To follow directions on a map you need to know where North, East, South and West are.

On most maps North points towards the top of the map.

A grid reference is useful for locating a place on a map.

Maps use symbols to give information about what the land looks like and what is on the land. A key explains what the symbols on the map mean.

The symbols can be pictures, words or shortened words.

Maps can’t show things the size they are in real life so they use scale to makethings smaller. Different scales are useful for showing different things on a map.

Can you understand this map now?