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Geography Quiz - Maps - Colours and Symbols (Questions)

This quiz addresses part of the requirements of the National Curriculum KS1 for children aged 5 and 6 in years 1 and 2 in Geography. Specifically it looks at some of the colours and symbols that are commonly used on maps. It is one of 50 quizzes to help you understand the world around you.

Do you like looking at maps? Some maps draw pictures of hills, rivers and buildings. But most maps use colours and symbols. There will be a symbol for a church, and another symbol for a railway station. There are symbols for bridges and symbols for great big viaducts. Woods are coloured green. Water is coloured blue. This quiz looks at just a few of the colours and symbols that are often used on maps. Can you get ten out of ten?

1. What colour are rivers on maps?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Yellow
[ ] Blue
2. What colour are forests on maps?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Yellow
[ ] Blue
3. Sam is looking at a map of his town. He sees a small black cross on the map (+). What does this symbol mean?
[ ] Railway station
[ ] Shop
[ ] Church
[ ] Bus station
4. There are two big churches in Sam’s town. Sam looks at a map of the town. One of the churches is marked by a black square with a cross on top of it. What does the church have?
[ ] A tower
[ ] A lift
[ ] A moat
[ ] A spire
5. Sam looks again at the map of his town. The other big church is shown as a black circle with a cross on the top. What does this church have?
[ ] A lift
[ ] An escalator
[ ] A spire
[ ] A draw-bridge
6. Sam finds the railway station on the map. The symbol for the railway station is a ___ circle.
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Blue
[ ] Purple
7. What colour are railway lines on maps?
[ ] Green
[ ] Blue
[ ] Black
[ ] Purple
8. Sam looks at a globe. He knows the Antarctic is covered in snow and ice. What colour is the Antarctic on the globe?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Black
[ ] White
9. Sam is looking at a map of his town. He sees a building marked Sch. What does Sch. stand for?
[ ] Scheme
[ ] School
[ ] Schooner
[ ] Schedule
10. Sam lives not far from the M6 motorway. He looks at a map of the roads in his part of England. What colour is the motorway on the map?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Blue
[ ] Yellow

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What are maps?

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Geography Quiz - Maps - Colours and Symbols (Answers)
1. What colour are rivers on maps?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Yellow
[x] Blue
Lakes, seas and oceans are also coloured blue
2. What colour are forests on maps?
[ ] Red
[x] Green
[ ] Yellow
[ ] Blue
Why do you think woods and forests are coloured green on maps?
3. Sam is looking at a map of his town. He sees a small black cross on the map (+). What does this symbol mean?
[ ] Railway station
[ ] Shop
[x] Church
[ ] Bus station
Chapels, temples, mosques, and synagogues are also marked on maps
4. There are two big churches in Sam’s town. Sam looks at a map of the town. One of the churches is marked by a black square with a cross on top of it. What does the church have?
[x] A tower
[ ] A lift
[ ] A moat
[ ] A spire
The church has a tower. A lot of church towers have bells and a clock
5. Sam looks again at the map of his town. The other big church is shown as a black circle with a cross on the top. What does this church have?
[ ] A lift
[ ] An escalator
[x] A spire
[ ] A draw-bridge
This church has a spire. What shape is a spire?
6. Sam finds the railway station on the map. The symbol for the railway station is a ___ circle.
[x] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Blue
[ ] Purple
Red is an easy colour to spot
7. What colour are railway lines on maps?
[ ] Green
[ ] Blue
[x] Black
[ ] Purple
Nearly all railway lines are coloured black on maps
8. Sam looks at a globe. He knows the Antarctic is covered in snow and ice. What colour is the Antarctic on the globe?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[ ] Black
[x] White
Greenland is a very big island. It is nearly all covered in ice and snow. Can you find Greenland on a globe or in an atlas?
9. Sam is looking at a map of his town. He sees a building marked Sch. What does Sch. stand for?
[ ] Scheme
[x] School
[ ] Schooner
[ ] Schedule
What does Univ. stand for on maps?
10. Sam lives not far from the M6 motorway. He looks at a map of the roads in his part of England. What colour is the motorway on the map?
[ ] Red
[ ] Green
[x] Blue
[ ] Yellow
Can you find all the motorways on a map of Britain and Ireland?