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Maps and Locations – Class 5 Maths Chapter 14 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 5MathematicsChapter 14NCERT book: Maths Mela - Mathematics Class 5

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 14 of the NCERT Class 5 Mathematics book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 14: Maps and Locations

Introduction

A child visits the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan and sees the Siberian Crane, which flies all the way from cold Siberia to India. How do birds find their way? How do we find directions? The chapter starts with the poem “Four Little Chicks”, who fly from East to West, North to South, and then takes us on a bird-watching camp, a zoo trip by school bus and Delhi Metro, an ant crawling on a grid and a zoo map drawn on a grid. We learn to use directions, read maps with keys, and locate places using grid positions.

The four cardinal directions are North (N), South (S), East (E) and West (W).

Key Ideas

1. Finding directions using the rising Sun

  • Manu faces the rising Sun → he is facing East.
  • His left hand points North, his right hand points South, and West is behind him.
  • We can also find directions using a compass.

    • 2. Directions on a map

  • Maps usually have a direction arrow showing North (N) at the top, so East is to the right and West to the left.
  • Bird-watching camp: clues such as “the tent to the west of the road is blue” or “the tent north of the green tent is purple” help us place things.
  • Map of a room: describe where the window, bed, cupboard and bedside table are in relation to the girl.

    • 3. Reading street maps and routes

  • The school bus leaves the parking area, goes north, turns right (towards east) and follows the roads to Stop 1 and Stop 2.
  • We can answer questions such as whose houses are east of Jaideep’s house, which stop is closer to Lali’s house, and trace the shortest route.

    • 4. Metro maps and keys

  • A key (legend) explains what each symbol on a map means.
  • On the Delhi Metro map, each coloured line is a different route (Yellow Line, Blue Line, Magenta Line …).
  • Children travel from Qutb Minar (Yellow Line) to Supreme Court (Blue Line). They must change lines at an interchange station, and can compare routes to find the one with the fewest stations.

    • 5. Distance and direction on a grid

    The ant crawls along 1 cm grid lines: “To get to the laddoos, the ant crawls 2 cm towards the east.” A route is described by distance + direction for each part, and we can compare routes to find the shortest.

    6. Locating on a grid (position pairs)

    The zoo map has numbered columns (going east) and rows (going north).

  • Rule: start at 0, first move horizontally (east), then vertically (north).
  • The panda is where the first column and first row meet → written (1, 1).
  • The tortoise: 4 steps east, then 1 step north → (4, 1).
  • (1, 4) is a different place from (4, 1) — order matters!

    • Worked Examples

    Example 1: Facing the rising Sun, which way is your left hand pointing? → North.

    Example 2: Riya is facing North. She turns to her right. Which way does she face now? → East.

    Example 3: The ant crawls 3 cm east and then 2 cm north. Total distance crawled = 3 + 2 = 5 cm.

    Example 4: To reach (6, 4) on the zoo grid: move 6 steps east to column 6, then 4 steps north to row 4.

    Maths Words

  • Direction (दिशा)
  • North / South / East / West (उत्तर / दक्षिण / पूर्व / पश्चिम)
  • Map (मानचित्र / नक्शा)
  • Key / Legend (संकेत सूची)
  • Symbol (प्रतीक)
  • Route (मार्ग)
  • Compass (दिशासूचक यंत्र / कम्पास)
  • Grid (ग्रिड / जाल)
  • Row (पंक्ति), Column (स्तंभ)
  • Location / Position (स्थिति)

    • Maths in Daily Life

  • Using the metro or bus maps to plan a journey.
  • Giving directions to a friend’s house: “Walk 200 m north, then turn right.”
  • Mobile map apps use directions, distances and positions.

    • Common Mistakes

  • Swapping left and right when describing directions after turning.
  • Reading a grid position in the wrong order — always horizontal (east) first, then vertical (north).
  • Forgetting to check the direction arrow on a map before answering.
  • Counting squares instead of lines on a grid when finding positions.

    • Practice Tips

  • Stand in the school ground facing the morning Sun and point to all four directions.
  • Draw a map of your room with a direction arrow and list what lies to its east, west, north and south.
  • Make a treasure-hunt map of your school with a key and challenge friends to find hidden things.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓The four cardinal directions are North, South, East and West; facing the rising Sun, East is in front, North to the left and South to the right.
    • ✓Maps use a direction arrow, symbols and a key (legend) to show places.
    • ✓Routes on a street or metro map can be traced and compared to find the shortest or best way.
    • ✓A path on a grid is described with distance and direction for each part (e.g. 2 cm east, then 1 cm north).
    • ✓Grid positions are written as (horizontal steps, vertical steps); (4, 1) and (1, 4) are different places.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Take children outdoors in the morning to face the rising Sun and name all four directions with their hands.
    • →Recite the poem ‘Four Little Chicks’ with actions pointing East, West, North and South.
    • →Place labels N, S, E, W on the classroom walls and play ‘Simon says: turn to the West’.
    • →Show a real Delhi Metro map (or local bus map) and ask groups to find routes and interchange stations.
    • →Draw a large grid on the floor; children walk to positions like (3, 2) — east first, then north.
    • →Organise a school treasure hunt using a map with a key made by the children.
    • →Discuss how migratory birds like the Siberian crane find directions to build curiosity.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the child name the direction to the left, right and behind when facing the rising Sun?
    2. Can the child describe positions of objects on a map using directions?
    3. Can the child read a map key and trace a route on a street or metro map?
    4. Can the child describe an ant’s path on a grid using distances and directions?
    5. Can the child locate and write positions on a grid in the correct order?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Maths Mela - Mathematics Class 5

    1. 1. We the Travellers — I
    2. 2. Fractions
    3. 3. Angles as Turns
    4. 4. We the Travellers — II
    5. 5. Far and Near
    6. 6. The Dairy Farm
    7. 7. Shapes and Patterns
    8. 8. Weight and Capacity
    9. 9. Coconut Farm
    10. 10. Symmetrical Designs
    11. 11. Grandmother’s Quilt
    12. 12. Racing Seconds
    13. 13. Animal Jumps
    14. 14. Maps and Locations
    15. 15. Data Through Pictures