Texas TEKS 4.20.A

Social Studies4th GradeSocial studies skills

The Standard

apply mapping elements, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to create and interpret maps

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use grid coordinates to locate places and use a legend to identify map symbols. They determine direction with a compass rose, measure distance with a scale, and create maps using these features.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can read an unfamiliar map and accurately describe a location, direction, and distance. The student can also make a clear map with a consistent grid, symbols, legend, scale, and compass rose.
Common Misconceptions: Students may reverse grid coordinates or confuse rows with columns. They may guess what symbols mean instead of checking the legend. They may assume the top is always north or measure distance without using the scale.
How to Assess It: Give students a small town map and ask: “What is at B4, how far is it from the school, and which direction is it?” Then have them add one new landmark and update the legend.

Lesson moves

Have students draw the classroom on grid paper, then add a compass rose, scale, symbols, and legend.
Ask students to explain in writing how a visitor could find the library using coordinates, direction, symbols, and distance.
Play a grid treasure game where partners follow coordinate, direction, and distance clues to locate hidden landmarks.
Use a local park map to plan a route, identify landmarks, name travel directions, and calculate the total distance.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 4.20.A, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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