Social StudiesUsing a Map Key to Read a Map
Atlas floats directly overhead above a colorful playground, looking straight down at the ground below, holding a map in both hands and comparing the tiny symbols on the paper to the swings, sandbox, and trees arranged beneath him.
- Explain what a map key is and why it helps us read a map.
- Match a symbol on a map to the real object it stands for using the map key.
- Identify at least two things shown on a simple map by reading its key.
Key terms
- symbol
- A small picture on a map that stands for a real thing.
- map key
- A box on the map that explains what every symbol means.
- map
- A drawing of a real place seen from straight above.
- legend
- Another name for the map key that lists the symbols.
Why Maps Use Symbols
When you look at a place from way up high, everything looks tiny and flat. A whole tree might look like a small circle, a pond might look like a blue blob, and a bench might look like a little rectangle. Because real things are too big and detailed to draw fully, mapmakers use small simple pictures called symbols to stand for them. Symbols let a map show many things in a small space.
What the Map Key Does
Once a map uses symbols, you need a way to know what each one means. That is the job of the map key, sometimes called a legend. The map key is a little box printed right on the map that shows every symbol and tells you what real thing it stands for. It works like a picture dictionary that is always open and ready, so anyone can read the map correctly.
How to Read a Map
Reading a map is easy when you do it in the right order. First, look at the map key and learn what each symbol means. Then look at the symbols spread across the map itself. Now you can tell exactly what you are looking at, whether it is a tree, a pond, or a path. Always check the key first, because the same color or shape can mean different things on different maps.
Worked examples
Read a map symbol using the map key.
- The key says a blue shape means water.
- You spot a small blue shape on the map.
- Match the blue shape to the key's meaning.
- So the blue shape stands for water, like a pond or lake.
Answer: The blue shape stands for water, such as a pond or lake.
Decide if a green circle means a pond just because of its color.
- Color alone does not tell you what a symbol means.
- Different maps can use the same color differently.
- You must check what the map key says.
- So you check the key first instead of guessing from color.
Answer: You cannot tell from color; you must check the map key to learn what the green circle means.
Activity
Match each map symbol on the left to the real thing it stands for on the right.
Practice
Explain in your own words what a map key is for.
Describe the first step you take when reading a new map.
Common mistakes to avoid
- A map key opens a lock.A map key does not unlock anything; it is a guide that explains what each symbol means.
- Colors always mean the same thing.Different maps can use colors differently, so you must always check the map key first.
Check your understanding
What does a map show you?
What is the map key used for?
On a map, you see a small blue shape. The key says the blue shape means water. What does that blue shape show in the real place?
Maya looks at a map and sees a small green circle. She thinks it means a pond because she likes the color green. Is Maya right?
Recap
Mapmakers use small pictures called symbols to stand for real things, because everything looks tiny from above. The map key is a box on the map that explains what each symbol means. To read a map, check the key first, then look at the symbols.
Reflect
What symbol would you invent for your favorite place on a map?