English:Compass Directions and Grid References
Compass Directions and Grid References
Introduction
Maps can help you answer two important questions: Which way should I go? and Where exactly is that place? In this aiMOOC, you will learn to use compass directions to describe movement and grid references to find places on a map. These are useful skills for geography lessons, treasure hunts, walks, orienteering, and everyday map reading.
A compass rose is a map symbol that shows directions. The four main, or cardinal, directions are north, east, south, and west. The directions halfway between them are northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest.
What You Will Learn
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Name and use compass directions: Use north, east, south, west, and the four directions between them.
- Read a compass rose: Work out where places are in relation to one another.
- Read grid references: Use eastings first and northings second.
- Combine map skills: Follow and write routes using both directions and grid references.
- Apply the skills outdoors: Use simple navigation tasks safely with a teacher or responsible adult.
Compass Directions
Cardinal and Intercardinal Directions
The four cardinal directions are north, east, south, and west. On a map where north is at the top, east is to the right, south is at the bottom, and west is to the left. Always check the map's north arrow or compass rose instead of assuming that north is at the top.
The four intercardinal directions sit between the cardinal directions:
- Northeast: Between north and east.
- Southeast: Between south and east.
- Southwest: Between south and west.
- Northwest: Between north and west.
A useful way to think about directions is to imagine standing in the middle of a compass rose. If you face north, east is on your right, west is on your left, and south is behind you. If you turn, your personal left and right change, but the compass directions stay fixed.
Using a Real Compass
A magnetic compass has a needle that lines up roughly north-south because it responds to Earth's magnetic field. A simple baseplate compass also has a rotating dial marked with directions and degrees. For this course, focus first on finding north and matching the compass to your map.
When you use a compass outdoors, hold it flat and keep it away from large metal objects or devices that may disturb the needle. Turn yourself, not just the compass, until you know which way north lies. Then you can work out the other directions.
The next video introduces a compass bearing. Bearings use degrees and are an extension of the direction skills in this course.
Describing Position and Movement
Directions can describe position. For example, if the library is north of the playground, the playground is south of the library. Directions can also describe movement. A route might say, "Walk east to the path, then turn north at the gate."
Good route instructions use a clear starting point, compass directions, and recognizable landmarks. They should be tested by another person because a direction that seems obvious to the writer may not be obvious to the reader.
Grid References
What Is a Map Grid?
A grid is a pattern of lines that divides a map into squares. A grid helps you describe where a feature is without writing a long sentence such as "near the tree beside the river." Different maps can use different kinds of grids, so always check the labels and key.
On Ordnance Survey maps of Great Britain, the vertical grid lines are called eastings because their numbers increase as you move east. The horizontal grid lines are called northings because their numbers increase as you move north. When you give a numerical grid reference, read the easting before the northing. A popular memory phrase is right, then up.
This United States National Grid diagram also shows the idea of reading across to the right before reading up. The exact letters and numbers used by national grid systems can differ, but the ordered-pair idea is the same: one part gives the horizontal position and the other gives the vertical position.
Four-Figure Grid References
A four-figure grid reference identifies a grid square. On an Ordnance Survey map, start at the lower-left corner of the square you want.
- Read the two-digit easting on the vertical line at the left of the square.
- Read the two-digit northing on the horizontal line at the bottom of the square.
- Put the easting first and the northing second.
For example, if the lower-left corner of a square is at easting 23 and northing 41, the four-figure grid reference is 2341. This reference names the whole square, not one exact point inside it.
This image shows how a national grid can organize a large area into labelled sections. In school exercises, you may work with a much smaller practice grid, but the purpose is similar: a short reference helps you find the correct area.
Six-Figure Grid References: Challenge Level
A six-figure grid reference gives a more precise location inside a grid square. First find the correct four-figure square. Then imagine that the square is divided into ten equal parts across and ten equal parts up. Add one extra digit to the easting and one extra digit to the northing.
On an Ordnance Survey map with one-kilometre grid squares, a six-figure reference can identify a 100-metre by 100-metre area. The order is still the same: easting first, northing second.
For Grades 5–6, being secure with four-figure references is the main goal. Six-figure references are a useful challenge when you are ready for greater precision.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
A common mistake is reading the northing before the easting. Use right, then up to remember the correct order. Another mistake is choosing the lines on the top or right of a square for a four-figure reference. Use the lines that meet at the lower-left corner of the square.
A third mistake is thinking that every map uses the same grid system. Some classroom maps use letters and numbers such as a simple row-and-column grid. Others use numbered eastings and northings. Read the map key and labels before you begin.
Putting Directions and Grid References Together
Compass directions and grid references answer different but connected questions. A grid reference tells you where a place is. A compass direction tells you which way to travel or where one feature lies compared with another.
Imagine a treasure map. The clue "Go to grid square 2341" gets you to the correct square. The next clue, "Walk northeast from the bridge to the large tree," helps you move within the area. Using both skills makes instructions clearer.
A Simple Navigation Routine
When you solve a map task, use this routine:
- Orient the map by finding its north arrow or compass rose.
- Find the starting place and its grid reference.
- Read the easting before the northing.
- Look for useful landmarks between the start and destination.
- Describe each part of the route with a compass direction.
- Check that your directions still make sense when another person follows them.
An orienteering map is designed for navigation. Orienteering combines map reading, route choice, and movement between marked points. In school, you can practise the same ideas on a simple map of the classroom, playground, or school grounds.
Safety When Practising Outdoors
Use outdoor map activities only in an area approved by your teacher or responsible adult. Stay with your group, follow school rules, avoid roads or unsafe ground, and do not enter private property. A map and compass are learning tools; safe decisions and adult instructions always come first.
