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1st grade · Social Studies · Unit 1 of 8

Maps

Symbols, directions, near and far

What your child practices

Reading a simple map with north at the top, using north, south, east and west, map symbols and legends, and near and far.

Alaska content standards learning standard: SS.1.1.18.1; SS.1.2.18.1 · making and reading maps with a key, symbols and a compass rose

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A map shows where places are.
  2. The legend (or key) tells what each symbol means.
  3. North, south, east, west. The sun comes up in the east.

Example: What tells you what the symbols on a map mean? Look in the map's corner box. It is called the legend, or key. Answer: the legend (or key)

Maps in Alaska

In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 1 of 8 in 1st grade Social Studies, before Our Land.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Look at the map. What is west of the house?

    ⬆️ North is up

    🟩 🌳 🟩

    🚒 🏠 🏥

    🟩 🏫 🟩

    • 🏥hospital
    • 🚒fire station
    • 🌳park

  2. Question 2

    Look at the map. What is west of the house?

    ⬆️ North is up

    🟩 🏪 🟩

    🏥 🏠 🌳

    🟩 🏫 🟩

    • 🏫school
    • 🌳park
    • 🏥hospital

  3. Question 3

    Which one is nearest to the child?

    🧒🍎➖🚲➖➖🌳
    • 🌳tree
    • 🚲bike
    • 🍎apple

  4. Question 4

    What do we call a round model of the whole Earth?

    • 📏ruler
    • 🌍globe
    • 🧭compass

  5. Question 5

    On a map, a little tree symbol often means…

    🌳
    • 🌲a park or forest
    • 🏥a hospital
    • 🏊a swimming pool

  6. Question 6

    What is the opposite of north?

    🧭
    • ➡️east
    • ⬇️south
    • ⬅️west

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