Maps Worksheet

A map is a flat picture of a real place, drawn from above, and it only works if the reader knows how to unlock it. This maps worksheet hands third graders the two tools that do the unlocking: a map key, which tells them what each symbol on the page stands for, and a compass rose, which tells them which way is north, south, east and west. Both tools sit on the same printed town map, so children practice the habit real map readers use, which is to look at the key and the compass first and the picture second.

This 3rd grade maps worksheet puts one small town on the page and then asks six questions about it. The town has four named streets, five landmarks, a map key that pairs each landmark with its own shape, and a compass rose in the corner. In Part A, students answer four questions by reading a single fact off the map, such as which place the star stands for or which street runs between two buildings. In Part B, they follow two routes across the town and write a complete answer on the lines, which takes more than one step and asks them to keep track of what they pass along the way. Use the page as guided practice after a lesson on map keys, as morning work, as a social studies center task, or as a quick check before a unit on communities. A complete answer key is included on the last page.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• 1 town map with four named streets, a map key and a compass rose
• 4 map key and cardinal direction questions
• 2 multi-step route questions with writing lines
• 1 complete answer key

Three reasons this resource helps children learn to read a map. First, the key uses plain shapes rather than tiny pictures, so a child has to match a symbol to its meaning instead of guessing from a drawing, which is exactly what a real road map or park map asks of them. Second, the questions mix the two skills on purpose, because naming a direction is useless without knowing what sits in that direction, and reading the key is useless without knowing where to look. Third, the two route questions in Part B turn the map into a problem to solve rather than a picture to label, and that is the step that carries into grid maps, atlases and the geography questions on a state test.

Once the maps worksheet is finished, teachers and parents can keep the practice going without any extra printing. Draw a map of the classroom or the backyard together, invent a symbol for each part of it, and build a key along the edge. Tape a compass rose to the wall so children can name the direction a window faces or a door opens. Pull out a real park map, zoo map or mall map and hunt for its key, then ask what three of its symbols mean. Ask a child to give directions from the kitchen to the front door using only north, south, east and west, and follow them exactly as spoken.

Related Resources

• Find the Parts of a Map Worksheet
• Neighborhood Map Worksheet
• Make a Map Worksheet
• 50 States Song