Maps and Map Keys — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. What does a map scale help you figure out?
A) What color the buildings are
B) How far apart two places really are
C) What time the store opens
D) How tall a mountain looks
A map makes the real world tiny, so the scale is the tool that lets you turn a small inch on the paper into real miles between two places.
2. On a map, one inch equals one mile. The school is two inches from the park. How many miles apart are they?
A) One mile
B) Two miles
C) Three miles
D) Four miles
Since each inch stands for one mile, you can double it: 2 inches × 1 mile each = 2 real miles between the school and the park.
3. Which part of a map would you use to find out what a small tent symbol means?
A) The compass rose
B) The map title
C) The map key
D) The map scale
Symbols like tiny tents are listed in the map key with their meanings next to them, so the key is the only part that explains what the tent stands for.
4. A map shows the store is south of the school. You are at the school. Which way do you walk to reach the store?
A) North
B) East
C) South
D) West
If the store lies south of where you are standing, then walking south will take you straight down the map toward the store.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A map scale uses a small bar to show real distance.
The small bar on the scale acts like a ruler that turns tiny map inches into real distance, such as miles or kilometers, in the real world.
2. On a map, places that are close together in real life look close.
A map shrinks the real world but keeps the spacing right, so two neighbors that live near each other in real life also look close on the map.
3. A map that shows the whole world is called a world map.
The name matches what it shows: a world map displays every continent and ocean on Earth, all flattened onto one page.
4. Every good map should have a title, a key, and a compass rose.
A title names the place, a key explains the symbols, and a compass rose shows directions, so these three parts together make the map useful.
5. If the map scale says one inch equals five miles, two inches equals ten miles.
You multiply to find the real distance: 2 inches × 5 miles per inch = 10 miles, so two inches on this map stands for ten real miles.