Maps and Diagrams
ICSE Class 6 · Geography · Chapter 1
What this chapter covers
- Map, sketch, plan and globe
- Importance of maps
- Types of maps by scale
- Diagrams of a river
- Diagrams of folds and block mountains
Key points
- A globe is a round model of the Earth that shows its true shape but is hard to carry.
- A map is a flat drawing of the Earth or a part of it, made to a fixed scale.
- A sketch is drawn without an exact scale; a plan shows a small area to an exact scale, seen from above.
- Maps are easy to carry, show great detail, and help in travel, planning and rescue work.
- The scale of a map links a distance on the map to the real distance on the ground.
- A large scale map shows a small area in great detail; a small scale map shows a large area with little detail.
- A river begins at its source, follows its course and ends at its mouth.
- A meander is a loop in a river; a tributary joins a river; a distributary leaves it near the sea.
- A delta is triangle-shaped land built from silt at a river's mouth.
- An anticline is an upward fold, a syncline is a downward fold, and a block mountain rises between faults.
Questions answered
Name a model of the Earth that shows its true shape.
A globe.
Give two reasons why a map is often more useful than a globe.
A map can show the whole world at once, and it can be folded and carried easily. It can also show much more detail, such as the roads of a city.
Ishita draws the route from her house to the market without measuring anything. Is her drawing a map, a sketch or a plan?
A sketch, because it is drawn without an exact scale.
Which drawing shows a small area, such as a classroom, to an exact scale as seen from above?
A plan.
A map of the world and a map of your village are on your desk. Which is the large scale map?
The map of your village, because it shows a small area in great detail.
What is the difference between a tributary and a distributary?
A tributary flows into a main river and adds water to it. A distributary is a branch that leaves the main river and flows separately to the sea.
Where does a delta form, and what is it made of?
A delta forms at the mouth of a river. It is made of silt, the sand and mud the river drops when it slows down at the sea.
Name the upward fold and the downward fold in layers of rock.
The upward, arch-shaped fold is an anticline. The downward, bowl-shaped fold is a syncline.