You will learn
- Read a map as a source.
- Compare old and new maps.
- Ask who made a map and why.
- See maps show choices.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A map is evidence about a place.
- Old and new maps show change.
- Map-makers choose what to show.
- Maps show viewpoints.
Words to know
a drawing that shows where places and things are
a map made in the past
a person who makes maps
the way someone sees or presents something
1. Discover: Two maps of the town
Ms Smith shows two maps of Fatmata’s town: one from many years ago and one today. The old map shows a river, a few roads and a small market. The new map shows more roads, a school, a clinic and a bridge. “The town grew,” says Fatmata. “Who made the old map and why?” asks Mr Cole. “The cartographer drew only what the owner wanted to show,” says Ms Smith. “Maps show viewpoints too.”
Think: What might a map-maker leave out?
2. Understand: Maps as sources
Idea 1: Maps as evidence
A map is a drawing that shows where places and things are. Maps are sources of evidence about roads, settlements, rivers, borders and buildings at the time they were made. A historical map was made in the past.
Idea 2: Comparing
To compare maps, look at the same area on an old and new map. Note what is new, what has gone and what has stayed (change and continuity). Check the dates, scale and key before comparing.
Idea 3: Map-makers
A cartographer chooses what to include. Maps may leave out some people or places, name places in one language or show one viewpoint. We ask: Who made it? When? Why? For whom? What is missing?
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Compare
Old and new map.
- Look.
- List.
- Say.
Answer: More roads now.
Example 2 (We do it together): Ask
Who made it?
- Read.
- Ask.
- Say.
Answer: A cartographer.
Example 3 (You try): Missing
What is left out?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Check.
- Say.
Answer: Small paths.
Did you know?
Many old European maps of Africa had large blank areas or drawings of imagined animals because mapmakers did not have reliable information and relied on rumours.
Why this matters
Reading maps critically shows us how places have changed and how people saw them.
4. Explore: Map detective
Compare an old and a modern map of the same area using a table of what changed, what stayed, who made each, and what is missing.
- Look.
- List.
- Compare.
- Question.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Maps told us about the people who made them.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A map is ___.
- A historical map is ___.
- A cartographer is ___.
- A viewpoint is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a cartographer?
A map maker.
Question 2. What is a historical map?
A map from the past.
Question 3. What is a viewpoint?
A way of seeing.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a cartographer?
- What is a historical map?
- What is a viewpoint?
- What do we check on a map?
- Can maps leave things out?
Level 2: Grow
- Why compare maps?
- Why ask who made it?
- Why check date?
Level 3: Stretch
- Compare maps.
- List changes.
- Ask questions.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give two things to compare on old and new maps.
Show a sample answer
Roads; buildings.
Another one. Look at a local map and find three features.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Map-makers choose.
Fix: They are evidence.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can read a map as a source.
- I can compare old and new maps.
- I can ask who made a map and why.
- I can see maps show choices.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- A map is evidence about a place.
- Old and new maps show change.
- Map-makers choose what to show.
- Maps show viewpoints.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Recording information. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Say why maps are sources of evidence. [2 marks]
- Name three things to compare on old and new maps. [3 marks]
- Say why map-makers affect what maps show. [3 marks]
- Say what to check before comparing maps. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Show places [1]; time [1]
- Three [3]
- Choose [1]; viewpoint [1]; missing [1]
- Date [1]; scale or key [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a cartographer?
- What is a historical map?
- What is a viewpoint?
- What do we check on a map?
- Can maps leave things out?
- Why compare maps?
- Why ask who made it?
- Why check date?
- Compare maps.
- List changes.
Homework
Compare two maps of one place and list three changes.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a cartographer? | A map maker. | 1 |
| 2. What is a historical map? | A map from the past. | 1 |
| 3. What is a viewpoint? | A way of seeing. | 1 |
| 4. What do we check on a map? | Date, key and scale. | 1 |
| 5. Can maps leave things out? | Yes. | 1 |
| 6. Why compare maps? | Show change. | 1 |
| 7. Why ask who made it? | Know viewpoint. | 1 |
| 8. Why check date? | Time of evidence. | 1 |
| 9. Compare maps. | Compare. | 1 |
| 10. List changes. | Changes. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 A map maker.; 2 A map from the past.; 3 A way of seeing.; 4 Date, key and scale.; 5 Yes.. Level 2: 1 Show change.; 2 Know viewpoint.; 3 Time of evidence.. Level 3: 1 Compare.; 2 Changes.; 3 Questions..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Read a map as a source | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Compare old and new maps | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Ask who made a map and why | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 See maps show choices | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Maps show everything.” Map-makers choose.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw your own map and note what you left out.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child compares maps. Please look at maps together and discuss what they show and leave out. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Use maps on trips.
- Compare maps.
- Ask what is missing.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: read a map as a source; compare old and new maps; ask who made a map and why; see maps show choices.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 3 ideas: enquiry questions, observation, primary and secondary sources and photographs.
Materials. Old and new maps, comparison tables. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Gather approved map copies.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the two maps story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach maps as sources.
Guided activity (10 min). Map detective.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do maps serve as evidence?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Maps show everything.” Map-makers choose.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Draw your own map and note what you left out. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 3 Unit 1, topic 7; NCSS C3 Framework, gathering and evaluating sources and communicating conclusions; Cambridge Primary Humanities, enquiry and evidence; IB Primary Years Programme, how we find out. These sources informed the lesson.