KS3 ordnance survey maps - how to work out your bearings

Geography Quiz - O. S. Maps 03 (Questions)

Discover how Ordnance Survey maps use colours and symbols to show woods, water, roads and towns, helping you picture landscapes and plan journeys before you even set off.

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Fascinating Fact:

Different colours on O. S. maps give quick clues about land use, such as green for woodland, blue for water and yellow or buff for built-up areas and roads.

In KS3 Geography, pupils learn how Ordnance Survey maps show land use, height and important features using colours, symbols and keys. Understanding these patterns helps students interpret real landscapes and describe places accurately.

Key Terms

Land use: The way people or nature use an area of land, such as farming, housing, woodland or industry.
Map symbol: A small picture or sign on a map that stands for a real feature, like a church, campsite or railway.
Map key: A guide that explains what each colour and symbol on the map means so you can read it correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What do the different colours mean on an O. S. map?

On an Ordnance Survey map, colours give quick clues about land use. For example, green usually shows woodland, blue shows water and pale yellow often shows built-up areas and roads.

How can I remember O. S. map colours for KS3 geography?

You can remember O. S. map colours by linking them to real life, such as green for trees, blue for rivers and lakes, and pale yellow for busy built-up areas and main routes.

Why are colours and symbols important on O. S. maps?

Colours and symbols are important because they let you understand a large area quickly, compare different types of land use and plan safe routes without visiting the place first.

Try These Related Quizzes

A small flag on an O.S. map indicates what?

[ ]	A burial ground
[ ]	A castle
[ ]	A golf course
[ ]	Army barracks

On O.S. maps what colour are main roads?

[ ]	Black
[ ]	Green
[ ]	Red
[ ]	Yellow

A map showing height and shape of land using different colours is called a what?

[ ]	Altitude map
[ ]	Hill map
[ ]	Landscape map
[ ]	Relief map

Which statement is true about contour lines?

[ ]	They are sometimes blue
[ ]	They are straight
[ ]	They do not have the height written on them
[ ]	They never cross

What does FB mean on an O.S. map?

[ ]	Farm Boundary
[ ]	Fire Brigade
[ ]	Fishing Banned
[ ]	Footbridge

How is 'cemetery' usually abbreviated on O.S. maps?

[ ]	Cemy
[ ]	Cmy
[ ]	Cty
[ ]	Cy

What are vertical grid lines on a map called?

[ ]	Eastings
[ ]	Northings
[ ]	Southings
[ ]	Westings

If a compass was a clock, what direction is at 5 o'clock?

[ ]	East North East
[ ]	North East
[ ]	South South East
[ ]	South South West

O.S. map grid squares are always equal to what?

[ ]	Four kilometres squared
[ ]	Half a kilometre squared
[ ]	One kilometre squared
[ ]	Two kilometres squared

10.

The 0° line of longitude is the Greenwich…what?

[ ]	Marillion
[ ]	Median
[ ]	Medium
[ ]	Meridian

Geography Quiz - O. S. Maps 03 (Answers)

A small flag on an O.S. map indicates what?

[ ]	A burial ground
[ ]	A castle
[x]	A golf course
[ ]	Army barracks

The flag represents the flags on a golf course that show the golfers where they need to aim

On O.S. maps what colour are main roads?

[ ]	Black
[ ]	Green
[x]	Red
[ ]	Yellow

There are several different classes of road in the UK and each has a different symbol on the map

A map showing height and shape of land using different colours is called a what?

[ ]	Altitude map
[ ]	Hill map
[ ]	Landscape map
[x]	Relief map

O.S. maps are not relief maps but they do show land height and shape by using contours

Which statement is true about contour lines?

[ ]	They are sometimes blue
[ ]	They are straight
[ ]	They do not have the height written on them
[x]	They never cross

They join points of equal height. They can be very close together on a map but they can never cross

What does FB mean on an O.S. map?

[ ]	Farm Boundary
[ ]	Fire Brigade
[ ]	Fishing Banned
[x]	Footbridge

It may be over a waterway, road or railway

How is 'cemetery' usually abbreviated on O.S. maps?

[x]	Cemy
[ ]	Cmy
[ ]	Cty
[ ]	Cy

The shape of the cemetery is drawn alongside it on the map

What are vertical grid lines on a map called?

[x]	Eastings
[ ]	Northings
[ ]	Southings
[ ]	Westings

Their grid numbers get bigger in an easterly direction

If a compass was a clock, what direction is at 5 o'clock?

[ ]	East North East
[ ]	North East
[x]	South South East
[ ]	South South West

Make sure that you learn how to combine the four cardinal directions of a compass - it is a very useful life skill