Earth's Surface and Maps
Aligned to 2-ESS2 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Earth's surface has many shapes — mountains, rivers, plains — and we can represent these places using maps and models.
Worked examples
Example 1
A map of a park uses symbols: blue for the pond, green for grass, and lines for paths, showing where things are.
Example 2
A globe shows that most of Earth is covered by ocean, with land in between.
Example 3
A map is smaller than the real place, so it uses a key to say what each symbol means. Without the key the colors are just colors.
Practice questions
- What might blue stand for on a map?
- Name a landform you've seen.
- Why are maps useful?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
La Superficie de la Tierra y los Mapas
La superficie de la Tierra tiene muchas formas — montañas, ríos, llanuras — y podemos representar estos lugares usando mapas y modelos.
Ejemplo 1: Un mapa de un parque usa símbolos: azul para el estanque, verde para el pasto y líneas para los caminos, mostrando dónde está cada cosa.
Ejemplo 2: Un globo terráqueo muestra que la mayor parte de la Tierra está cubierta por océano, con tierra entre medio.
Ejemplo 3: Un mapa es más chico que el lugar real, así que usa una clave para decir qué significa cada símbolo. Sin la clave, los colores son solo colores.
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