Year 7 - Geography
Showing height and relief 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 contour lines on OS maps to describe the height and shape of the land.
Key Notes
- Contours show the height of the land on a map.
- Spot heights give the exact height of a place in metres.
- Contours that are far apart show an area of flat land.
- Contours that are close together show steep land.
- Features such as spurs and valleys can be shown on a map.
Vocabulary To Learn
- sea level: The average level of the world's oceans, which we use as a baseline to measure the height of the land.
- contours: Lines on an OS map that show areas of equal height.
- spur: Elongated ridges that extend downwards from a hill or mountain.
- valleys: Lower-lying areas of land between two higher areas of land.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Contours are only used to show hills and mountains.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Contours show the height of the land on a map. Spot heights give the exact height of a place in metres.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'sea level'
The average level of the world's oceans, which we use as a baseline to measure the height of the land.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: Contours are only used to show hills and mountains. Correction: Contours are used to show the height of the land at 10 metre intervals above sea level.
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
- Scale and distance 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.