Basic 1: What’s a Map?

This student is making a map of her classroom.

Here’s a map that a student drew of his classroom

A map is a picture of how things are arranged.

Maps show you where things are. They are drawn as if you are looking down at the ground from above.

One of the best ways to learn about maps is to make one. Here’s an exercise to do at school or at home:

Let’s draw a map!

Get out a sheet of paper and some pencils, erasers and crayons. 

Draw a map of something. Maybe your school. Maybe your home and the area around it (like your backyard). Maybe even your classroom.

It can be a lot of fun to do this!

Now that you have drawn a map, let’s talk about things that go on most maps.

Click here.