Map Skills Study Guide
Ms. Cahill- SOL 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
Vocabulary
A map is a picture or a drawing that shows where places are located or can be found.
A globe is a round model of the Earth. It is different than a map.
How are a map and globe alike? How are they different?
Symbol- a picture or thing that stands for something else.
You can find symbols on the map key. Can you think of a symbol you see when you are riding somewhere? What tells your parents to stop when they are driving?
Map key or legend-a list of shapes and symbols used on a map and an explanation of what each stands for. Find the map key on this picture and look at the symbols.
Location-where people live
Climate- the kind of weather an area has over a long period of time
Physical Surroundings-land and bodies of water
Season-any of the four phases of the year(spring, summer, fall or winter)
Richmond-capital city of Virginia. We can find the capital on the map with a star. Can you find the star on the map of Virginia?
Virginia-the state we live in
United States of America- the country we live in. Here is a picture of the USA. Can you find Virginia?
The United States of America has 50 states. Virginia is just one of them. Have you ever been to another state?
Washington, D.C.-capital of the United States
Can you find Washington D.C. on the map?
What are some things in Washington D.C. that we have talked about? (The White House, the Washington Monument)
Directions help us know where we are going. Directions also help us find places on a map or a globe. The directions we look for on a map are north, south, east, and west. We find these directions on a compass rose. To help you remember west and east, remember that it makes the word “we”.
Practice writing the directions on this compass rose.