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Types of Maps - Printable Social Studies Worksheets class 3 - Wayground

Types of Maps

12 questions

3rd - 3rd Grade

Social Studies

This Grade 3 Social Studies worksheet helps students identify and distinguish six types of maps: political, road, resource, climate, physical, and historical. Across 12 questions, students answer nine multiple-choice items that show or describe map types, complete three fill-in-the-blank definitions, and apply their understanding to scenarios involving navigation, state or country borders, and natural features such as waterways and mountains. The worksheet builds map-reading vocabulary and helps students select the most useful map for a specific purpose. Students must connect each map type with the information it represents, such as roads for travel, political boundaries for comparing regions, resources for locating materials from Earth, and physical features for studying land and water. This free printable worksheet includes a complete answer key and is suitable for Grade 3 classroom practice, review, or assessment.

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Worksheets

Types of Maps

Total questions: 12

Name
Class
Date
1.

What type of map is this?

a)

Political Map

b)

Physical

c)

Resource

d)

Historical

2.

What type of map is this?

a)

Political

b)

Resource

c)

Road

d)

Physical

3.

What type of map is this?

a)

Resource

b)

Climate

c)

Political

d)

Road

4.

What type of map is this?

a)

resource

b)

historical

c)

political

d)

climate

5.

What type of map is this?

a)

historical

b)

resource

c)

physical

d)

climate

6.

What type of map is this?

a)

historical

b)

political

c)

climate

d)

resource

7.

A (a)   map does not contain man-made features like roads or buildings.

8.

A (a)   map often uses colors to show the boundaries between states or countries.

9.

A map that shoes the natural resources that come from Earth and are found in different places. (a)  

10.

Scenario 1:

Brantley is going on vacation to Kansas with his family this winter, and she is in charge of navigating how to get to their destination. Which map would Brantley use to help him get there?

a)

road

b)

physical

c)

climate

d)

political

11.

Scenario 2:

King has a social studies project on the parishes that border the one he lives in. Which type of map should he use to find the information to complete his project?

a)

resource

b)

physical

c)

political

d)

historical

12.

You and your brother are fighting over how many waterways and mountains are in a state. Which type of map would you use to prove you are right?

a)

resource

b)

political

c)

road

d)

physical

Answer Key

Types of Maps

Total questions: 12

1.
a)

Political Map

2.
c)

Road

3.
a)

Resource

4.
d)

climate

5.
c)

physical

6.
a)

historical

7.
physical
8.
political
9.
resource
10.
a)

road

11.
c)

political

12.
d)

physical

FAQs

What does the Types of Maps worksheet help Grade 3 students learn?

This worksheet helps Grade 3 students distinguish among political, road, resource, climate, physical, and historical maps. Its nine multiple-choice questions and three fill-in-the-blank items require students to identify map types, recall what each map shows, and choose the appropriate map for situations such as navigating to a destination or locating borders, waterways, and mountains.

How can I use this worksheet to teach the different types of maps?

Introduce the six map types by discussing the kind of information each one provides, then have students explain why a road map fits a travel scenario or why a political map helps identify bordering regions. Use the fill-in-the-blank items to reinforce definitions after the discussion, and ask students to justify their choices on the scenario questions rather than relying only on visual recognition.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this map types worksheet?

Students may confuse political maps with physical maps because both can show locations, but the worksheet distinguishes political boundaries from natural features such as mountains and waterways. They may also select a physical or political map for a navigation question instead of a road map, or mix up resource and climate maps when identifying what information a map represents.

How do I assign and grade the Types of Maps worksheet?

You can assign this worksheet as a printable PDF or as a digital quiz on Wayground. It includes a complete answer key for the nine multiple-choice questions and three fill-in-the-blank items, and printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app.

How can I differentiate this worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or choose a larger font size to make the map-type prompts, answer choices, and fill-in-the-blank items easier to read. You can also enable a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language when that better supports students working with the map vocabulary.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to help students master essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.