GEOGRAPHY

Freebie Sample

by Jill Russ

Parts of a Map
Informational Text
and
Foldable

© JILL RUSS, 2014 PAGE 1

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~Jill
purchase!

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GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 2

 Standards Addressed
Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
SS.3.A.1.3 Define terms related to the social sciences.

SS.3.G.1.2 Review basic map elements (coordinate grid, cardinal and

intermediate directions, title, compass rose, scale, key/legend with symbols).

SS.3.G.1.6 Use maps to identify different types of scale to measure distances

between two places.

National Geography Standards

NSS-G.K-12.1 THE WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools,
and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial
perspective.

Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and

environments on Earth's surface.

GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 3

 Thanks for trying out my freebie!
This freebie is a few pages out of my larger “Geography: Learning
about Places” unit. This freebie includes two pages of informational
text and one foldable. The entire unit includes 8-pages of informational
text about maps, globes, types of maps, parts of maps, and the
advantages and disadvantages of maps and globes. The complete
unit also has a unit test and student study guide along with twelve
pieces for students can use either in a lapbook or in their interactive
social studies notebooks.

Click here to check it out in my TPT store!

GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 4

 Using the Freebie

Directions for Foldable

Print one two-sided copy of pages 6-7 for each student.

Print one copy of page 8 for every two students. Cut the page
down the middle so that each student can have one copy of the
foldable.

To make the foldable, cut out the large rectangle around the thick
outside edges. Cut on the short solid lines in between each word.
Fold the rectangle in half along the dotted line.

Students can glue the foldable in their interactive notebook. Then,

as they read the text, they will lift each flap on the foldable to
write about each map element.

GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 5

 Parts of a Map

All maps have certain basic parts.

Every map has a title that tells what the
map is about. Every map will have a
compass rose, too. The compass rose shows
direction. The compass rose helps you
match the direction of the piece of paper
to the actual direction on the Earth.

Cardinal directions are the four main parts on a compass:

north, south, east, and west. On most maps, the top arrow points
to north and the bottom arrow points to south. West is on the left
side, and east is on the right side. The points in between the
cardinal directions are called intermediate
directions. The intermediate directions are
northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast.

The objects on a map are shown using colors or

symbols. Symbols are pictures on a map that
stand for something in the real world. Maps use
symbols to show many things in a small space.
Symbols make maps easy to read.

The map key shows what symbols on the map

mean. The key is usually in a box in the bottom
corner of the map. Mountains may be marked
with little triangles. A blue line might represent a
road or a river. The key shows a small picture of each symbol used
on the map along with the meaning of each symbol.

GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 6

 To fit a big place on a map, everything must be drawn smaller than
it is in real life, or scaled down. When scaling down a map, every part of
the map is scaled by the same amount. The map scale will show how the
distance between two locations on a map compares to the distance in
real life. Most maps use a scale where one inch equals a certain number
of miles in the real world. For instance, on a map of New York City, the
scale might be one inch equals five miles. In other words, to get from one
place to another that is one inch apart on the map, you would really go
five miles! On a world map, one inch might equal 500 miles or more.

Mapmakers use different types of scales. A linear

scale uses a straight line. It looks like a number line or a
ruler. A word scale just uses words. For example, the
scale might say “1 inch = 500 miles.”

Maps usually have a coordinate grid to help you find places quickly.
The coordinate grid divides the map into spaces. A grid uses lines to make
rows and columns. The rows go from side to side. The columns go from top
to bottom. Every place on a map is in just one row and one column.
Geographers
use pairs of
letters and
numbers to
quickly
identify a
place.

GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 7

 Unit
ed S
rl
d tate

title
Wo s of
ft
h e Ame
so rica
nt
in e
nt
Co
North America

compass rose

Parts of a Map
map key

scale

coordinate
grid
Unit
ed S
rl
d tate

title
Wo s of
ft
h e Ame
so rica
nt
in e
nt
Co
North America

compass rose
Parts of a Map

map key

scale

coordinate
grid

GEOGRAPHY freebie ★ © Jill S. Russ ★ page 8