Maps and Directions
Maps and Directions
A map is a drawing of a place as seen from above, made to a scale. Directions tell where one place lies with respect to another. Classes 3 to 5 build both from the child's own experience — a map of the classroom before a map of India.
Directions
Four main: North, East, South, West | Four in between: NE, SE, SW, NW
- The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, which is the child's first method of finding direction.
- If you stand facing east, north is on your left and south on your right.
- The Sun is never exactly overhead in most of India; shadows fall towards the west in the morning and the east in the evening.
- A compass needle always points north-south; the magnetic needle settles in that direction.
What a map shows
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Title | What the map is about |
| Direction arrow | Usually north pointing up |
| Scale | How much distance on the ground one centimetre represents |
| Symbols and key | Standard signs for road, river, railway, school, well |
| Colours | Blue for water, green for plains and forest, brown for hills |
The scale is what distinguishes a map from a picture. A picture shows what a place looks like from the side; a map shows the arrangement from above, shrunk in a fixed proportion.
Map, plan and globe
- Plan — a drawing of a small area such as a room or a school, in great detail.
- Map — a larger area on a flat sheet, using symbols.
- Globe — a model of the whole earth, the only true representation of its shape.
- A map of the whole world on flat paper always distorts sizes near the poles, which is why a globe is kept in the classroom.
Teaching maps in Classes 3-5
- Start with the child's own space: draw the classroom from above, marking the door, blackboard and desks.
- Draw the route from home to school, marking landmarks.
- Introduce symbols and a key by inventing them first, then comparing with standard ones.
- Move to the village or town map, then the district, state and country.
- Use the globe alongside the map from the start.
✗ A map shows a place as it looks from the front. | ✓ A map shows a place from above, drawn to a scale.
संकेत: सूर्य पूर्व में उगता है; मानचित्र ऊपर से देखा गया, पैमाने के अनुसार बना चित्र है।
Maps give one question in most cycles, often on the elements of a map or on directions from a described situation, such as which way a shadow falls in the morning. The scale is the element most often asked about, since it is what separates a map from a drawing. In pedagogy items the correct starting point is always the classroom or the route to school, never the map of India.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a map and a plan?
A plan is a detailed drawing of a small area such as a room or a school building, usually to a large scale. A map covers a much larger area on a smaller scale and uses symbols and a key to show features.
How can a child find direction without a compass?
By using the sun. It rises in the east and sets in the west, so a child facing the rising sun has north to her left and south to her right. Shadows point west in the morning and east in the evening.
Why is a globe needed if we have maps?
Because the earth is a sphere and any flat map distorts shapes and sizes, especially near the poles. A globe is the only representation that keeps the true shape and relative size of the continents.
60-second recap
- Directions: north, east, south, west, plus four intermediate ones.
- The sun rises in the east and sets in the west; a compass points north-south.
- A map is drawn from above to a scale, with title, direction, scale, key and colours.
- Plan is a small detailed area; globe is the true model of the earth.
- Begin map teaching with the classroom and the route to school.