Logo

Geography Quiz - Map Skills 1 (Questions)

Map reading is one of the fundamental skills of geography. In KS2 children are taught about using a map and a compass for navigation. This is the first of two quizzes on maps and how to use them.

Map skills involve reading maps, using a compass and general navigation knowledge. Maps are used to help us find our way around. They are representations of real roads, buildings, rivers etc. which can be used to plan a route, to guide us when we are lost or to explore an area without leaving the comfort of our own homes. Reading maps is an essential, and a rewarding, skill.

How good are you at using a map and a compass? Test you navigation skills in this quiz.

1. What is a book of maps called?
[ ] An Atlantic
[ ] An Atlas
[ ] A Dictionary
[ ] An Encyclopaedia
2. What is the name given to the world map printed on a ball?
[ ] Sphere
[ ] Globe
[ ] Orb
[ ] Earth
3. Who makes maps?
[ ] A cartographer
[ ] A mapper
[ ] A photographer
[ ] A map maker
4. What do we use to find the direction we are facing?
[ ] A compact
[ ] A comet
[ ] A telescope
[ ] A compass
5. Which compass point is at the top of a map?
[ ] North
[ ] East
[ ] South
[ ] West
6. Which compass point is at the bottom of a map?
[ ] North
[ ] East
[ ] South
[ ] West
7. Which compass point is to the right of North and South?
[ ] North
[ ] East
[ ] South
[ ] West
8. Which compass point is between North and West?
[ ] East
[ ] South
[ ] North West
[ ] West North
9. What is the name of the numbers used in grid references?
[ ] Coordinates
[ ] Correspondence
[ ] Symbols
[ ] Keys
10. What is a map key?
[ ] It unlocks magic doors
[ ] It shows what map symbols mean
[ ] It locks the cupboard where maps are kept
[ ] It lists all the stopping places on a map

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is a map used for?

Logo
Geography Quiz - Map Skills 1 (Answers)
1. What is a book of maps called?
[ ] An Atlantic
[x] An Atlas
[ ] A Dictionary
[ ] An Encyclopaedia
The very first atlas had a picture of the Greek Titan Atlas, holding up the world, on its cover
2. What is the name given to the world map printed on a ball?
[ ] Sphere
[x] Globe
[ ] Orb
[ ] Earth
The world is also referred to as the globe
3. Who makes maps?
[x] A cartographer
[ ] A mapper
[ ] A photographer
[ ] A map maker
The English word 'cartography' comes from the Ancient Greek words for 'map' and 'writing'
4. What do we use to find the direction we are facing?
[ ] A compact
[ ] A comet
[ ] A telescope
[x] A compass
A compass needle always points towards the North Pole
5. Which compass point is at the top of a map?
[x] North
[ ] East
[ ] South
[ ] West
Just as the North Pole is seen as the top of a globe, north is seen as the top of a map
6. Which compass point is at the bottom of a map?
[ ] North
[ ] East
[x] South
[ ] West
Just as the South Pole is seen as the bottom of a globe, south is seen as the bottom of a map
7. Which compass point is to the right of North and South?
[ ] North
[x] East
[ ] South
[ ] West
The sun always rises in the East
8. Which compass point is between North and West?
[ ] East
[ ] South
[x] North West
[ ] West North
The points of the compass can be remembered like this: Never Eat Soggy Worms - that's North, East, South and West starting at the top and going round clockwise
9. What is the name of the numbers used in grid references?
[x] Coordinates
[ ] Correspondence
[ ] Symbols
[ ] Keys
The first coordinate gives the grid reference at the bottom while the second one goes up the side
10. What is a map key?
[ ] It unlocks magic doors
[x] It shows what map symbols mean
[ ] It locks the cupboard where maps are kept
[ ] It lists all the stopping places on a map
Each map has a key and it tells you, for example, what a motorway, a river or a church look like on the map