Zooming In and Zooming Out is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on using maps at different scales, aligned to Common Core standard D2.Geo.3.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.Which scale would show which platform a train leaves from?
A.A large scale plan of the station itself
B.A world map
C.A county map
2.Why do people use several scales for one enquiry?
A.Each scale answers a different question about the same place
B.Because maps wear out
C.To use more paper
3.A world map shows the county as a dot. Is the map wrong?
A.Yes, it is inaccurate
B.Yes, counties must be labelled
C.No. At that scale a county cannot be more than a dot
4.What do you lose when you zoom out to a country map?
A.The north arrow
B.The coastline
C.The detail: single farms, lanes and streams disappear
5.You want to see where the county sits in the country. Which scale?
A.A small scale map showing the whole country
B.A map of one farm
C.A plan of one street
6.You want to find one farm's fields. Which map scale?
A.A large scale map showing a small area in detail
B.A world map
C.A map of Europe
7.Which scale shows the whole railway line from end to end?
A.A county map, small enough in scale to fit the whole route
B.A plan of the station
C.A map of the platform
8.What do you lose when you zoom in to one village?
A.The roads
B.The buildings
C.The context: you cannot see where the village sits in the county
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.3.3-5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Zooming In and Zooming Out
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.A large scale plan of the station itself
2.Each scale answers a different question about the same place
3.No. At that scale a county cannot be more than a dot
4.The detail: single farms, lanes and streams disappear
5.A small scale map showing the whole country
6.A large scale map showing a small area in detail
7.A county map, small enough in scale to fit the whole route
8.The context: you cannot see where the village sits in the county
Questions about Zooming In and Zooming Out
What does the Zooming In and Zooming Out worksheet cover?
It practises using maps at different scales — 8 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on Common Core D2.Geo.3.3-5: Use maps at different scales to describe what is where. The instruction to pupils is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Zooming In and Zooming Out practise?
D2.Geo.3.3-5 — D2.Geo.3.3-5, in the Geography domain for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Use maps of different scales to describe the locations of cultural and environmental characteristics.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Zooming In and Zooming Out is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on D2.Geo.3.3-5, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Zooming In and Zooming Out come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Zooming In and Zooming Out can I print?
25 — one per pupil, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Zooming In and Zooming Out free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Zooming In and Zooming Out, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach D2.Geo.3.3-5?
Yes — “Close Up and Far Back” is a 45-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 plan for D2.Geo.3.3-5, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Zooming In and Zooming Out is the practice that follows it.
More practice for D2.Geo.3.3-5
Use maps at different scales to describe what is where.
Teaching this next? Close Up and Far Back is the 45-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.