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1st grade · Social Studies · Unit 6 of 13

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 1.5a; 1.5c · reading maps with legends, symbols and cardinal directions

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 New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 6 of 13 in 1st grade Social Studies, after My Roles & Responsibilities and 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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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

    Which tool helps you find north?

    • 🧭compass
    • ⏰clock
    • 📏ruler

  2. Question 2

    On most maps, north is at the…

    🗺️
    • ⬆️top
    • ⬇️bottom
    • ⬅️left side

  3. Question 3

    Which one is nearest to the child?

    🧒🐕➖🪁➖➖🧸
    • 🪁kite
    • 🐕dog
    • 🧸teddy bear

  4. Question 4

    Look at the map. Which way is the hospital from the house?

    ⬆️ North is up

    🟩 🚒 🟩

    🏥 🏠 📚

    🟩 🏫 🟩

    • ⬅️west
    • ⬆️north
    • ⬇️south

  5. Question 5

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

    • 🌍globe
    • 📏ruler
    • 🧭compass

  6. Question 6

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

    ⬆️ North is up

    🟩 🏊 🟩

    📚 🏠 🏪

    🟩 🏥 🟩

    • 🏥hospital
    • 🏪store
    • 🏊pool

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