Review the cardinal directions North, South, East, and West. Look at the map and locate each cardinal direction on the map and become familiar with the direction. North is at the top of the map. South is at the bottom of the map. East is to the right and West is to the left on the map.
Find the legend. A legend may also be referred to as a map key. The map key may have dots, triangles, dashed lines, and other symbols to represent an object on the map. For example, a dashed line may represent a highway. Always refer to the legend to determine the object on the map. Locate the symbols and detetmine the meaning.
Review the map scale. The scale will assist you in understanding distance on the map. For example, an inch equals one mile. Use a ruler to see how far away you are from the destination. Place the ruler under the scale to determine the measurement of a mile. Begin at your starting point and move the ruler across the map until you reach your destination point. This will allow you to estimate distance.
Look at the colors on the map. A map may have different colors representing different aspects of the land. White often means barren land, blue may mean water, and green means a forest. When reading directions, observe if you will enter into any of these areas to assist in understanding your surroundings.
Look at the lines on the map. Longitude and Latitude are lines, imaginary, wrapped around the earth to represent a specific location. This location can be identified by using two number, Longitude and Latitude. For example, the Walt Disney World Airport has a Longitude of 82° 26' 18" W and a Latitude of 28° 24' 1" N. Most places can be found using Longitude and Latitude but it is not usually necessary to find a common place such as a restaurant or movie theatre.
