Map Reading Topography

Overview

In this 60-minute Outdoor Education session, Year 6 students learn how to read a map using topographical features, then use those skills to orient themselves and interpret landforms. They begin with simple contour concepts and finish by applying the ideas to a short, safe navigation task.

Learning intentions

• WALT read topographical features on a map using contour lines.
• WALT identify cardinal directions and orient a map to match the ground.
• WALT explain how map information helps plan a safe route outdoors.
• WALT demonstrate tiakitanga (guardianship) by minimising impact while moving outdoors.

Success criteria

• I can explain what contour lines show about height and slope.
• I can interpret contour patterns (e.g., closer lines mean steeper slopes).
• I can orient a map using cardinal directions so it matches features in the environment.
• I can use the map to make sensible route choices and follow safety and ‘leave no trace’ rules.

Curriculum links

• Outdoor Education (Health and PE): natural landmarks, topographical features, and basic navigation tools support accurate map orientation and cardinal directions.
• Outdoor Education (Health and PE): using navigation tools to plan routes in outdoor environments.
• Outdoor Education (Health and PE): being responsible in natural environments by minimising human impact, wildlife, and ecosystems.
• Outdoor Education (Health and PE): identifying ways to engage responsibly through ‘leave no trace’ and guardianship (tiakitanga).
• Key competencies: managing self; participating and contributing (working in pairs/groups); thinking (interpreting information).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (topography reveal). Teacher shows two printed contour map snippets (one gentle slope, one steep) and asks students what might be different about the land. Students share quick ideas in pairs and teacher records key words (hill, valley, steep, flat).

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: contour lines. Teacher explains that contour lines connect points of equal height, and slope can be guessed from how close the lines are. Students complete a 3-question “Contour Detective” on mini-cards: identify which area is steeper and which is flatter, using the distance between lines.

3. 12–20 min · Guided practice: patterns and landforms. Teacher models reading a simple map: ridge (higher ground), valley (lower ground), and how a “V” shape often points towards a valley (depending on map orientation). Students work in small groups to match 6 contour patterns to the correct landform word bank, then justify their choice with one sentence.

4. 20–28 min · Map orientation: cardinal directions. Teacher demonstrates orienting the map: find a clear landmark on the ground (tree line, fence corner, hill shape), then rotate the map so it aligns with the landmark and the cardinal directions on the map. Students practice using a compass or a class compass app (teacher-led if needed) to point north, then orient their map cards to one known feature.

5. 28–40 min · Outdoor set-up and safety/tiakitanga. Teacher takes the class to the outdoor learning zone and reviews safe boundaries, staying on paths if provided, and ‘leave no trace’ behaviours (no trampling, keep to marked routes, take all rubbish). Students do a quick “show me” check: demonstrate how they will stand to observe, walk quietly, and return to the meeting point without cutting through sensitive areas.

6. 40–52 min · Navigation task: choose routes using topography. Teacher gives each pair a route card with two possible paths from A to B and a time limit, encouraging route choice based on slope (prefer gentler contour spacing). Students use their map to select the better route, point out on the map where the route will likely be steeper/safer, then walk the chosen route and confirm they reached the correct location.

7. 52–60 min · Debrief and exit ticket. Teacher leads a whole-class debrief: Which route did you choose and why? Students share evidence using contour language, then complete an exit ticket: (1) “Contour lines close together mean…” (2) “To orient a map, I…” (3) “One tiakitanga action I followed was…”

Resources

• Printed contour map sheets (2–3 levels of difficulty) with cardinal direction indicators
• Mini contour-line cards and a small word bank (ridge, valley, steep, gentle, flat)
• Pair route cards showing A/B locations and two path options
• Compasses (one per 2–3 students) or a teacher-provided compass device for modelling
• Clipboards or clip folders for maps
• Outdoors: clearly marked zone, safe boundary markers, optional whistle and check-in points
• “Contour Detective” worksheet and exit ticket slips
• Rubbish bags and a simple “leave no trace” checklist

Assessment

• Teacher observations during guided practice: correct use of contour spacing to infer steepness.
• Check-ins during orientation practice: students demonstrate map alignment with a ground landmark.
• Exit ticket at the end: confirms understanding of contour meaning and map orientation steps.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters (“Closer contour lines mean…”, “I orient the map by…”) and a simpler map with fewer contour lines for some students.
• Support: pre-identify one landmark to help students orient faster.
• Extension (advanced learners): give an additional route card requiring students to explain risk using contour reasoning (e.g., “Which path would be harder when wet/after rain, and why?”) and ask them to produce a short justification for their chosen route.
• EAL/SEN: use pictorial cues for steep/gentle, allow verbal response before writing, and pair students strategically so they can co-read contour patterns.

Extension (optional)

• Advanced learners create a “micro-map challenge”: design a simple contour sketch of a hill and valley, then write two clues that would help a partner choose the gentler route.