Global Explorers: Our Changing World · 6th Class

Active learning ideas

Ordnance Survey Symbols and Features

Active learning helps students grasp Ordnance Survey symbols because mapping requires spatial reasoning and tactile engagement. Moving between physical stations and outdoor spaces builds memory through movement and discussion, which static worksheets cannot achieve.

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

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Symbol Identification Stations

Prepare four stations with OS map snippets, symbol glossaries, feature photos, and blank legends. Groups match symbols to images, explain purposes, and add to legends. Rotate every 10 minutes, then share one insight per group.

Analyze the meaning and purpose of various Ordnance Survey map symbols.

Facilitation Tip

While students work at Symbol Identification Stations, circulate with a checklist to note which symbols they confuse most often, so you can address these during the next whole-class discussion.

What to look for

Provide students with a small section of an Ordnance Survey map and a list of ten symbols. Ask them to write the name of the feature each symbol represents and whether it is natural or man-made. For example: 'Symbol: Blue wiggly line. Feature: River. Type: Natural.'

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Pairs

Outdoor Hunt: Feature Symbol Scavenger

Provide laminated OS symbol sheets and clipboards. Pairs search school grounds for matches like paths or trees, sketch or photo evidence, and note natural versus man-made. Debrief with class map overlay.

Differentiate between natural and man-made features represented on a map.

Facilitation Tip

During the Outdoor Hunt, pair students with different strengths—one strong reader to interpret symbols and one confident navigator to locate features.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a picture of a common Ordnance Survey symbol. Ask them to write: 1. The name of the symbol. 2. One real-world example of what it represents. 3. A sentence explaining why that symbol is important for map users.

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

Activity 03

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 40 min · Small Groups

Collaborative Problem-Solving: Custom Legend Challenge

Distribute local OS map excerpts. Small groups list 10 features, draw symbols, create a color-coded legend, and present to class for feedback. Vote on clearest legends.

Construct a legend for a given section of an Ordnance Survey map.

Facilitation Tip

For the Symbol Relay Race, set a timer and rotate teams every two minutes, so students practice rapid symbol recognition under pressure.

What to look for

Present students with two different map legends for similar areas, one well-organized and one poorly organized. Ask: 'Which legend is more effective for understanding the map? Why? What specific elements make one better than the other?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Symbol Relay Race

Divide class into teams. Call a feature; first student runs to board, draws OS symbol and labels natural or man-made. Next teammate adds purpose. First accurate team wins.

Analyze the meaning and purpose of various Ordnance Survey map symbols.

What to look for

Provide students with a small section of an Ordnance Survey map and a list of ten symbols. Ask them to write the name of the feature each symbol represents and whether it is natural or man-made. For example: 'Symbol: Blue wiggly line. Feature: River. Type: Natural.'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by starting with what students already know from using Google Maps or hiking apps, then contrast digital icons with OS map symbols. Avoid overwhelming them with too many symbols at once. Research shows that spacing symbol practice across multiple sessions improves retention more than cramming, so build in time for revisiting stations over weeks.

Successful learning looks like students confidently translating symbols into real-world features and explaining why maps use symbols instead of photographs. They should also justify their choices during group tasks and correct peers’ misconceptions with evidence from the activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Station Rotation: Symbol Identification Stations, watch for students who assume map symbols show features at their exact real-world size.

  Use the map’s scale alongside the station materials to prompt students to measure distances on the map versus on the ground. Ask them to explain why a symbol like a forest might cover half a map square but represent a much larger area in reality.

• During the Outdoor Hunt: Feature Symbol Scavenger, watch for students who believe maps include every detail of the landscape.

  Bring a printed photo of the hunt area and have students compare it to their map. Ask them to list three features in the photo that are missing from the map, then discuss why those omissions make sense for the map’s purpose.

• During the Collaborative: Custom Legend Challenge, watch for students who assume all hill symbols represent natural formations.

  Include photos of man-made earthworks like forts or embankments in the station materials. Ask groups to categorize symbols by origin and justify their choices using the photos as evidence.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Collaborative Problem-Solving