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Year 10
Edexcel B

Using atlases

I can read a variety of different styles of atlas maps.

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New
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Year 10
Edexcel B

Using atlases

I can read a variety of different styles of atlas maps.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Atlases present the world at the smallest scale, showing the least detail but larger patterns and relationships.
  2. Atlases use latitude and longitude lines to locate particular places.
  3. There are many types of atlas map that are used to show specific information.

Keywords

  • Latitude - an imaginary line running east to west around the Earth's surface that is used to show how far north or south a place is

  • Longitude - an imaginary line running north to south across the Earth's surface that is used to show how far east or west a place is

  • Thematic map - a map that shows a particular geographical phenomenon such as population density or air temperature

Common misconception

Atlases specialise in large scale maps.

A large scale map means the map shows a large amount of detail but covers a small area. Therefore, atlases tend to use small scale maps that show a large area of land in limited detail.


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

For an immersive experiences, give pairs of students a set of questions, the answers of which can only be found in an atlas, such as the GDP of a particular country or the nearest port to a specific city. Students can then set ever harder questions for their peers.
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Equipment

A standard school atlas

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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.
Cartography is the study and practice of …
Correct answer: making and using maps
making and using geographical graphs
using statistics to learn more about places
finding different rocks and soils
Q2.
The scale of a map refers to …
Correct answer: the ratio of the size of something on a map compared to real life
how accurately it has been drawn
the size of a grid square
the distance in real life between one edge of the map to the other
Q3.
The following statements refer to the index of a book, such as an atlas. Which are true statements?
Correct answer: It is found at the end of the book.
Correct answer: It uses page numbers to show where features are in the book.
The features are written in page number order.
It only contains the page titles.
Q4.
As the Earth is a sphere, it is difficult to draw an accurate, flat map of the world. The graphical transformation of the 3D world onto a 2D map is known as a map ...
Correct Answer: Projection
Q5.
Which of the following would you expect to find in an atlas?
Correct answer: Maps of the continents and the world
Correct answer: Maps of countries and regions
Maps of streets in towns and cities
Maps of footpaths through woodland
Q6.
A town’s situation refers to its …
Correct answer: position in relation to other features or places.
culture, identity and history.
economic strength and power.
past, present and future land use.

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
A small scale map …
Correct answer: is less accurate.
Correct answer: is less detailed.
is zoomed in.
covers a small area of the Earth's surface.
Q2.
The latitudinal and longitudinal position of a place is written down in a specific way. Which of the following is not true?
Correct answer: Longitude is written before latitude.
The symbol ˚ is used to show degrees.
More accurate descriptions use degrees and minutes.
The last part of a latitude or longitude is a compass direction.
Q3.
The Tropic of Cancer lies 23.4˚ of the Equator.
Correct Answer: north, N
Q4.
What type of map displays data on a particular topic such as population density or average rainfall?
Physical
Geological
Correct answer: Thematic
Political