AY Honors/Map and Compass/Requirements

Map and Compass

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Year Introduced:

Section One - The Map

1.1 Know the following

a. What is a topographical map?

b. What is found on a topographical map?

c. Give three uses of a topographical map.

1.2 What is an orthophoto map?

1.3 Be able to recognize twenty signs and symbols found on a topographical map, giving some in each of the following categories:

a. Man made

b. Water feature

c. Vegetation feature

1.4 Know and explain the following as they relate to elevation:

a. Elevation.

b. Contour interval.

c. Ground formations (Valey, Ridge, Spur, Bluff or Cliff, Saddle, Sholder, Escarpment, Knoll, Brow) defined by their contour lines

1.5.Know and explain the following as they relate to distance

a. How is distance defined.

b. The map scale

c. How to measure linear distance

d. How to estimate land distance.

1.6. Know and explain the following as they relate to a map grid system.

a. What is the grid system?

b. What is a six figure grid reference?

c. Rules for reading grid references.

1.7. Know and explain the following in relation to map reading

a. Grid North

b. True North

c. Magnetic North

d. Declination

e. Grid Magnetic Angle (G-MA or GMA)

Section Two - The Compass

2.1. What are the eight major points of the compass and their bearings?

2.2. Identify the type of compass most popular with bushwalkers.

2.3. Know the parts of an orienteering compass.

2.4. Know and explain the following as they relate to Grid Bearings and Magnetic Bearings:

a. What are Bearings?

b. How to calculate Grid Bearings from the map

c. How to convert a Grid Bearing to a Magnetic Bearing

d. How to convert a Magnetic Bearing to a Grid Bearing

e. How to take and march on a Magnetic Bearing

f. What is Slipping and how to correct for it?

g. How to take a back bearing

2.5. Know and explain the following in relation to Resection.

a. What is resection?

b. The two-bearing method of Resection.

c. The three-bearing method of Resection.

2.6. Know and explain how to Orient your map by:

a. <inspection and

b. <by compass.

Section Three – Direction without the aid of a Compass

3.1 Demonstrate how to find directions without a compass using the Southern Cross (ie. Crux) method

a. Watch.

b. Southern Cross.

c. Orion

d. Shadow Stick.

Section Four – Practical

4.1. Demonstrate how to:

a. Read six figure Grid Refences. Refer to Requirement 1.6c.

b. Calculate a Grid Bearing from the map. Refer to Requirement 2.4b.

c. Convert Grid Bearing to a Magnetic Bearing. Refer to Requirement 2.4c.

d. Take a Magnetic Bearing. Refer to Requirement 2.4c

e. Locate a position using Resection. Refer to Requirement 2.5

4.2. Navigate to a target feature using a Magnetic Bearing. Refer Requirement 2.4c

4.3. Prove your ability in the use of a map and compass by following a cross-country course with at least ten given readings or control points.