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Year 7

Different map projections

I can describe how different map projections show the world.

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New
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Year 7

Different map projections

I can describe how different map projections show the world.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The representation of Earth on a globe shows landmasses in the correct shape and relative size.
  2. World maps project the spherical world (three dimensions) on to a flat surface (two dimensions).
  3. Some projections distort shape, others distort latitude and/or longitude.

Keywords

  • Map projection - the representation of an approximately spherical world as a flat map, necessarily involving distortion

  • Two-dimensional - something that is flat - its dimensions are height (top to bottom) and width (side to side)

  • Three-dimensional - something that is solid - its dimensions are height (top to bottom), width (side to side) and depth (front to back)

  • Topography - the study of the landforms and features of land surfaces

Common misconception

Maps are always accurate.

Maps are never completely accurate.


To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: Different map projections, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Bring a globe in and compare country sizes to a two-dimensional map.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What shape is Earth?
a flat circle
a square
Correct answer: a three-dimensional sphere
Q2.
What is the Equator?
Correct answer: The line that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The line that separates Earth’s land and water.
The highest point on Earth.
The line that marks the boundary between different time zones.
Q3.
What is the purpose of latitude and longitude?
Correct answer: to locate places on Earth
to measure time
to predict weather
Q4.
Why do we use maps?
to create art
Correct answer: to represent geographical information
to tell stories
Q5.
The Tropic of is north of the Equator.
Correct Answer: Cancer, Cancer
Q6.
The Tropic of __________ is south of the Equator.
Correct answer: Capricorn
Leo
Cancer
Aries

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is the main purpose of a map projection?
to measure distances accurately
to predict climate change
Correct answer: to represent Earth on a flat surface
Q2.
What is a cartographer?
Correct answer: someone who makes maps
someone who measures the land
someone who reads maps
Q3.
In the Mercator projection, line of latitude and longitude are all ...
Correct answer: straight
curved
reversed
Q4.
Most of the world maps that we see are drawn so that which continent is central?
Correct answer: Europe
North America
Africa
Antarctica