Map and Compass Together
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What you will learn
- 1Name the parts of a baseplate compass used with a map
- 2Set the map so it matches the land around you
- 3Take a bearing from the map with a compass
- 4Walk on a bearing using a landmark ahead
- 5Explain why you check back often as you walk
Mini Lesson
In Grade 4 you learned how a compass works. Now you use a map and a compass together, which is how real navigators find their way. The map shows where you want to go, and the compass keeps you heading the right way. With a grown-up, you will learn to set the map, take a bearing and walk on it.
🌿 The Wild Way (the parts you use)
- BASEPLATE: the clear, flat plate with straight edges that you lay on the map.
- DIRECTION-OF-TRAVEL ARROW: the arrow on the baseplate that points the way you will walk.
- ROTATING DIAL (BEZEL): the ring with the degree numbers that you turn by hand.
- ORIENTING ARROW AND LINES: the arrow and lines inside the dial that you line up with north on the map.
- MAGNETIC NEEDLE: the needle that swings to point north. Its red end points north.
🌿 The Wild Way (set the map, take a bearing, walk it)
- SET THE MAP: lay the compass on the map and turn the map until its north lines point the same way as the needle. Now the map matches the land.
- TAKE A BEARING: lay the baseplate edge from where you are to where you want to go, with the direction arrow pointing to the goal. Turn the dial until its lines match the map’s north lines.
- FOLLOW IT: lift the compass off the map, hold it flat and turn your whole body until the red needle sits inside the orienting arrow.
- PICK A LANDMARK: look along the direction arrow, choose a tree or rock ahead, and walk to it.
- CHECK BACK OFTEN: at each landmark, check the compass and pick the next one. Small mistakes grow if you don’t check.
- TWO NORTHS: in many places, compass north and map north are slightly different. Your grown-up shows you how to adjust for it where you live.
Practice map and compass skills only with your grown-up, in a place you know first, like a park or a short marked trail. Never use a bearing to leave the trail on your own. Your grown-up decides the route, and you stay together the whole time.
Words to know
bearing
A direction measured in degrees on a compass.
e.g. We walked on a bearing of 90 degrees, toward the east.
baseplate
The clear, flat plate of a compass that you lay on a map.
e.g. I lined up the edge of the baseplate with the trail.
bezel
The rotating dial with degree numbers on a compass.
e.g. Turn the bezel until the lines match the map.
orient
To turn a map so it matches the land around you.
e.g. We oriented the map before choosing a path.
landmark
An easy-to-see object you walk toward, like a big tree or rock.
e.g. The tall pine was our next landmark.
north
The direction toward the North Pole. The red end of the compass needle points close to it.
e.g. The map’s north lines point to the top of the page.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: "Red in the shed." Turn your body until the red end of the needle sits inside the orienting arrow (the shed). Then the direction arrow points along your bearing.
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