Plan a Route on a Map
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What you will learn
- 1Find the start, finish and features of a route using the map key
- 2Measure trail distance with the scale bar
- 3Read contour lines to spot steep ground
- 4Choose checkpoints and a bail-out route
- 5Estimate how long a route will take with a grown-up
Mini Lesson
Before a hike, your grown-up looks at a map to choose the best way to go. In this lesson you help plan that route. You will use the map key, the scale bar and the contour lines to pick a safe path. The route you choose then goes onto your route card, just like you learned in Grade 4.
🌿 The Wild Way (read the map, choose the route)
- START AND FINISH: mark where you begin and where you end. They may be the same place on a loop.
- THE MAP KEY: the key shows what each symbol means, like trails, streams, bridges, forest and shelters.
- THE SCALE BAR: use it to measure distance. If 1 cm on the map is 1 km on the ground, a 4 cm trail is about 4 km.
- CONTOUR LINES: these thin lines join places of the same height. Lines close together mean steep ground; lines far apart mean gentle ground.
- CHECKPOINTS: pick easy-to-spot places along the way, like a bridge, a trail junction or a lake.
- A BAIL-OUT ROUTE: plan a shorter way back in case the weather turns or someone gets tired.
🌿 The Wild Way (estimate the time)
- ADD UP THE DISTANCE: measure each part of the route with the scale and add the parts together.
- ADD TIME FOR HILLS: climbing steep ground is much slower than walking on flat ground.
- ADD BREAKS: count in time for snacks, water and rest stops.
- PLAN SLOWER THAN YOU THINK: your grown-up helps you make a safe estimate for your group.
- CHECK THE DAYLIGHT: make sure you will be back well before dark.
You always plan and walk a route with your grown-up, and the grown-up makes the final choice. A map can be out of date - trails close and bridges wash away - so check the plan together before you go and follow your grown-up on the day.
Words to know
route
The way you plan to go from start to finish.
e.g. We chose a route that follows the river.
map key
The box that explains what each map symbol means.
e.g. The map key showed that the green dashes were a trail.
scale bar
A line on a map that shows how map distance matches real distance.
e.g. We used the scale bar to measure the trail.
contour lines
Lines on a map that join places of the same height.
e.g. The contour lines were close together, so the hill was steep.
checkpoint
An easy-to-spot place on a route where you check your progress.
e.g. The wooden bridge was our first checkpoint.
bail-out route
A shorter, safer way back if you need to stop early.
e.g. When the rain started, we took the bail-out route.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: lay a piece of string along a curvy trail on the map, then straighten it against the scale bar. It measures the bends much better than a straight ruler.
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