Ordnance Survey Maps: IntroductionActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works here because OS maps combine visual, spatial, and symbolic information that students must interpret through doing. Handling real symbols, plotting routes, and comparing map types turns abstract features into tangible skills that stick long after a lecture.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify the key symbols and features present on an Ordnance Survey map, including the legend, grid lines, and scale.
- 2Compare and contrast an Ordnance Survey map with a standard road map, articulating at least three key differences in their purpose and content.
- 3Explain how specific features of an Ordnance Survey map, such as contour lines and grid references, aid in navigation for hikers.
- 4Analyze the role of Ordnance Survey maps in assisting emergency services to locate specific areas during critical incidents.
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Stations Rotation: OS Map Symbols
Prepare four stations with OS map excerpts: one for the key, one for grid references, one for scale, and one for contours. Small groups spend 8 minutes at each, sketching examples and noting uses. Conclude with a class share-out of findings.
Prepare & details
Explain the primary purpose of an Ordnance Survey map.
Facilitation Tip: During the Station Rotation, circulate with a checklist to note which symbols students hesitate on, then address those gaps in the closing discussion.
Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room
Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer
Pairs: Grid Reference Hunt
Provide printed OS map sections with 10 hidden grid references linked to features like churches or woods. Pairs locate and list them, then swap maps to check answers. Discuss accuracy as a group.
Prepare & details
Compare an OS map with a simple road map, highlighting key differences.
Facilitation Tip: In the Grid Reference Hunt, provide rulers to scaffold accurate measurements between grid lines for students who struggle with number lines.
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
Small Groups: Professional Map Use
Assign roles like hiker or paramedic to groups. Give scenario cards requiring OS map navigation, such as finding the nearest phone box. Groups plot routes and present decisions.
Prepare & details
Analyze how OS maps are used by different professions, such as hikers and emergency services.
Facilitation Tip: When groups create professional map use scenarios, rotate among them to ask, 'What would a walker need to know that isn’t on a road map?' to keep conversations focused on purpose.
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
Whole Class: Map Comparison
Project an OS map and a road map of the same area side-by-side. Guide students to list similarities and differences through think-pair-share. Vote on best map for various trips.
Prepare & details
Explain the primary purpose of an Ordnance Survey map.
Facilitation Tip: For the Map Comparison, assign roles so every student compares one feature type (e.g., footpaths, contour lines) to ensure thorough examination.
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
Teaching This Topic
Start with a quick 10-minute walk outside to photograph local landmarks, then have students sketch symbols for those features before introducing OS conventions. Avoid teaching symbols in isolation; always pair them with real-world locations students can visualize. Research shows that students learn mapping best when tasks require them to move, measure, and justify choices, so keep sessions hands-on and discussion-driven.
What to Expect
Students will confidently locate features using grid references, interpret standard symbols, and explain why OS maps include terrain detail. You’ll see them choose the right map for a task and justify that choice with evidence from the symbols, scale, or contours.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Station Rotation: OS Map Symbols, watch for students who assume all maps show the same level of detail.
What to Teach Instead
After students compare OS and road maps at Station 3, ask them to list three features present on the OS map but missing on the road map and explain why a hiker would need that information.
Common MisconceptionDuring Station Rotation: OS Map Symbols, expect some students to treat OS symbols like casual drawings.
What to Teach Instead
Ask students to compare their class-created symbol key to the official OS key at Station 2. Have peers check for mismatches and justify correct versions using real landmarks.
Common MisconceptionDuring Professional Map Use, some students may think OS maps are static documents.
What to Teach Instead
During the group task, provide a recent news article about a local path closure or new housing estate. Ask groups to mark the change on a laminated OS map and add a date to their timeline to show updates.
Assessment Ideas
After Station Rotation: OS Map Symbols, give students a four-grid square excerpt. Ask them to identify one symbol from the class key, write its grid reference, and explain what the scale shows in metres.
During Map Comparison, hold up a road map and an OS map side by side. Ask students to point to a footpath on the OS map and explain why it is not on the road map, then share responses in pairs before whole-class discussion.
After Grid Reference Hunt, pose the question: 'Which map would you take on a school geography field trip, OS or road map, and why?' Have students cite specific symbols, grid references, or contour lines in their answers.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to plan a five-kilometre route using only OS map features, marking every 500 metres with a grid reference.
- Scaffolding: Provide a partially completed grid reference hunt sheet with the first two letters filled in for students who need step-by-step support.
- Deeper exploration: Ask students to research how contour lines predict slope steepness, then create a mini-guide with annotated diagrams from their school grounds.
Key Vocabulary
| Ordnance Survey map | A detailed map of the United Kingdom produced by the Ordnance Survey, showing both natural and man-made features. |
| Legend (or Key) | A box on a map that explains the meaning of the symbols used. It shows what different colours, lines, and pictures represent. |
| Grid Reference | A system of lines on a map that allows you to find the exact position of a place or feature using numbers. |
| Scale | The ratio between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. It helps measure how far apart places are. |
| Contour Lines | Lines on a map that connect points of equal elevation above sea level, showing the shape and height of the land. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Geography
More in Mapping Our World
Birds Eye View and Symbols
Understanding how 3D landscapes are represented in 2D through plan views and standard Ordnance Survey symbols.
2 methodologies
Compass Points and Direction
Introducing the eight points of a compass to describe movement and the relative position of locations.
2 methodologies
Grid References and Location
Learning to use four figure grid references to pinpoint specific squares on a map accurately.
2 methodologies
Scale and Distance on Maps
Exploring how map scale represents real-world distances and practicing measuring distances using a scale bar.
2 methodologies
Types of Maps: Physical and Political
Differentiating between physical maps showing natural features and political maps showing human-made boundaries.
2 methodologies
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