Geography: map keys, compass rose, and resources (grade 2) · lesson

Map keys and kinds of maps

A map and its symbols

💡 A map key tells what each symbol means, and different maps show different things.

A symbol is a small picture on a map. The map key, or legend, tells what each one means.

A tree symbol might mean a whole forest, not one tree.

Maps show different things. A weather map shows rain. A street map shows roads.

🧠 How to think about it

Find the symbol on the map. Then find it in the key. Read what it means. The key says the tree means forest. So there is a forest there.

map key: the box that tells what map symbols mean
symbol: a small picture that stands for a real thing

🏡 Try it at home

Draw a map of your block. Make a key with three symbols, like a house, a tree, and a stop sign.

The compass rose

A compass

💡 The compass rose shows north, south, east, and west, and the directions in between.

Most maps have north at the top. South is at the bottom. East is right, and west is left.

Northeast is between north and east. Southwest is between south and west.

To go from one place to another, look where it is. If the school is north of the park, walk north.

🧠 How to think about it

Put your finger on the start. Then look where the end is. Is it up the map? Then you go north.

compass rose: the symbol that shows directions on a map
direction: the way to go, like north or east

🏡 Try it at home

Find north at home with a phone compass or the sunset (it sets in the west). Label the walls N, S, E, and W.

The equator and hemispheres

Earth

💡 The equator is a pretend line that splits Earth into two hemispheres.

The equator is an imaginary, or pretend, line around Earth's middle.

It splits Earth into two halves. Each half is a hemisphere.

Places near the equator are mostly warm all year. The poles, at the top and bottom, are the coldest.

🧠 How to think about it

Find the equator on a globe. Is a place near it or near a pole? Near the equator means warm. Near a pole means cold.

equator: a pretend line around Earth's middle
imaginary: pretend, not real
hemisphere: half of Earth
pole: the very top or bottom of Earth

🏡 Try it at home

Wrap a string around the middle of an orange. That is the equator. Point to the top half and the bottom half.

Renewable and nonrenewable resources

Sun, wind, and trees

💡 Renewable resources come back, but nonrenewable ones like coal can run out.

A resource is something from nature that people use.

Renewable resources come back. The sun shines again. The wind blows again.

Nonrenewable resources can run out. Coal and oil take millions of years to form.

🧠 How to think about it

Ask: will it come back soon? Sunlight comes back each day. So it is renewable. Coal takes millions of years. So it can run out.

resource: something from nature that people use
renewable: comes back, so it won't run out
nonrenewable: can run out

🏡 Try it at home

Walk around your home. Find things that use the sun, wind, or water. Talk about ways to save energy.

People and places

A town by a river

💡 People settle near what they need, and they change the land to fit their needs.

Long ago, many towns started next to rivers. Rivers gave water, fish, and a way to travel by boat.

People change places too. They build roads, bridges, and dams.

A dam holds back a river. A lake forms behind it.

🧠 How to think about it

Ask: what do people need? Water, food, and a way to travel. A river gives all three.

settle: move to a place and stay
dam: a wall that holds back water

🏡 Try it at home

Find a river or lake near you on a map. Talk about how people there use the water.