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Geography · Grades 3–7

Maps, keys and route choices

A map symbol has meaning defined by its legend.

Make a worksheet

Understand the idea

Read the key

A map symbol has meaning defined by its legend.

State the objective

Shortest distance, fewest turns and accessible travel can lead to different route choices.

Examples and reasoning

A map legend shows a blue square labelled drinking water. What does a blue square on that map mean?

a drinking-water location

a drinking-water location

With north at the top, which direction is to the right?

east

east

Check your understanding

  1. A route goes east then north. Its overall direction from start to finish is generally

    1. northeast
    2. southeast
    3. southwest
    4. northwest

  2. Scale: 1 cm represents 2 km. A straight mapped segment is 4 cm. What distance does it represent in km?

  3. Why might straight-line distance differ from walking distance?

    1. Walkable routes may follow roads, crossings and barriers.
    2. People never turn.
    3. Maps cannot show any distance.
    4. Scale always changes at every corner.

  4. A route is shorter but uses stairs. Which additional information matters for a wheelchair user?

    1. the colour of nearby roofs
    2. step-free accessibility
    3. the map’s decorative border
    4. the route’s name length

Answers and marking notes

Answers and marking notes
  1. northeast

    northeast

  2. 8

    4 × 2 = 8

  3. Walkable routes may follow roads, crossings and barriers.

    Walkable routes may follow roads, crossings and barriers.

  4. step-free accessibility

    step-free accessibility

Learning preview · teacher review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.