Map Symbols and KeysActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps students move from passive observation to active interpretation of symbols, which is essential for map literacy. Students remember conventions better when they create, match, and explain symbols themselves rather than just studying them. Movement and collaboration also build spatial awareness in a way that worksheets cannot.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze how the density and type of symbols on a map contribute to its readability and information conveyance.
- 2Differentiate between conventional map symbols and custom-designed symbols, explaining the purpose of each.
- 3Create a functional map key for a given set of features, ensuring clarity and accuracy for a specific map.
- 4Evaluate the effectiveness of a map key in enabling quick and accurate interpretation of a topographic map.
- 5Classify map symbols into categories such as natural features, human-made structures, and elevation indicators.
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Scavenger Hunt: School Grounds Symbols
Distribute a printed map of school grounds with standard symbols. Small groups locate and sketch matching real features, such as paths or trees. Regroup to compile observations into a class key, discussing any ambiguities.
Prepare & details
Analyze how map symbols convey complex information efficiently.
Facilitation Tip: During the Scavenger Hunt, circulate with the Ordnance Survey key in hand so you can redirect students who misinterpret symbols by showing them the exact reference.
Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room
Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer
Pairs Matching: Symbols to Features
Prepare cards with Ordnance Survey symbols on one set and descriptions on another. Pairs match and explain choices, then invent symbols for five classroom items. Share pairs' creations for peer feedback.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between various types of map symbols and their meanings.
Facilitation Tip: For the Pairs Matching activity, ask each pair to explain one match aloud to the class to reinforce peer learning and accountability.
Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room
Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer
Individual: Custom Classroom Map Key
Students sketch a map of the classroom from memory, assign symbols to objects like desks and doors, and create a key. They swap maps with a partner to interpret and suggest improvements.
Prepare & details
Construct a map key for a simple map of the classroom or school grounds.
Facilitation Tip: In the Individual Custom Classroom Map Key task, remind students to include a legend and to limit their map to one page to focus on symbol clarity.
Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room
Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer
Whole Class: Map Key Relay
Divide class into teams. Project a blank map; teams send one member at a time to add a symbol and update the projected key. Class votes on clarity after each addition.
Prepare & details
Analyze how map symbols convey complex information efficiently.
Facilitation Tip: During the Map Key Relay, keep the timer visible and assign roles like reader, recorder, and runner to encourage teamwork.
Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room
Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer
Teaching This Topic
Teachers find that students grasp map symbols faster when they connect them to real places they know. Avoid overwhelming students with too many symbols at once; focus on a core set first. Research shows that students learn best when they create their own symbols before analyzing standard ones, as this builds empathy for why conventions exist.
What to Expect
By the end of these activities, students should confidently identify and explain at least five standard map symbols and justify why conventions matter. They should also notice how symbol choices change with context and purpose. Accuracy in decoding and designing symbols signals strong understanding.
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 the Pairs Matching activity, watch for students who assume symbols are universal.
What to Teach Instead
Have pairs compare their matched symbols with another group’s findings and check each against the Ordnance Survey key to highlight differences in symbol sets across map types.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Individual Custom Classroom Map Key task, watch for students who use realistic pictures for symbols.
What to Teach Instead
Ask students to explain why they chose abstract shapes or colors, then guide them to redraw their symbol to follow the efficiency principle of map keys.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Scavenger Hunt, watch for students who assume all straight lines represent roads.
What to Teach Instead
Point out the key’s line types and ask students to categorize lines on their hunt sheets as roads, rivers, or boundaries before moving on.
Assessment Ideas
After the Scavenger Hunt, provide a small map of the school grounds with five symbols marked. Ask students to write the meaning of each symbol and one way the key helped them interpret it.
During the Pairs Matching activity, display a section of an Ordnance Survey map and ask each pair to identify one symbol’s meaning aloud before moving to the next match.
After the Map Key Relay, present two maps of the same area with different keys. Ask students to discuss in small groups which key is more effective and why, then share key takeaways with the class.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge students to design a new symbol for a feature not on the standard key, then explain why their design is clearer.
- For students who struggle, provide a partially completed key with only the symbols needed for the activity.
- Deeper exploration: Ask students to compare an Ordnance Survey map with a tourist map of the same area and list three symbol differences in a short paragraph.
Key Vocabulary
| Map Symbol | A small drawing or icon used on a map to represent a real-world feature, such as a building, road, or river. |
| Map Key | A legend on a map that explains the meaning of the symbols used. It is essential for understanding the information presented. |
| Topographic Symbol | Symbols specifically used on topographic maps to represent landforms, elevation, and relief, such as contour lines and spot heights. |
| Conventional Symbol | Symbols that are widely recognized and standardized for specific features, ensuring consistent interpretation across different maps and users. |
| Scale | The ratio between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground, crucial for understanding the actual size of features. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Global Perspectives and Local Landscapes
More in Cartography and Spatial Awareness
Understanding Map Distances
Learning that maps are smaller versions of real places and how to use simple methods (e.g., string, ruler with a simple key) to estimate distances on a map.
2 methodologies
Finding Places on a Map
Learning to use simple coordinates (e.g., A1, B2) or directional language (e.g., 'north of the river') to locate features on a map.
2 methodologies
Hills and Valleys on Maps
Understanding how maps show high and low ground using colours, shading, or simple pictorial representations, without introducing contour lines.
2 methodologies
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