Global Explorers: Our Changing World · 6th Class

Active learning ideas

Map Skills Challenge: Navigation Task

Active learning works well for map skills because students develop spatial reasoning through physical movement and real-time problem solving. These tasks let learners test abstract concepts like scale and contour lines in tangible ways, making abstract ideas concrete and memorable.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Maps, Globes and Graph Work
• NCCA: Primary - Using Maps

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Escape Room
• 45 min · Small Groups

Orienteering Circuit: School Grounds Challenge

Print OS map excerpts of school grounds with 6-8 control points marked by symbols. Students use compasses to plot bearings and grid references to locate points, punching cards at each. Debrief as a class to compare routes and discuss terrain impacts.

Analyze the most efficient route between two points on a map.

Facilitation Tip

In the Orienteering Circuit activity, walk the school grounds with students first to point out key landmarks and symbols they will encounter.

What to look for

Provide students with a section of an Ordnance Survey map. Ask them to identify the grid reference for a specific landmark and calculate the straight-line distance to another point using the map's scale. Review their calculations for accuracy.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Escape Room
• 30 min · Pairs

Route Planning Pairs: Urban Explorer

Provide OS maps of a local area with start and end points. Pairs measure distances, note obstacles like rivers or hills via contours, and sketch optimal paths with justifications. Pairs present routes to class for peer feedback.

Evaluate the best strategies for navigating challenging terrain using map and compass.

Facilitation Tip

During Route Planning Pairs, ask students to explain their route choices to each other before they mark them on the map.

What to look for

Present students with two different potential routes between two points on a map. Ask: 'Which route is more efficient and why?' Encourage them to use map features like paths, contour lines, and water bodies in their justifications.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Escape Room
• 35 min · Small Groups

Compass Relay: Terrain Tactics

Set up a relay course with cones representing map features. Teams draw bearings from a shared OS map snippet, run to navigate accurately, and tag next teammate. Rotate roles and score based on precision.

Justify the importance of accurate map reading for safety and exploration.

Facilitation Tip

For the Compass Relay, demonstrate proper compass handling and have students practice grid-to-magnetic conversion together before starting.

What to look for

On a small card, ask students to write one sentence explaining the purpose of contour lines and one sentence describing a situation where using a compass bearing is essential for safety.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Escape Room
• 25 min · Individual

Individual Map Quest: Safety Scenarios

Give students OS maps with hypothetical scenarios like a lost hiker. They annotate safest routes, citing symbols and scales. Share solutions in a whole-class gallery walk to highlight varied strategies.

Analyze the most efficient route between two points on a map.

What to look for

Provide students with a section of an Ordnance Survey map. Ask them to identify the grid reference for a specific landmark and calculate the straight-line distance to another point using the map's scale. Review their calculations for accuracy.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach map skills by modeling the thinking process aloud as you navigate. Emphasize that map reading is a skill that improves with practice and mistakes are valuable learning opportunities. Avoid rushing through concepts; let students struggle productively with terrain challenges before providing support.

Students will confidently use Ordnance Survey maps to identify symbols, apply grid references, measure distances, and interpret terrain. They will justify route choices using evidence from map features and collaborate effectively to solve navigation challenges.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Orienteering Circuit: School Grounds Challenge, watch for students assuming the shortest straight line between two points is always fastest.

  Have students time their own routes and compare energy use on different paths; then ask them to present findings to the class to highlight why terrain features matter.

• During Route Planning Pairs: Urban Explorer, watch for students thinking map symbols represent exact visual likenesses of real features.

  Ask pairs to find three symbols on their map and match them to actual features in the schoolyard, then discuss how symbols are standardized conventions rather than photographs.

• During Compass Relay: Terrain Tactics, watch for students believing compasses always point to true north without adjustment.

  Provide declination information on maps and have teams adjust their bearings before navigating; collect and review their angle calculations to correct misunderstandings.

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Methods used in this brief

• Escape Room