A map is a drawing of a place as if you were a bird looking down from the sky. Maps help us find where things are and how to get there.
The four directions
A compass rose shows the four main directions: North, South, East and West. On most maps, North is at the top.
A fun way to remember them, going round clockwise from the top: Never Eat Slimy Worms! Or make up your own: Naughty Elephants Squirt Water!
Where is my school?
We can describe where a place is by saying what is near to it or far from it, and which direction it is. For example: “My school is north of the mosque and near to the church. It is far from the shop.”
Draw a map
Draw a map of your way from home to school. Draw your home at the bottom and your school at the top. Add things you pass on the way: a shop, a church, a temple, a mosque, a park, a bridge. Add a compass rose!
Safe routes in an emergency
Every school has an evacuation route: the safe way out in a fire. In a fire drill, we stop work, line up quietly, walk (never run) along the route and meet at the assembly point. In an earthquake drill, we drop, cover and hold on under a desk until the shaking stops, then walk out calmly when the teacher says.
TRY ITVillage map
Choose a game.
Let’s practise
Try each one. Then tap Show answer to check.
1. Name the four main directions.
Show answer
North, South, East and West.
2. On a map, which direction is usually at the bottom?
Show answer
South.
3. Finish: My school is near to …
Show answer
Any building near your school, for example a church, a shop or a park.
4. Is your home near to or far from your school?
Show answer
Your own answer. Talk about how you get there.
5. What do we do in an earthquake drill?
Show answer
Drop, cover and hold on until the shaking stops.
Quick check
1. What does a compass rose show?
Show answer
The directions North, South, East and West.
2. The opposite of North is …
Show answer
South.
3. What is an evacuation route?
Show answer
The safe way out of a building in an emergency.
Words to know
Say these words with a grown-up. Can you use each one in a sentence?
map · compass rose · North · South · East · West · near to · far from · route · drill
Try it at home
- Draw a map from your home to school. Add a compass rose and three places you pass.
- Stand in your yard at sunrise: the sun rises in the East. Point North, South and West.
- Plan your family’s fire escape route from your home and practise it together.
For parents and teachers
After this lesson, your child should be able to:
- name and use the four cardinal points
- describe where the school is compared with two or three other buildings
- give and follow simple directions on a map
- draw a simple home-to-school map
- explain what to do in a fire drill and an earthquake drill
The sunrise-in-the-East tip is a great real-world anchor. Walk the school’s actual evacuation route with your child if possible.
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