Map Skills

Quick Review: Where do we live?

Planet Earth

United States of America

Minnesota

Reading A Map

Drawing of a place from above Can show all of earth or just a

small part of it

What is a map?

This picture shows a globe

A globe is a model of the earth

The North and South poles help you tell directions

Understanding Directions

A symbol that shows the four main directions on a map

Important to check the compass rose when reading a map – North might not always be up!!

Compass Rose

Cardinal Directions

The four main directions on a compass rose:NorthEastSouthWest

Northeast Northwest Southeast Southwest

Intermediate Directions

Intermediate Directions

The four directions located halfway between the cardinal directions on a compass roseNortheastNorthwestSoutheastSouthwest

In your notebook:Fill in the compass rose

A scale is a ruler that helps you measure distance on a map

Map Scale

Landforms and Water Formations

A line that marks the limit of a country’s, state’s, or community’s territory

Ex: Minnesota/Wisconsin State Line

Boundary (Border)

Boundary

A line that marks the limit of a

country’s, state’s, or community’s

territory

A body of water joining two larger bodies of water

Ex: English Channel

Channel

Channel

Body of water joining two

larger bodies of water

Triangular section of land at the mouth of a river

Ex: Nile River Delta

Delta

Delta

Triangular section of land at the mouth of a

river

Narrow strip of land between two bodies of water that joins two larger land areas

Ex: Panama

Isthmus

Isthmus

Narrow strip of land between two

bodies of water that connects two larger land areas

An area of fairly level, flat land that is surrounded by steep slopes on several sides

Ex: The Mexican Plateau

Plateau (Mesa)

Plateau

An area of fairly level, flat land that is surrounded by steep slopes on

several sides

A lake that forms behind a dam, made by humans to hold water from one or more streams or rivers

Ex: Big Stone Lake Reservoir

Reservoir

Reservoir

A lake that forms behind a dam,

made by humans to hold water from

one or more streams or rivers

Narrow waterway that joins two larger bodies of water

Ex: Strait of Magellan

Strait

Strait

Narrow waterway that joins two larger bodies of water

How Maps and Globes are Divided

grid of intersecting lines on a globe enables us to identify every location on earth with a set of numbers or letters

A circle is 360 degrees – Divide the circle in half, each side is 180 degrees

North and South poles are 180 degrees apart from one another

Both poles are 90 degrees from the equator

Dividing our Globe

Equator divides the earth into two halves called hemispheres (Northern and Southern)

Prime Meridian divides the earth into two halves called hemispheres (Eastern and Western)

Hemispheres

Hemisphere

Half of the globe – divided by Equator or Prime Meridian

Continents and Oceans

North America South America Africa Europe Asia Australia Antarctica

The Continents

Atlantic Pacific Indian Arctic (Southern)

The Oceans

Continents

North AmericaSouth AmericaAfricaEuropeAsiaAustraliaAntarctica

Oceans

AtlanticPacificIndianArctic

Let’s Look at North America!

United States of America Canada Mexico Greenland

North American Countries:

Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Arctic Ocean

Oceans that Border North America

Using an Atlas

A collection of maps found in book form Usually organized by region (continent,

country, etc)

What is an atlas?