Pages in the Collection

What is a compass?

This page shows you a compass and explains why it works. You'll also read about how to make your own compass. There are some drawings on this page.

Parts of a compass

This page describes what you'll find on most compasses, with photographs and drawings.

What is a map?

You probably have an idea about what maps are, but this page will tell you what kinds of maps work best with a compass. You'll learn about topographic maps, of which there are several included on the page.

Using a compass and map

Put a compass and map together, and you can go places. This page shows how, with drawings.

Try the triangle walk

You can practice your newly-learned compass skills with this exercise. It's a separate page so you can print it and take it outside with you. There are drawings on this page, too.

Declinations

The difference between true north and magnetic north (don't worry, you'll know what these are by the time you get to this page) can make it hard to use your map accurately. This page describes why and then explains how to fix your compass so that it will work for you. There are drawings and maps on this page.

Orienteering

This page teaches you about a sport that uses a compass and map to compete with other players. There are photographs and drawings on this page.

Try the Little Bennett Regional Park courses

There are some orienteering courses set up in Clarksburg, MD, for you to try. This page tells you about them and includes maps and links to the park's pages.

I confess I knew something about HTML before doing this homework, but I had not worked with CSS. I love it! You can click the buttons below to see how changing the style sheet can change the appearance of the same text.