Year 7 - Geography
Scale and distance on OS maps
Geography: what makes a geographer?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils will use atlases, maps and globes to develop their locational knowledge of the world. Pupils will focus in on specific places to develop an awareness of how geographers examine place. OS maps and GIS will be used alongside fieldwork to build pupils' procedural knowledge.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use maps at different scales to investigate an area and measure distances.
Key Notes
- The scale of a map explains how large an area shown on the map is in real life.
- Small-scale maps show a large area but have little detail, e.g. a world map.
- Large-scale maps show a smaller area in more detail, e.g. a town or local area.
- A scale bar shows how distances between areas in real life compare with the distances shown on a map.
Vocabulary To Learn
- scale: shows what size the area that is represented in the map really is
- key: explains what the different symbols, marks and colours used on the map mean
- symbol: a mark, shape or abbreviation that represents a landmark, feature or area of a map, diagram or drawing
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- OS maps all use the same scale.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
The scale of a map explains how large an area shown on the map is in real life. Small-scale maps show a large area but have little detail, e.g. a world map.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'scale'
shows what size the area that is represented in the map really is.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: OS maps all use the same scale. Correction: OS maps have different scales.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Different map projections Study Guide
- Features of an OS map Study Guide
- Fieldwork: Analysing, concluding and evaluating survey data Study Guide
- Fieldwork: Planning and collecting survey data Study Guide
- Fieldwork: Presenting survey data Study Guide
- Four and Six Figure Grid References Study Guide
- Geography in secondary school Study Guide
- Latitude and longitude Study Guide
- Locational knowledge of the world Study Guide
- Showing height and relief on OS maps Study Guide
- Using a GIS to locate and analyse places around the world Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 7 Geography guide library.