1. Map Reading

2. The National Grid
The sub zone letters helps us to know which part of Ireland the map extract is from.

3. Grid References Give the sub zone letter first
Give the reading for the Easting's. These are the numbers across the bottom.
Give the readings for the northings these are numbers up the side.

4. How to Calculate Area
Count the number of grid squares along the bottom of the map.
Count the number of grid squares along the side of the map.
Multiply the two totals. Your answer is in Square Kilometres as each square is one square Km
On some maps you may have to measure along the bottom and up the side where there is not a regular amount of grid squares

5. Finding the area of Water
Count the number of All sea boxes
Count the number of boxes with more than 50% sea area
Ignore the ones that have less than 50% sea in them
Add your totals from 1 and 2 and you have the answer

6. There are two types of Distances.
Measuring Distance
There are two types of Distances.
Straight line distance between two points. (As the crow flies)
Curved distance. e.g. a road or river.

7. Scale Scale is represented in three ways A Statement of Scale 2cm=1Km
A line with Kms marked on it
Representative Fraction 1:50 000
One centimetre on the map equals 50,000 on the ground

8. Straight Line Distance
To measure this distance, place the edge of a piece of paper on the two points and mark the paper.
Now place the paper’s edge on the linear scale and read off the distance.

9. Curved Line distance
To measure a curved distance we again use the edge of the paper.
We break the curved distance into a series of straight lines marking each straight line section on the papers edge by turning the paper.
Now place this on the linear scale and read of the distance.

10. Sketch Maps
Draw the frame – it must be the same shape as the map but can be a different size
Only mark in what you are asked for
Give the map a title
Mark in the North symbol ^N
Make a Key to show what the things you mark on the map are

11. Direction
Directions are given by the compass points

12. Settlement
There are three types of settlement
Ancient
Rural
Urban

13. Ancient Settlement
This is shown by the use of Red lettering or by Symbols
Other terms indicating Ancient settlement include Fort; Rath; Cashel- All circular stone forts and sites of Ancient dwelling places.
Megalithic tomb, dolmen – Stone age Tombs.

14. Rural Settlement
Linear – Dwellings arranged in a straight line. For example houses in a line along a road.
Nucleated – Settlement that is arranged in bunches or groups of dwellings. Sometimes referred to “clustered”
Dispersed – Dwellings that are scattered over an area with no obvious pattern

15. Urban Settlement (Towns and Cities)
To describe the location of a town you should refer to its:
Relief- Its altitude (how high is the town)
Drainage – It’s the town near a river.
Communication – The type and number of roads also any other types of communication e.g. – Canal, Rail, River.

16. Height Height is represented on the map in three ways:
Colour – Green areas are lowland and sandy coloured areas are high land.
Spot Heights – Heights of the highest peaks are marked as spot heights or trigonometrical points.
Contour lines - A contour line is a line joining all places of the same height. Contour lines show the height shape and slope of an area.

17. Drainage How to describe a River To describe a River you should state
The Name of the river.
Where it rises (or enters the map extract)
Where it enters the sea or lake. (or leaves the map extract)
Its direction of flow.
How many tributaries it has( wither it has many or few)
If possible name some features formed by the river e.g..Meander, or bow lake etc.
Whether the river is eroding or depositing.

18. Patterns Of Drainage Recognise the following patterns of drainage.
Dendritic Radial Trellis

19. Human Geography On Maps
Communication.
Settlement.
Land use.

20. Communication The main types of communication are 1 - Roads
2 - Railways
3 - Canals
Roads are the most important.
Blue – Motorway
Green – National Primary roads
Green/White – National Secondary Roads
Orange – Regional Roads
Yellow – Third Class roads

21. How to describe roads in a Region
To do this you should answer the following questions:
1 - Are there many Roads. Why?
2 - Are the roads national, primary or secondary.
3 - Are they straight or winding.
You should explain your answer with Reference to
Relief
Roads will avoid mountains. Often they will run along river valleys
Drainage
Roads avoid floodplains lakes and marshes.

22. Function What Services are provided in the town. E.g. Defence - Castle
Port – Built on the sea
Health – Hospital
Education - School

23. Physical Geography in Map Reading
1- Relief 2-Drainage
1 Relief
This means the shape of the land.
Maps can have all or some of the following:
(A) Coast (B) Lowland (C)Upland/Highland

24. How to describe Relief (A) Coast Where is ton the map?
In what direction does it run?
Is it an upland or lowland coast?
Identifity with grid reference and erosional or depositional features eg- Beach which are evident.

25. (B) Lowland – upland – Highland
Say where it is on the map.
Its area – is it small or large?
Its approximate height.
What has shaped the region e.g. Rivers, Glacial.
Identify features .e.g. Meanders ,flood plains ,v shaped Valleys using grid References.