New
New
Year 7
Scale and distance on OS maps
I can use maps at different scales to investigate an area and measure distances.
New
New
Year 7
Scale and distance on OS maps
I can use maps at different scales to investigate an area and measure distances.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- The scale of a map explains how large an area shown on the map is in real life.
- Small-scale maps show a large area but have little detail, e.g. a world map.
- Large-scale maps show a smaller area in more detail, e.g. a town or local area.
- A scale bar shows how distances between areas in real life compare with the distances shown on a map.
Keywords
Scale - shows what size the area that is represented in the map really is
Key - explains what the different symbols, marks and colours used on the map mean
Symbol - a mark, shape or abbreviation that represents a landmark, feature or area of a map, diagram or drawing
Common misconception
OS maps all use the same scale.
OS maps have different scales.
Bring different OS maps in to show the students.
Teacher tip
Equipment
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 does the scale on a map show?
how heavy the map is
where you are on the map
Q2.
The smaller the scale of the map, the the area is in real life.
Q3.
What does a map scale of 1:50 000 mean?
1 unit on the map equals 1 unit in reality
50 000 units on the map equals 1 unit in reality
Q4.
Which unit is most commonly used for measuring long distances on maps?
centimetres
metres
Q5.
There are centimetres in 1 kilometre.
Q6.
On an OS map, what compass direction is always at the top of the map?
South
East
West
Exit quiz
Download exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.
Why is accuracy important when measuring distance on a map?
helps us to find more interesting places
makes the map look better
Q2.
What does a map scale of 1:100 000 mean?
100 000 units on the map equals 1 unit in reality
1 unit on the map equals 10 000 units in reality
Q3.
Match the key terms with their definitions.
how large an area shown on the map is in real life
maps show a large area but have little detail, e.g. a world map
maps show a smaller area in more detail, e.g. a town or local area
how real distances between areas compare with distances on the map
Q4.
Where would you find the scale ratio on an OS map?
the title
on the back