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Year 10
AQA

Sketch maps and cross sections

I can use sketch maps and cross sections to understand what a landscape is like.

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Year 10
AQA

Sketch maps and cross sections

I can use sketch maps and cross sections to understand what a landscape is like.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A sketch map is often used to show information one might not normally find on a map.
  2. A cross section shows what the landscape would look like if we were to slice through it vertically.
  3. Drawing a cross section can help geographers understand what a landscape looks like.

Keywords

  • Label - a written description of something in an image or on a map

  • Annotation - a detailed description or explanation of something one might not be able to see in an image or on a map

  • Cross section - an imaginary vertical slice through a landscape

Common misconception

A sketch map needs to be an artistic representation of a place.

A sketch map looks like a map as it has a plan orientation but it is not a work of art. It uses simple, clean lines to communicate the main features of a map.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Sketch maps and cross sections, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If students wish to practise creating cross sections from a map, this is best done using maps of rural areas where there is limited development. Contour lines on maps of urban areas tend to be difficult to read as they also contain a lot of other symbols.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

graph paper; paper strips

copyright

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 it mean if something is subjective?
Correct answer: It tends to be based more on opinion.
It is true.
It is always inaccurate.
It tends to be based on factual evidence.
Q2.
All OS maps are aligned so the top of the map represents a certain compass direction. Which direction is this?
Correct Answer: north, N
Q3.
To be drawn to scale means distances on a map ...
are shorter than they are in real life.
Correct answer: are in a ratio to those in real life.
are the same as those in real life.
are exactly 1% the size of those in real life.
Q4.
A thin blue line running over contour lines that are close together would indicate ...
Correct answer: a river in its upper course.
a motorway in a rural area.
a footpath at the bottom of a valley.
a national park boundary in the mountains.
Q5.
A line is a line on a map that shows land of equal elevation.
Correct Answer: contour
Q6.
A valley on a map is shown by a series of V-shaped contours with ...
Correct answer: the smallest V having the lowest elevation value.
the largest V having the lowest elevation value.
the Vs aligned so they are pointing north.
the Vs aligned so they are pointing south.

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is true in relation to sketch maps?
Correct answer: They are always drawn using clean lines.
They are always drawn to scale.
They always include all the features of a location.
They are always aligned to grid north.
Q2.
A cross section is a graph that shows the landscape as if ...
Correct answer: it has been sliced in half.
it did not have any buildings or trees.
it was drawn using sharp angles.
it was drawn to scale.
Q3.
Place the following steps in the right order for drawing a cross section.
1 - Mark out the start and end points on your map.
2 - Place some paper with a straight edge along the route line.
3 - Mark off the contour points on the paper between the start and end points.
4 - Draw some axes on graph paper and place the paper on the x axis.
5 - Mark the contour heights on the graph paper.
Q4.
Why might a sketch map be considered more subjective than an OS map?
Correct answer: It is based on someone's perspective of a place.
It is drawn from a photograph.
It is drawn at a smaller scale.
It uses the same symbols as an OS map.