Alabama Social Studies SS24.3.1c

Social Studies3rd GradeGeography

The Standard

SS24.3.1: Locate map features, using geographic terminology to describe them.

Use the map scale to calculate the distance between two locations.

2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students measure the space between two places on a map with a ruler. They use the map scale to turn that measurement into a real distance.
What Mastery Looks Like: On a map where 1 inch represents 5 miles, a student measures a 3-inch gap and reports 15 miles. They can explain how they used the scale.
Common Misconceptions: Students may report the ruler reading as the real distance, saying 3 inches instead of 15 miles. Others use the scale only once, no matter how many inches they measure.
How to Assess It: Give students a map where 1 inch represents 5 miles and two towns are 3 inches apart. Ask, “How far apart are the towns? Show how you know.”

Lesson moves

Give pairs a printed map scaled 1 inch = 5 miles; have them measure two marked towns with a ruler and write the distance.
Ask, “If 1 inch means 5 miles, why are two towns 2 inches apart on the map 10 miles apart?”
Give bingo cards labeled 5, 10, and 15 miles; call out 1-, 2-, or 3-inch gaps on a 1 inch = 5 miles map.
Use a local map and its scale to estimate the straight-line distance from school to the library before planning a field trip.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.3.1c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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