6 Maps and Charts

Maps and Charts written by Julie Ellis

Maps are drawings of places, seen from above as if you were a bird. This is called a bird's-eye view. Many maps have a compass symbol to show north, south, east and west. Some maps have symbols to show things like rivers, airports, and parks. They have a key to tell you what the symbols mean. The symbols make the map easy to follow, so you won't get lost.

There are many different kinds of maps. Transit maps show us where trains or buses go. Because they are drawn in straight lines, they are easy to read. People can find out the best way to ride from one place to another. We can follow a road map when we travel a long way. Road maps show us the best roads to follow to get to another place. Street maps help us find our way from one part of a town or city to another. They show all the streets and schools and parks.

Maps of the ocean are called charts. They show where there are rocks, reefs, and lighthouses. There are numbers to show how deep the water is. The ship's captain uses charts to find a safe way for the ship to go without hitting any rocks. Charts are used for air travel, too. Pilots use charts to make safe flight plans. Air charts show cities and forests. They have numbers to show how high the mountains are. Pilots also look at weather maps to plan when to fly.

Weather maps show us which way the weather is going. They are made by people called meteorologists, who know a lot about different kinds of weather. New weather maps have to be made every day, because the weather keeps changing. Maps can show people when bad weather is coming, so that they can stay safe from storms and floods.

Early explorers used the stars to find their way. Later they wrote down the star patterns. These maps are called star charts. People who live in the Northern Hemisphere see different stars than people who live in the Southern Hemisphere do. That is why they use different star charts. On a star chart you can find the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper in the Northern Hemisphere, and the four bright stars of the Southern Cross in the Southern Hemisphere. Another name for a star chart is a sky map.