Thuma Mina Teaching

Accelerating access to quality education

Gr 8&9 Geography lesson 3

Basic mapwork: map skills (calculations)
 Lesson 1 - understanding maps
Geography Lesson 2 - reading a topographic maps
Lesson 3 - map skills (calculations)
Lesson 4 - map skills 2 (interpretation)
Lesson 5 - practical
Concepts covered in this lesson:
Scale
distance
Grade 8&9 geography Lesson 3 of 5
Area formula Basic mapwork: map skills (calculations)
- Rectangular
- Square
- irregular
directions
 TYPES of scale

● Linear scale

● Ratio scale

● Word scale
 DISTANCE
Importance things about distance:
● Related tightly with the scale
● We can know the distance in real life by knowing the scale and the
distance in the map
● Usually the scale is 0.5 on a topographic map

Formula to calculate the distance in real life:

Distance = Distance on the map x scale
 EXAMPLE 1
- Scale= 1:50.000 cm
(0.5 km)

- Distance on the map= 10 cm

- Distance on the real life=

10 x 0.5 = 5 km
 EXAMPLE 2
- Scale= 1: 27.000.000

- Distance on the map= 12.3 cm

- Distance on the real life =

Distance on map (12.3) X scale
(27.000.000 : 100.000) =
3.321 km
 Area formula
Importance things about area
formula:
● Usually presented in km²
● Convert each dimensions
from cm to km
● We will learn to calculate
in the form of rectangular,
square, and irregular area
 Area formula (rectangular)

Formula to calculate
rectangular area:
Area = length x breadth
 Area formula (square)

Formula to calculate square

area:
Area = side 1 x side 2
 Area formula (irregular)
Steps to calculate irregular area:
1. Draw in a 1x1 cm grid covering the whole shape
2. Add up the number of blocks that are completely filled in by the
shape
3. Add up the number of blocks that are partially filled in by the shape
and divide by 2
4. Add up these two numbers together
5. Multiply the total by the area of 1 cm square to get the area in km²
 Directions
Importance things about
direction:
● There are 16 points of a
compass
● Remember to think about it
clockwise
● N = North
E = East
S = South
W = West
 Connect with us:
E: admin@tmteaching.co.za

www.tmteaching.co.za
www.bit.ly/ThumaMinaTeaching
www.facebook.com/ThumaMinaTeaching

Please consider selecting us as your MySchool beneficiary. To do so, either:

1. Complete this short form and send it back to us at admin@tmteachig.co.za

🔗 MySchool form
2. Select us as your beneficiary on the www.myschool.co.za website