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Pupils can point at Hong Kong on a map but freeze when a scale appears, and cannot answer how long a road really is. This lesson turns compass, grid and scale into a routine they can follow.
Objectives — Pupils can: (1) describe where two places are on a map using the eight compass points; (2) give an exact grid reference with the letter first and the number second; (3) convert a map distance into a real distance using the scale (1:20,000 means 1 cm is 200 m); (4) state that country parks cover about four tenths of Hong Kong land and use area and population to work out density.
01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)
If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.
| Skill | Quick check | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplication and decimals | What is 3 times 200? | 600 |
| Basic direction | Which side does the sun rise on? | The east |
| Units of area | How many square metres are in one square kilometre? | One million |
02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)
| Time | Stage | Tutor does | Student does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 min | Two opening questions | Hold up a Hong Kong map and ask which way to walk to the sea, and how long that road really is; write answers on the board | Give an estimate and say why the map alone cannot answer the length |
| 5-14 min | Eight compass points | Draw a cross and diagonals, name the four main and four in-between points, each 45 degrees apart | Say that north-east sits between north and east and point to all four in-between points |
| 14-22 min | Grid references | Model reading the letter along the bottom first, then the number up the side; find three places together | Write two grid references with the letter first, never reversed |
| 22-30 min | Map symbols | Read the legend one by one: blue line for a river, green for country park, solid red for a main road, dashed for a footpath | Name three symbols and find one example of each |
| 30-38 min | Scale conversion | Write 1:20,000, show 1 cm represents 20,000 cm or 200 m, measure 4.5 cm to get 900 m, then compare with 1:5,000 | Convert one distance and explain why a larger scale number means a smaller map |
| 38-45 min | Land use and exit check | Country parks cover about 443 square kilometres, four tenths of 1,110; divide 7.5 million people by 1,110 to get about 6,757 per square kilometre | Explain why Hong Kong is crowded and give one example of competing land uses |
03 Teaching script (read it out)
Scene 1: Compass points are the shared language of position
Saying a place is behind the school fails the moment the listener faces another way. Maps fix direction: north at the top, south at the bottom, west left, east right, plus the four in-between points. Eight points are 45 degrees apart because 360 divided by 8 is 45. The precise form is direction plus distance: 900 metres north-east of the school beats behind the school every time.
Pupils restate: north is up, eight points at 45 degrees, and position needs a direction plus a distance.
Scene 2: A grid reference is the map postcode
The letters and numbers around the edge cut the map into squares, each with one reference, like a postcode. Always read the letter along the bottom first, then the number up the side, so B3 and 3B are different places. Each square is usually 2 cm wide, which on a 1:20,000 map is 400 m, so one square covers 400 m by 400 m, or 0.16 square kilometres. With a reference you can say the reservoir sits in C5 and everyone finds it.
Pupils restate: letter first, number second, and one 2 cm square is 400 m across at 1:20,000.
Scene 3: Scale is the zoom factor
At 1:20,000, one centimetre on paper stands for 20,000 cm on the ground, which is 200 m. So 4.5 cm measured on the map is 4.5 times 200, or 900 m. At 1:5,000 one centimetre stands for only 50 m, so the same 900 m road is drawn 18 cm long: easier to read, but covering less ground. That is why a larger scale number means a smaller-scale map. Hong Kong has about 1,110 square kilometres of land and about 443 of them are country parks, four tenths, leaving the rest for homes, roads, farms and terminals.
Pupils restate: 1 cm is 200 m at 1:20,000, a bigger scale number shows less detail, and country parks take about four tenths of the land.
04 Question types and worked steps
| Type | Example | Steps | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Give a direction | Ming walks 400 m east from A, then 400 m north. Which direction is he from A? | (1) east then north combines into north-east; (2) equal legs mean 45 degrees; (3) state the answer | North-east, about 566 m from A |
| Write a grid reference | A reservoir spans letters C and D and numbers 4 and 5. How do you record it? | (1) read the letter first; (2) then the number; (3) note that it covers four squares | C4, C5, D4 and D5: four squares, not one |
| Convert a scale | On a 1:20,000 map two points are 6 cm apart. What is the real distance? | (1) 1 cm is 200 m; (2) multiply 6 by 200; (3) convert to kilometres | 1,200 m, which is 1.2 km |
| Compare scales | The same road appears on a 1:5,000 and a 1:20,000 map. Which drawing is longer? | (1) at 1:5,000, 1 cm is only 50 m; (2) the same road needs more centimetres; (3) conclude | The 1:5,000 drawing is four times longer because its scale is larger |
Sanity check (teach this): Check the answer: a converted real distance must always be far larger than the measured centimetres, so 4.5 metres means the multiplication was skipped; units must match, so divide by 100 when changing centimetres to metres; a bigger scale number always means a shorter drawing of the same road; and two opposite directions never combine into an in-between point, since east plus north gives north-east, not south-east.
05 Independent practice (3 questions)
| Question | Answer | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| On a 1:5,000 map the walk from pier to park measures 7 cm. How far is it? | 7 times 50, which is 350 m | Whether 50 was used rather than 200, since the scale is 1:5,000 |
| On a 1:20,000 map one grid square is 2 cm across. What is its real area? | 400 m by 400 m is 160,000 square metres, or 0.16 square kilometres | Whether the length was converted before squaring, not the centimetres squared directly |
| Hong Kong has about 1,110 square kilometres of land and 7.5 million people. What is the density? | 7.5 million divided by 1,110 is about 6,757 people per square kilometre | Whether both units were aligned and the magnitude is sensible (thousands, not tens) |
06 Common mistakes and what to say
| Mistake | Student writes | Say this |
|---|---|---|
| Reversing the grid reference | Square 3B | Always the letter then the number: 3B and B3 are different places and the reader will go to the wrong one. |
| Forgetting to multiply by the scale | It is 4.5 cm on the map, so 4.5 m in real life | At 1:20,000 each centimetre is 200 m, so 4.5 times 200 is 900 m; never copy the map number across. |
| Thinking a bigger scale number means a bigger map | 1:20,000 is more detailed than 1:5,000 | A bigger number means less magnification, so 1:20,000 shows a wider area in less detail; 1:5,000 is the detailed one. |
| Describing position as left or right | It is on the left of the school | Use compass points: clockwise from north, east is 90 degrees, south 180 and west 270; left and right change with the viewer. |
07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)
- Primary 3 General Studies Paper, Part B People and Environment, Question 5 — Part B question 5 on community facilities; afterwards ask the pupil to describe the facility with the eight compass points
- Primary 3 General Studies Paper, Part B People and Environment, Question 7 — Part B question 7 on public facilities, used to discuss how land is shared between country parks and the city
- Primary General Studies chapter index — Follow the People and Environment section into Hong Kong weather and hazards to complete the picture of the natural environment
08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)
| Question | Answer | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| At 1:20,000, what real distance does 1 cm represent? | 200 m | If they say 20 m, redo the two-step centimetre to metre conversion |
| In the grid reference B3, which part is read first? | The letter B, then the number 3 | If reversed, write three more references and have the pupil order them |
| Roughly what share of Hong Kong land is country park? | About four tenths, 443 square kilometres | If unsure, show 443 divided by 1,110 |
09 Tutor FAQ
Which year is this for?
Written for Primary 3; Primary 2 can stop at the four compass points and symbols, leaving scale conversion for later.
Do we need real maps?
Yes: one 1:20,000 rural sheet and one 1:5,000 urban sheet, so pupils measure the same road twice and feel the difference.
Is there a matching paper?
The Primary 3 General Studies paper has People and Environment questions; the homework rows give the exact part and question numbers.
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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.