Social Studies

TODALSIGS

Title Orientation Date Author Legend Scale Index Grid Source

Helps you remember the nine standard elements of a map.

✨ Tap to flipTitle Orientation Date Author Legend Scale Index Grid Source

Quick self-quiz

Reveal allReset

Tap each word to check what it stands for.

• T?
• O?
• D?
• A?
• L?
• S?
• I?
• G?
• S?

When to use it

Use it when evaluating a map for completeness or when creating your own map to confirm all nine standard elements are present.

Example

Checking a classroom map with TODALSIGS, you find Title, a compass rose (Orientation), a date, the cartographer's name (Author), a Legend, a Scale bar, an Index, a grid of coordinates, and the Source data used.

Common mistake

Treating Legend and Scale as the same element. Legend (or key) explains symbols; Scale shows the relationship between map distance and real distance.