white is also used
to depict permanent snowfields and glaciers
•
Red - major highways; boundaries of public land areas
Topographical Map Symbols
Railroad
Large Falls/Rapids
Mine
Woods
Topographical Map
Symbols
Trail
Campground / Picnic Area
Small Falls/Rapids
Glacier
Topographical Map
Symbols
Scrub
Highway
Lake
Sand
Camp Rodney Topo Map
Compass and Map
Simple steps to set your compass.
1. Point baseplate to your destination.
2. Set your heading by turning your dial,
until your orienting arrow matches the
needle.
3. Follow your heading.
Under Stars
Finished
This power point presentation and instructor
notes can be download at ScouterRob.org.