Map to real life and back
Multiply by the scale to go from the map to real life, divide to go back, and give the answer in metres or kilometres.
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Teaching Guide: Map Scales and Scale Drawings
A scale links a length in a drawing to the real length: at 1:50,000, 1 cm on the map stands for 50,000 cm in real life, which is 500 m. This free map scale worksheet generator builds ratio scale and scale bar problems and, above all, maps and floor plans printed at true size so that pupils measure with a ruler, with an answer key that shows every calculation and every unit conversion.
Student worksheet 
Answer key Finding the scale
Put both lengths in the same unit and divide: the hardest step, and the one that best shows what 1:n means.
Scale bars
Scale bars printed at true size to read with a ruler, label the marks of, or draw from a ratio scale.
Maps to measure
Villages and roads drawn exactly to scale: measure each road, add up the routes and, at level 3, find the scale from the scale bar.
Floor plans of homes and schools
Rooms drawn at 1:50, 1:100 or 1:200 to work out their real size and, at level 3, their area in square metres.
Step-by-step answer key
Every problem with what the scale means, the calculation and the unit conversion (cm, m, km), and the maps and plans with the measurements in red.
Frequently Asked Questions about Map Scales
Will the map measurements match a ruler?
Yes, as long as you print at actual size (100%, not "fit to page"). Every map, plan and scale bar is drawn in exact millimetres, and the 5 cm check line lets you confirm it before handing the sheets out. The answer key gives the exact lengths of the drawing.
Which grades is it for?
Level 1 suits Grade 6 (round scales and whole centimetres), level 2 Grade 7 (decimals and scales such as 1:25,000) and level 3 Grade 8 (millimetres, areas and scale bars). Scale drawings belong to ratio and proportion and are used in geography too.
How are unit conversions shown?
The answer key always takes the same path: apply the scale in the unit of the drawing (cm or mm), then convert to metres or kilometres, saying what to divide or multiply by. To revise the units themselves, use the metric units worksheet generator.
Why do level 3 floor plans ask for the area?
Because it is the most common mistake: the real area is not the plan area times the scale, but the product of the real lengths. The answer key works out each real length first and then the area in m².
Can I mix several types on one worksheet?
Yes. Add one exercise for each type and level you want: they all share the worksheet and the answer key, and you can reorder them or add a page break.
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