Practical skills (part 6)
Marjorie Henry, Contributor

So, how are you doing with your practical skills? I trust that you have been practising them even as I discuss them. Get hold of a map extract and keep working at these skills to improve your competence in them. This week I am discussing grid references. In the geography syllabus, the specific objective 1.1 states that you must be able to 'locate places, using four- and six-figure grid references'.

The national grid is a system of vertical and horizontal lines which divide the map into numbered squares of a uniform size. The vertical lines are numbered east and are called eastings. The horizontal lines are numbered north and are called northings. These are used as a reference for locating points. Here is a simple diagram to illustrate these lines.

Notice that the eastings increase in numbers towards the east while the northings increase in numbers towards the north. When giving locations, the easting is first stated then the northing.

When do you use a four-figure and a six-figure grid reference? Usually, a four-figure grid reference is used to give the location of an area while the six-figure grid reference is used to give the location of a point. In the diagram below, the position of the park is 3659. It is the easting that is to the western side of the area and the northing to the southern side that are used.

The six-figure grid reference is needed for the position of the school. To arrive at this there are some steps to be taken. Begin by dividing the grid into 10 parts, that is, do 10 divisions between eastings 36 and 37 and the same between northings 59 and 60. This is illustrated in the two diagrams.

Identify the lines that pass through the school. The third vertical line passes through the school. The easting then is 363. The second horizontal line passes through the school so the northing is 592. These will now give the six-figure grid reference of the school, which is 363592.

In the examination, you do not have the time to go through this procedure. What you can do, however, is to take a bit of paper and extend it between two adjacent grid lines, mark the positions of the lines then the 10 divisions on the paper. The grids are squares so the bit of paper with the divisions can be used along both the easting and the northing.

Sometimes the lines drawn do not absolutely fit in the position of the point. You can choose either of the two lines where the point falls between. Look at the diagram below in which the school is not on a specific line for the easting.

Your answer then can be either 365595 or 366595.

State the grid references as indicated, using the following sketch map.

(Source: Skills in Geography in Secondary School by V. A. Rahil)

Give four-figure grid-references for:

1. The Farm B

2. The Hotel Resort

3. The Village A

Give six-figure grid references for:

1. The road junction west of the market

2. The quarry

3. The factory

Again, may I encourage you to practise giving grid references using any available map extract. Many textbooks do have an ordnance survey map that you can access.

Marjorie Henry is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com