Ordnance Survey Map ReadingActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works well for Ordnance Survey map reading because students need to move between abstract symbols and real-world features. Moving, discussing, and problem-solving with maps builds spatial awareness faster than textbook tasks alone.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify standard Ordnance Survey symbols for at least 10 common features on a map.
- 2Calculate four-figure grid references for specific locations on a given map.
- 3Compare the information conveyed by an Ordnance Survey map with that of a photograph of the same area.
- 4Explain why standardized symbols are more effective than descriptive text for map communication.
- 5Demonstrate the use of a grid system to accurately communicate a location.
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Symbol Matching: OS Legend Relay
Provide OS legend sheets and cards with symbols, photos, and descriptions. In small groups, pupils race to match items correctly on clipboards, then swap with another group to check answers. Debrief as a class on tricky symbols.
Prepare & details
Justify the use of standardized symbols on maps over descriptive text.
Facilitation Tip: On the Outdoor Orienteering course, carry a master map to verify routes and give immediate feedback at each marker.
Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space
Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map
Grid Reference Hunt: Partner Challenge
Distribute excerpt OS maps with 10 marked features. Pairs take turns reading a grid reference aloud; the other locates and names the symbol. Switch roles after five, score accuracy together.
Prepare & details
Explain how a grid system ensures accurate location communication.
Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space
Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map
Map vs Photo Stations: Rotation Activity
Set up stations with OS map snippets, corresponding photos, and question cards on differences. Small groups rotate every 7 minutes, noting spatial info unique to each. Share findings in plenary.
Prepare & details
Differentiate what a map conveys compared to a photograph.
Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space
Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map
Outdoor OS Orienteering: Mini Course
Use school grounds OS map. Place cones at grid references with symbol clues. Teams navigate sequentially, sketching features. Time teams for fun competition.
Prepare & details
Justify the use of standardized symbols on maps over descriptive text.
Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space
Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map
Teaching This Topic
Teach OS symbols by grouping them into themes—transport, buildings, vegetation—so patterns emerge rather than isolated memorisation. Avoid teaching every symbol at once; focus on the most common ones first. Research shows spaced practice over three sessions improves retention more than cramming before a test.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students confidently matching OS symbols to their meanings and using four-figure grid references to locate features without hesitation. They should explain their choices clearly and correct errors when shown alternatives.
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 Symbol Matching, watch for students who assume the shape of the symbol matches the object exactly.
What to Teach Instead
Use the relay to redirect attention: ask students to find a church symbol and compare it to a real photo, then ask them to explain how the symbol is a simplified version rather than a picture.
Common MisconceptionDuring Grid Reference Hunt, watch for students who treat grid references as random numbers.
What to Teach Instead
Pause the hunt to plot a reference together on the board, labeling each digit’s role (eastings first, northings second) and having students repeat the process aloud before continuing.
Common MisconceptionDuring Map vs Photo Stations, watch for students who think maps show every detail like a photo.
What to Teach Instead
At the station, ask students to list three things they see in the photo but not on the map, and three things on the map but not in the photo, to highlight selective information.
Assessment Ideas
After Symbol Matching, give each student a mini-map with 10 blank icon spots and ask them to fill in five symbols they remember and their meanings.
After Grid Reference Hunt, pose the treasure question during a class circle: ask students to compare describing a location in words versus using a grid reference and listen for reasoning about precision and speed.
After Outdoor Orienteering, ask students to draw one symbol from memory on the front of a slip and write a grid reference for a feature on the back, explaining why grid references matter in one sentence.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Give students a five-figure grid reference and ask them to estimate the distance to the nearest road using the map scale.
- Scaffolding: Provide a word bank of symbol names and meanings taped to desks during Symbol Matching.
- Deeper exploration: Have students design their own symbol for a playground feature and justify its design to the class.
Key Vocabulary
| Ordnance Survey (OS) map | A detailed map of Great Britain produced by the Ordnance Survey, showing topography, features, and symbols. |
| Symbol | A small picture or icon used on a map to represent a specific feature, such as a building, road, or natural element. |
| Grid Reference | A system of lines on a map that form squares, used to identify precise locations by giving coordinates. |
| Four-figure grid reference | A system of locating a feature by identifying the grid square it falls within, using two numbers for the easting and two for the northing. |
| Feature | A distinctive aspect or characteristic of a place, such as a river, a hill, a building, or a forest, represented on a map. |
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