Map Reading Charts, School Education

Quick Answer: Map Reading Charts are geography wall charts that teach the skills needed to use a map: directions and how to find north, scale and distance, conventional signs and symbols, and contour lines showing height. They are used in primary and secondary map-work lessons.

The Skills Behind Using a Map

Map reading charts usually start with direction: the four cardinal points (north, south, east and west), the intermediate directions between them (north-east, south-east, south-west and north-west), how a magnetic compass needle settles pointing north, and how to find north without one, for example from the rising sun in the east or from the Pole Star at night in the northern hemisphere.

Scale panels explain how a map reduces real distances in a fixed ratio, shown as a statement (1 cm to 1 km), a representative fraction (1:100,000) or a line scale. Symbol panels set out the conventional signs used for roads, railways, rivers, wells, settlements and places of worship. Contour diagrams connect a hill drawn in side view with its contour lines seen from above, so students learn that closely spaced lines mean a steep slope and widely spaced lines mean gentle ground.

Specifications

Applications

• Teaching directions and drawing a plan of the classroom or school campus
• Measuring distances on atlas maps with a ruler and the map scale
• Introducing topographical sheets and contours in secondary geography
• Preparing for orienteering, scouting or NCC map exercises

Care & Handling

• Mount the directions sheet from the map reading charts on the wall that actually faces north, so its arrow matches real north and students can orient themselves from it.
• During atlas work, keep the scale and symbol sheets where students can check a sign without leaving their places.
• Store the set rolled in a labelled tube together with the wall maps.

Why Choose LabEquip

Geography teachers commonly pair map reading charts with wall maps such as the Maps (Physical) Charts, where students practise the same skills on real relief. The rest of the range is under Educational Charts, and orders go through the LabEquip contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are cardinal and intermediate directions?

The four cardinal directions are north, south, east and west. The intermediate directions lie halfway between them: north-east, south-east, south-west and north-west. Maps are normally drawn with north at the top and marked by an arrow.

How can I find north without a compass?

In the morning the sun rises roughly in the east, so if you face it, north is on your left. At night in the northern hemisphere, the Pole Star lies almost directly above true north.

What does a map scale of 1:50,000 mean?

One unit on the map equals 50,000 of the same units on the ground. So 1 cm on the map stands for 50,000 cm, or 500 m, and 2 cm stands for 1 km.

What do contour lines show?

They join places at the same height above sea level. Lines close together mean a steep slope, widely spaced lines mean gentle ground, and a set of closed rings getting smaller towards the centre shows a hill.

Why do maps use conventional signs?

Symbols, colours and letters let a small map show many features clearly, and because they are standardised, anyone who knows the key can read a map drawn by someone else. The key or legend lists the signs used.

At what stage are map reading skills taught?

Directions and simple plans come first in the primary years, scale and symbols follow in middle school, and contours and topographical sheets are studied in secondary geography.

Last Updated: September 2026