A scale bar marked 0, 1, 2 and 3 miles, where 1 inch equals 1 mile, anchors this 3rd grade map skills sheet. Part 1 shows roads between a house, a school, a store and a park, and five questions ask how far apart they are and which two places are closest. Part 2 shows three routes from the house to the store, through the school (2 + 3), the park (1 + 4) and a bridge (2 + 2), and asks students to add each one and name the shortest. Page 3 is the answer key with every sum.
“Use a map scale to find the distance between two places.”
Part 1 questions 1 to 4 use the 1 inch = 1 mile scale bar to read distances of 2, 3, 1 and 4 miles.
“Add the lengths of road along a route and compare the totals.”
Part 2 asks for three sums and then which route is shortest, with the bridge route at 4 miles against 5 for the other two.
A map with a scale bar and four places. Students find the distance from the house to the school, the school to the store, the house to the park and the park to the store, then name the two closest places.
A second map labels each road in miles. Students complete three addition sentences, 2 + 3, 1 + 4 and 2 + 2, and write which route is shortest and how long it is.
The four distances, the closest pair, the three totals (5, 5 and 4 miles) and the shortest route.
Bring rulers
Print at actual size and hand out rulers so students can check the first road against the scale bar. Once they trust it, the other three go quickly.
Talk about the tie
The school and park routes both come to 5 miles. Ask students whether the shortest route is always the one a driver would pick, and what else might matter.
Make a school map
Pair this with a hand-drawn map of the school grounds. Students choose a scale, mark two routes between the same places and compare their lengths.
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