Getting to Grips with Grid References!

• To understand the purpose of grid references.

• To use four-figure and six-figure grid references to locate features on a map.

• To apply the use of four-figure and six-figure grid references to an OS map.

To understand how to use four-figure and six-figure grid references.

Learning Objective

Success Criteria

What Are Four-Figure Grid References?

Four-figure grid references are used to locate a particular grid square on a map. Why might this be useful?

To create a four-figure grid reference you use the grid lines and grid numbers.

01 02 03 04

77

78

79

80

01 02 03 04

77

78

79

80

The vertical gridlines are called eastings and they increase as you move eastwards.

The horizontal gridlines are called northings and they increase as you move northwards.

What Are Four-Figure Grid References?

3226

nort

hing

s eastings

27

26

25

24

23

22 31 32 33 34 35 36

How to find a grid square.

If the grid reference is:

The first two numbers give the eastings.

The second two numbers give the northings.

Locate the point where the easting and northing grid lines meet. This is the bottom Left-hand corner of grid square 3226… …the campsite.

L

What Are Four-Figure Grid References?

viewpoint telephone camp site

picnic site golf course church

Remember…. eastings then northings!

Along the corridor and up the stairs!

viewpoint telephone camp site

picnic site golf course church

Your Turn! a. What OS map symbol is

found in each of these grid squares?

a. 3526

b. 3124

c. 3323

2. What is the grid reference for the:

a. church?

b. telephone?

golf course

viewpoint

picnic site

3524

3122

1

2 nort

hing

s eastings

27

26

25

24

23

22 31 32 33 34 35 36

What Are Four-Figure Grid References?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvLPNmSNums

01 02 03 04

77

78

79

80

What Are Six-Figure Grid References?

Four-figure grid references are used to find a grid square…

…but we can use six-figure grid references to find an exact location within a grid square, so they are much more accurate than four-figure grid references!

Let’s look at grid square 0179 in more detail…

Find the point where the easting and northing grid lines meet to find your grid reference point.

What Are Six-Figure Grid References?

The grid square is divided into tenths.

Example:

The first three numbers give the easting which includes the number of tenths.

The last three numbers give the northing which includes the number of tenths.

015795

01 02 79

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

What Are Six-Figure Grid References?

If a symbol is exactly on a grid line, this means 0 tenths along or up. You must write the 0 in the grid reference!

e.g. The star is:

01 02 79

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 What is the six-figure grid reference of the star?

015790

What Are Six-Figure Grid References?

01 02 79

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Sch

Your Turn! a. What OS map symbol is

found at:

a. 015793

b. 018798

2. What is the six-figure grid reference for:

a. the school?

b. the church?

c. the woodland?

railway station

campsite

014791

017791

013798

1

2

campsite church woodland

railway station school Sch

80

On a map, the grid squares do not have the tenths marked on them… so you have to use a ruler to help you or carefully estimate where the tenths are!

Important!

What Are Six-Figure Grid References?

01 02 79

80

What is the 4 figure grid reference for: -the PE shed? -the quiet area? -the bike shed?

What is the 6 figure grid reference for: -the ball shooter? -yellow sand bin? -the entrance to the quiet area?

We are doing a scavenger hunt on the playground but you won’t be able to do that so your challenge now is to work out which places each 6 figure grid reference shows! 018018 068026 056029 063024 060030 077037 084025