Map Skills Worksheets
Map skills are the toolkit the rest of social studies is read with. These worksheets cover cardinal directions, keys and legends, scale, grid references and the difference between a physical and a political map — as questions about described maps, which print cleanly in black ink and can be answered without a color copy.
- Grades
- Grades K–8
- Worksheets
- 9
- Topics
- 6
How to choose a Map Skills worksheet
Start with the topic that matches what the student is currently working on. For most younger students, Compass Rose and Directions is the right entry point; the Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet for kindergarten uses a full word bank so no prior map knowledge is needed. Map Keys and Legends follows naturally, and the Map Keys and Legends Worksheet for grade 2 also supplies a word bank. Grade level on each sheet signals what kind of thinking is expected: grades K–2 fill blanks from a word bank, grades 3–5 move to recall and short answers, and grades 6–8 require cause-and-effect and multi-sentence responses.
If a student finds a sheet too easy, try the same topic at the next grade up. For example, a confident grade 5 student who finishes the Map Scale and Distance Worksheet could move to Scale and Distance: Bar Scale and Map Proportion, written for grade 6, which asks for written explanations and adds proportion work. Going the other direction works too: if a grade 6 student struggles with the Physical and Political Maps Worksheet for grade 7, the grade 5 Grid Coordinates and Map Scale and Distance sheets rebuild the basics with simpler recall questions. Each sheet covers one topic only, so mixing sheets across grades is straightforward.
Topics in map skills
- Compass Rose and Directions — Kindergarten to Grade 3
North, south, east and west plus the intermediate directions, and describing where one place sits relative to another.
- Map Keys and Legends — Grade 1 to Grade 5
Reading a legend, matching a symbol to what it stands for, and answering questions about a map from its key.
- Scale and Distance — Grade 3 to Grade 7
Using a bar scale to convert map distance into real distance, and choosing a sensible scale for a given area.
- Grid Coordinates — Grade 2 to Grade 6
Finding a place from a grid reference and writing the reference for a place, reading the letter before the number.
- Physical and Political Maps — Grade 3 to Grade 8
What each kind of map shows, which one to reach for, and what a thematic map adds.
- Charts, Graphs and Timelines — Grade 3 to Grade 8
Reading a value off a bar or line graph, comparing two of them, and reading a timeline's scale.
Any topic on this list can appear for any grade it covers.
Kindergarten
All kindergarten worksheets →Grade 1
All grade 1 worksheets →Grade 2
All grade 2 worksheets →Grade 3
All grade 3 worksheets →Grade 5
All grade 5 worksheets →Grid Coordinates on a Map
Grade 5 map skills worksheet: read and write letter-first grid references, identify columns and rows, and locate cells on a described map grid.
Map Scale and Distance Worksheet
Grade 5 worksheet on reading bar scales, converting map distance to real distance, and choosing appropriate map scales for different areas.
Grade 6
All grade 6 worksheets →Grade 7
All grade 7 worksheets →Grade 8
All grade 8 worksheets →Every Map Skills worksheet, by topic
Compass Rose and Directions · 2
- Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet · Kindergarten
- Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet · Grade 1
Map Keys and Legends · 2
- Map Keys and Legends Worksheet · Grade 2
- Map Keys and Legends Worksheet · Grade 3
Scale and Distance · 2
- Map Scale and Distance Worksheet · Grade 5
- Scale and Distance: Bar Scale and Map Proportion · Grade 6
Grid Coordinates · 1
- Grid Coordinates on a Map · Grade 5
Physical and Political Maps · 1
- Physical and Political Maps Worksheet · Grade 7
Charts, Graphs and Timelines · 1
Teaching guide
- The Geography Skills Every Student Needs
A grade-by-grade guide to cardinal directions, map legends, scale, grid references, and latitude and longitude, with low-tech practice ideas.