New
New
Showing height and relief on OS maps
I can use contour lines on OS maps to describe the height and shape of the land.
Lesson 7 of 12
New
New
- Year 7
Showing height and relief on OS maps
I can use contour lines on OS maps to describe the height and shape of the land.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Contours show the height of the land on a map.
- Spot heights give the exact height of a place in metres.
- Contours that are far apart show an area of flat land.
- Contours that are close together show steep land.
- Features such as spurs and valleys can be shown on a map.
Keywords
Sea level - The average level of the world’s oceans, which we use as a baseline to measure the height of the land.
Contours - Lines on an OS map that show areas of equal height.
Spur - Elongated ridges that extend downwards from a hill or mountain.
Valleys - Lower-lying areas of land between two higher areas of land.
Common misconception
Contours are only used to show hills and mountains.
Contours are used to show the height of the land at 10 metre intervals above sea level.
Use local area maps to do some of the exercise in the lesson so that pupils can visual the landscape and find out more about their local area.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Local area maps if using the teacher tip.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each category of geography to what it studies.
Match each category of geography to what it studies.
Q2.What does the 'OS' stand for when referring to OS maps?
What does the 'OS' stand for when referring to OS maps?
Q3.The scale of a map refers to ...
The scale of a map refers to ...
the symbols that can be found on the map.
the system we use to find a place on a map.
Q4.A lake on a map is shown by ...
A lake on a map is shown by ...
the word 'lake'.
a symbol showing a green area.
Q5.If a map scale is 1:25 000, then 1 centimetre on the map will equate to ...
If a map scale is 1:25 000, then 1 centimetre on the map will equate to ...
1 centimetre on the ground.
25 000 metres on the ground.
25 000 kilometres on the ground.
Q6.Put these map scales in order, from small scale to large scale.
Put these map scales in order, from small scale to large scale.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Contours on a map show areas of equal .
Contours on a map show areas of equal .
Q2.Spot heights ...
Spot heights ...
are always found at the top of hills and mountains.
give a grid reference of where a place is.
Q3.A ring contour is likely to be found ...
A ring contour is likely to be found ...
near to the sea.
far from the sea.
at the bottom of a hill.
Q4.What is meant by the relief of the land?
What is meant by the relief of the land?
the human features of the land
the height of the land
the size of the land
Q5.On a map, steep land is shown by contours that are together.
On a map, steep land is shown by contours that are together.
Q6.On a map, a river valley is shown by ...
On a map, a river valley is shown by ...
contours that are close together.
contours that are far apart.
v-shaped contours that point uphill.
