English

Maps and Compass Directions

Primary schoolGeographyGrid map with letters for columns and numbers for rows, four and eight compass points, and a compass needle that always points north

About this experiment

Maps help us find our way, but only if we know which way is north. Walk around a small picture map using the compass points, follow direction cards like a treasure hunt, find places from grid references such as F5, and turn the map until it lines up with a compass needle. The challenges start with north, east, south and west and move on to all eight points, as children learn them in primary school in many countries.

Learning goals

  • Name the four main compass points and then all eight
  • Give and follow directions using compass points and numbers of squares
  • Find a square on a map from its grid reference and give the grid reference of a place
  • Say which direction one place is from another
  • Turn a map so that it lines up with a compass

How to use it

  1. 1Look at the compass. Say the four main points going clockwise: north, east, south, west. A rhyme such as Never Eat Soggy Waffles can help.
  2. 2Do the first challenge. Count your steps. Could you have used fewer?
  3. 3Follow the direction card in challenge 3. Which place do you reach?
  4. 4Find square F5. Do you read the letter first or the number first?
  5. 5Turn the map with the slider until its north arrow points the same way as the needle. Why is this useful when you are outside?
  6. 6In Free walk, switch on eight points. Walk diagonally and say each direction out loud: north-east, south-west and so on.

The model

Clockwise order of the four main compass points, a quarter turn (90°) apart
The four in-between points, half way between two main points (45°)
Grid reference: along the bottom first, then up the side

Assumptions

  • The map is a simple picture map with square grid cells. Each step moves one whole square.
  • The compass needle points to north. On the map, north is shown by the printed arrow in the corner.
  • Directions between places are only asked when the second place lies exactly on one of the compass lines from the first.
  • Moving with eight points, a diagonal step counts as one step, the same as a straight one.

Try this in class

  1. Q1If you face north and turn a quarter turn clockwise, which way are you facing?
  2. Q2What is the opposite direction to south-west?
  3. Q3Which place is at grid reference B5 on the map?
  4. Q4Write directions from the school to the pond using only north, east, south and west.
  5. Q5Why does a compass needle always point the same way, wherever you stand?

Frequently asked questions

Why do maps usually have north at the top?

It is a custom that most mapmakers agreed on long ago, so maps are easy to compare. Some old maps had east or south at the top, and a map still works whichever way it is drawn, as long as it shows where north is.

How does a compass work?

The needle is a small magnet. The Earth acts like a giant magnet too, and the needle turns to line up with it, so one end always points roughly north.

Are grid references read the same way everywhere?

Most school maps use a letter for the column and a number for the row, read along the corridor and then up the stairs. Real maps often use numbers for both, called coordinates, read the same way: across first, then up.