Interactive Tasks
Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Which set contains the four cardinal directions? (North east south west) (!North northeast east southeast) (!Left right forward backward) (!Up down left right)
Which direction is opposite north? (South) (!East) (!West) (!Northeast)
Which direction lies between north and east? (Northeast) (!Northwest) (!Southeast) (!Southwest)
What should you read first in a four figure grid reference? (Easting) (!Northing) (!Compass bearing) (!Map title)
Which memory phrase gives the usual order for reading a numbered grid? (Right then up) (!Up then right) (!Left then down) (!Down then left)
What does a four figure grid reference identify? (A grid square) (!An exact compass bearing) (!A country name) (!A map scale)
On an Ordnance Survey map what are the vertical numbered grid lines called? (Eastings) (!Northings) (!Bearings) (!Contours)
On an Ordnance Survey map what are the horizontal numbered grid lines called? (Northings) (!Eastings) (!Symbols) (!Routes)
If the easting is 23 and the northing is 41 what is the four figure grid reference? (2341) (!4123) (!2314) (!4132)
Which type of grid reference gives a more precise location inside a square? (Six figure reference) (!Four figure reference) (!Compass rose) (!North arrow)
Memory Game
| Cardinal direction | One of the four main compass directions |
| Intercardinal direction | A direction halfway between two main compass directions |
| Compass rose | A map symbol that shows directions |
| Easting | A vertical grid line label read before a northing |
| Northing | A horizontal grid line label read after an easting |
| Grid reference | A short code used to locate an area on a map |
Drag and Drop
| Match the correct terms. | Topic |
|---|---|
| North | Opposite of south |
| Northeast | Between north and east |
| Easting | Vertical grid line label |
| Northing | Horizontal grid line label |
| Right then up | Order for reading a numbered grid reference |
...
Crossword Puzzle
| Compass | What tool can help you find north? |
| North | Which direction is opposite south? |
| Easting | What is the vertical grid line label called on an Ordnance Survey map? |
| Northing | What is the horizontal grid line label called on an Ordnance Survey map? |
| Square | What shape is formed by many simple map grids? |
| Reference | What word completes the phrase grid reference? |
LearningApps
Cloze Text
Open-Ended Tasks
Easy
- Compass Rose Poster: Draw a clear compass rose with the four cardinal and four intercardinal directions, then add two imaginary landmarks and write where one is in relation to the other.
- Human Compass: With teacher permission, label the four sides of a classroom or playground as north, east, south, and west, then give a partner three direction instructions to follow.
- Mini Grid Map: Draw a simple square grid of an imaginary park, add at least five features, label the grid clearly, and write grid references for the features.
- Direction Story: Write a short adventure in which a character follows at least six compass-direction instructions to reach a goal.
Standard
- Treasure Grid Challenge: Create a numbered grid treasure map with eastings and northings, hide six objects on it, and make an answer key with four-figure grid references.
- Navigation Interview: Interview an adult about a safe situation in which they use maps, compasses, or digital navigation, then summarize which direction and location skills they use without recording private information.
- School Grounds Route: With teacher supervision, plan a short route around an approved part of the school grounds and record each stop with a grid reference plus a compass direction from the previous stop.
- Map Skills Video: Produce a short video that teaches the phrase right then up and demonstrates how to read one four-figure grid reference on a map you created.
Advanced
- Precision Investigation: Mark several points inside one grid square and compare how a four-figure reference and a six-figure reference describe each point, then explain which method is more precise and why.
- Orienteering Course Design: Design a safe mini-orienteering course for your class using an approved area, a map, control points, compass directions, and grid references, then ask another group to test it.
- Local Map Fieldwork: With an adult, visit a safe local place shown on a map, compare mapped features with what is actually there, and record any useful landmarks with directions and grid positions.
- Navigation Challenge: Create two possible routes between the same start and finish, label key grid references and compass directions, then argue which route is clearer, safer, or more efficient.
Learning Assessment
- Route Reasoning: Given a start and finish on a grid map, write a route using at least two compass directions and explain how the grid references prove that you reached the intended destination.
- Grid Error Detective: Analyse a worked example in which eastings and northings were reversed, identify the error, correct the reference, and explain a memory strategy that would prevent the mistake.
- Map Comparison: Compare a simple letter-number classroom grid with a numbered easting-northing grid and explain one similarity, one difference, and a situation in which each could be useful.
- Precision Choice: Decide whether a four-figure or six-figure reference is more suitable for locating a large park area and for locating a small meeting point, then justify both choices.
- Direction Transfer: Use a map of an unfamiliar imaginary town to describe the position of three places relative to one another and write a route that another learner could follow.
- Navigation Reflection: Evaluate a route made by a classmate by checking direction order, grid-reference order, landmarks, clarity, and safety, then suggest two specific improvements.
Evidence of Learning
Knowledge: You can name the cardinal and intercardinal directions, explain what a compass rose shows, and describe the purpose of a map grid.
Skills: You can orient a simple map, read eastings before northings, find four-figure grid references, attempt six-figure references, and describe routes using compass directions.
Products: Your work may include a compass-rose poster, a labelled grid map, a treasure hunt, a route description, a short teaching video, or an orienteering plan.
Transfer: You can apply the same ideas to a new map, explain why one reference is more precise than another, spot common navigation errors, and choose safe, clear directions for a real or imaginary route.
OERs on the Topic
For more practice and reliable explanations, explore Ordnance Survey Mapzone: Compasses and Directions, Ordnance Survey Mapzone: Grid References, and the Ordnance Survey Grid References Quiz.
Linked Learning Areas
Compass directions and grid references connect geography with mathematics, physical education, outdoor learning, and digital mapping. You use spatial language, ordered information, problem solving, and careful observation in all of these areas.