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6th grade Why every flat map stretches something worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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Why every flat map stretches something

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. a globe, a Mercator world map, an equal-area world map, and a satellite photo of one side of Earth. Ari's class wants one model that shows every country's true shape and true size at the same time. Which should they use?

    • A satellite photo of one side of Earth
    • A Mercator world map
    • An equal-area world map
    • A globe

  2. Esme peels an orange in one piece and presses the peel flat on a table. What happens to the peel?

    • It lies smooth with no gaps if peeled carefully
    • It splits or stretches, like a world map
    • It turns into a perfect rectangle
    • It shrinks to half its size

  3. Data: Wikidata and Wikipedia, read Nov 11, 2026, rounded. Beside it, a Mercator map with Greenland drawn larger than Brazil. On a globe, Brazil is about 4 times as big as Greenland. On Jun's Mercator map, Greenland looks bigger than Brazil. What did the map change?

    • Greenland's size
    • Greenland's latitude
    • Greenland's shape
    • Greenland's distance from the equator

  4. On an equal-area map, Greenland looks flatter and wider than it does on Kira's globe. What did this map change?

    • Greenland's shape
    • Greenland's latitude
    • Greenland's size
    • Greenland's neighbors

  5. Read this first

    Use the table

    PlaceReal area (million km²)
    Greenland2.2
    DR Congo2.3

    Data: Wikidata and Wikipedia, read Nov 11, 2026, rounded. Beside it, a Mercator map with Greenland drawn far larger than DR Congo.

  6. DR Congo and Greenland are about the same size. On Luz's Mercator map, Greenland looks many times bigger. What did the map change?

    • Greenland's place on the globe
    • Greenland's real area
    • Greenland's shape on the map
    • Greenland's size on the map

  7. Use the table

    PlaceReal area (million km²)
    Greenland2.2
    DR Congo2.3

    Data: Wikidata and Wikipedia, read Nov 11, 2026, rounded.

  8. On Milo's Mercator map, Greenland looks much bigger than DR Congo. Using the table, which is bigger in real life?

    • Greenland, by a lot
    • DR Congo, a little
    • It depends on the map
    • They are exactly equal

  9. On Noah's Mercator map, Greenland looks bigger than India. Using the table, which is bigger in real life?

    • It depends on the map
    • They are exactly equal
    • India
    • Greenland

  10. Ren's sailing club draws a course that keeps one compass direction the whole way. Which map shows that course as a straight line?

    • An equal-area map
    • A Mercator map
    • A city street map
    • A globe

  11. a Mercator map, an equal-area map, a road atlas, a city street map. Tala wants to compare how much land different countries cover, fairly. Which kind of flat map is best?

    • A city street map
    • A Mercator map
    • An equal-area map
    • A road atlas

  12. Zee needs to see true shapes, true sizes and true directions all together. Which should Zee use?

    • An equal-area map
    • A city street map
    • A globe
    • A Mercator map
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6th grade Why every flat map stretches something worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Map projections and distortion. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain why only a globe keeps every shape and size true.
  • I can say what a Mercator map keeps (shapes, compass directions) and what an equal-area map keeps (sizes), and pick a map for a job.
  • I can use real areas to correct a map that makes a place look too big, and work out how much a Mercator map enlarges an area.

Standard: D2.Geo.3.6-8 (partial)

Words to know

projection: A way of drawing the round Earth on a flat map

distortion: Stretching or squeezing of shapes, sizes or distances on a flat map

Mercator map: A map that keeps shapes and compass directions but enlarges land near the poles

equal-area map: A map that keeps every size in true proportion but bends shapes

compromise map: A map, such as the Robinson, that bends shapes and sizes each a little

globe: A round model of Earth; the only map with no distortion

Common mistakes

Your child thought a flat map can show the whole Earth exactly. Try peeling an orange in one piece and pressing it flat together: it splits or stretches, and so does every world map.

Your child mixed up what each map keeps true.

Your child trusted how big a place looks on a wall map. Look up two real areas together (Greenland and Africa) and compare them with a globe.

What to say

Ask: Mercator keeps shapes and compass directions; an equal-area map keeps sizes. Say it together while pointing at two maps.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with why every flat map stretches something?

Your child thought a flat map can show the whole Earth exactly. Try peeling an orange in one piece and pressing it flat together: it splits or stretches, and so does every world map.

Are these 6th grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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