COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (234) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 2 October 2008
Ordnance Survey is
giving away 'Free-Maps-for-11-year-olds' to encourage
children to get out and discover the world around them, Ordnance
Survey Minister Iain Wright announced today.
Every Year 7 pupil in England, Scotland and Wales can receive a
free 1:25 000 scale OS Explorer Map of their local area.
Since its launch in 2002 the initiative has had an overwhelming
response. Each year, Ordnance Survey distributes over 700 000 maps
to pupils through their schools. They also receive a copy of the
leaflet "Map reading made easy peasy". Today Iain Wright
and Vanessa Lawrence from Ordnance Survey will visit Dyke House
Comprehensive School in Hartlepool to hand over the maps to the
pupils. Head Teacher, Bill Jordan, will also be presented with a
special gold covered Ordnance Survey map of the school to mark the
year that the 5 millionth map is to be given away.
Pupils from Dyke House's 7 will then take part in a treasure
hunt at the school where they will have special 'treasure
maps' of the school grounds to find 11 clues that will spell
out the location of a grand prize.
The free maps scheme and treasure hunt are designed to encourage
geography and environmental studies - both in and outside the
classroom - helping to get pupils to explore their local community
with their families and learn about practical map reading.
Ordnance Survey Minister Iain Wright said:
"It's fantastic that this year the five millionth
11-year-old has received a free map of where they live and where
their school is thanks to the Ordnance Survey. "With sat nav
becoming increasingly common, this scheme encourages children to
learn geography in their own backyard and develop that all
important sense of direction"
This year Ordnance Survey is offering a special prize for the
lucky school that orders the five millionth map. The winners will
receive a commemorative map site-centred on their school. In
addition Tony Robinson and the Time Team will host a day out for
the eight pupils who win the annual free maps competition.
Vanessa Lawrence CB, Ordnance Survey Director General and Chief
Executive added: "Interpreting geographic information - on a
paper map or on the computer screen - is a vital skill that will
help children throughout their lives.
"The Free Maps for 11 year-olds scheme helps support these
skills and we are delighted to be running it again for the seventh
year running."
The free maps scheme has won an official Big Tick for responsible
business practice and been shortlisted for the Merrill Lynch
Investing in Young People Award.
Notes to editors
1. Teachers across Britain are invited to order the free maps on
behalf of their pupils at the start of the autumn term. Under the
national curriculum for England and Wales and the national
guidelines for education in Scotland children must start learning
map skills in year 7. teachers should place their order by 30
November 2008 on the Ordnance Survey free maps website - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/freemapsfor11yearolds.
2. Ordnance Survey is keen to make the free maps initiative as
inclusive as possible. Teachers of children with visual impairment
are being encouraged to download free extracts of the same 1: 25
000 scale information shown on the maps from the Get-a-map service
on Ordnance Survey's website - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap.
It is easy to save and enlarge the extracts for teaching purposes.
3. Ordnance Survey's website for children - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone
- is playing an increasingly important role in the free maps
scheme by offering interactive games and educational activities
online. In addition, the online explore portal is a new resource
that teachers are taking advantage of. Launched last year, explore
allows users to plot, share and search for routes on mapping for
all of Britain. Teachers are using the site, which is free to use,
to highlight different map symbols to their pupils - something
which is a Key Stage 2 requirement.
4. Dyke House Comprehensive School in Hartlepool is one of the
biggest benefactors of the free school maps programme claiming
over 200 each year for its year seven classes.
5. For more information call the free maps helpline on 0845 337
3133 or email freemapenquiries@ordnancesurvey.co.uk
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