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Maps and directions – practice for Years 4–5

Sample questions on Maps and directions with the right answer and a worked solution, from easy to hard. In the Pickles Academy app a child gets new questions of the same kind every time, so they can't just learn the answers by heart.

Subject
Social studies
Year
Years 4–5
Curriculum area
The place where we live

Question types: Fill in the gaps · Map scale · Compass directions

Rule: Maps and directions

North is at the top of a map. Clockwise: north, east, south, west; between them north-east and so on.

A scale of 1 : 100 000 means 1 cm on the map is 1 km in reality. The key explains the symbols.

Colours: blue for water, green for lowlands, brown for mountains. A 90° turn is a quarter turn, 45° half of that.

Example: You face north, turn right and right again: now you face south. On a 1 : 50 000 map, 4 cm is 2 km.

Watch out: Left from north is west, not east. On a map, west is on the left and east on the right.

Sample questions

  1. Question 1 Easy

    Fill in the right words.

    1. A small model of the Earth is called a …. (globe / compass / plan)
    2. The symbols on a map are explained in the …. (key / scale / world atlas)
    3. On a map, blue shows …. (mountains / lowlands / water)
    Show the solution
    Answer:
    1. A small model of the Earth is called a globe.
    2. The symbols on a map are explained in the key.
    3. On a map, blue shows water.

    How it works: A small model of the Earth is called a globe. The symbols on a map are explained in the key. On a map, blue shows water.

  2. Question 2 Normal

    On a map with a scale of 1 : 50 000, two villages are 5 cm apart. How many kilometres apart are they in reality?

    Show the solution
    Answer: 2.5 km

    How it works: 1 cm on the map is 0.5 km in reality, so 5 cm is 2.5 km.

  3. Question 3 Hard

    You are facing south. You turn through 180° and then 90° to the left. Which way are you facing now?

    1. A) west
    2. B) south-west
    3. C) south-east
    4. D) north-west
    5. E) north
    Show the solution
    Answer: A) west

    How it works: south → north → west

Related topics

All Social studies topics

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