Understanding Map Scale
A Grade 4 social studies worksheet to help students understand and use map scales to measure distances.
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Understanding Map Scale
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Use the provided map scale to help you with the measurement questions.
A map scale helps us understand the real distance between places on a map. For example, if a map scale says 1 inch = 10 miles, it means every inch you measure on the map is actually 10 miles in the real world.
Look at the map scale below:
Imagine this ruler represents a map scale where 1 inch = 5 miles.
1. What does a map scale help you find?
The color of a country
The real distance between places
The name of the mapmaker
The direction of north
2. If a map scale says 1 cm = 100 km, how many kilometers does 3 cm on the map represent?
100 km
200 km
300 km
400 km
3. A map scale helps us understand the between two points on a map.
4. If a map scale reads 1 inch = 20 miles, then 2 inches on the map would equal miles in real life.
5. Explain in your own words why maps need a scale.
6. Imagine you are planning a trip. How would using a map scale help you?
7. A map scale makes places on a map look bigger than they are in real life.
True
False
8. All maps have the same scale.
True
False