United States — C3 and National Geography Standards
Map projections for US geography standards (NGS and C3)
How well this site fits
The United States has no national curriculum, so this page does not say any state requires these objectives. Two voluntary national documents are widely used as models. The best fit is Standard 1 of the National Geography Standards, which names alternative map projections and says no single map can show everything: pupils can meet that idea here. The C3 Framework indicators are about using and making maps to study places, and this site supports them only as map-literacy practice. Check your own state's standards for the exact wording.
Objectives and how the site meets them
Strong fit: a pupil can meet the objective on this site alone. Partial fit: the site covers part of it. Context: related background only.
| Where in the curriculum | What it says | What pupils do here |
|---|---|---|
National Geography Standards, Standard 1 (“How to use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information.”) — introduction, all grades Fit: Partial fit | What it says Summary in our words Spatial thinking lets students understand scale, alternative map projections that show the Earth from different perspectives, and how spatial processes relate to spatial patterns. | What pupils do here Pupils: Morphs one projection into another and reads distortion at any point. Scale and spatial processes are only touched on. Use on this site |
National Geography Standards, Standard 1 (“How to use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information.”) — introduction, all grades Fit: Strong fit | What it says Summary in our words No single map can show everything; each one shows the features chosen for its purpose. | What pupils do here Pupils: Peels the globe into strips, lays them flat, and finds for themselves that no flat map can show everything. Use on this site |
National Geography Standards, Standard 1 — up to and including 4th grade, knowledge statement 1, performance A Fit: Context | What it says Summary in our words By the end of 4th grade, students describe the parts and purposes of maps and globes, such as the title, legend, directions, scale, symbols and the grid. | What pupils do here Pupils: Builds a paper globe, compares it with a flat map and uses compass direction to find a country. Titles, legends, symbols and scale bars are not taught. Use on this site |
National Geography Standards, Standard 1 — up to and including 4th grade, knowledge statement 1, performance B Fit: Partial fit | What it says Summary in our words By the end of 4th grade, students pick the map that suits a given purpose, such as finding a place or the shortest route. | What pupils do here Pupils: Chooses which map to use for navigation, a poster or a data map, and sees a shortest route bend on a flat map. Use on this site |
National Geography Standards, Standard 1 — up to and including 8th grade, knowledge statement 1, performance A Fit: Partial fit | What it says Summary in our words By the end of 8th grade, students analyse and explain the properties of maps, including projections, symbols, scale and coordinates. | What pupils do here Pupils: Switches projections and reads area, shape and distance distortion. Symbols, scale and coordinate systems are not covered. Use on this site |
National Geography Standards, Standard 1 — up to and including 8th grade, knowledge statement 1, performance B Fit: Partial fit | What it says Summary in our words By the end of 8th grade, students judge which geospatial representation is right for a task and compare patterns at different scales. | What pupils do here Pupils: Compares real country sizes with how they look on a flat map and decides which map suits which job. Does not compare maps at neighbourhood-to-country scales. Use on this site |
D2.Geo.3.K-2C3 Framework, Dimension 2 (Geography), Geographic Representations — grades K-2 Fit: Partial fit | What it saysUse maps, globes, and other simple geographic models to identify cultural and environmental characteristics of places.Unofficial summary In grades K-2, students use maps, globes and simple models to identify what places are like. | What pupils do here Pupils: Assembles a paper globe and compares it with a flat map. The cultural and environmental characteristics of places are not the focus. Use on this site |
D2.Geo.3.3-5C3 Framework, Dimension 2 (Geography), Geographic Representations — grades 3-5 Fit: Partial fit | What it saysUse maps of different scales to describe the locations of cultural and environmental characteristics.Unofficial summary In grades 3-5, students use maps at different scales to describe where cultural and environmental features are. | What pupils do here Pupils: Compares how big countries look on different maps. This is apparent size, not the map-scale ratio the indicator means, so treat the fit as partial. Use on this site |
A lesson sequence
1. Hook: does a country change size?
Drag Greenland south in True Size and ask why its size seems to change (5 minutes).
2. Globe to flat map
Peel the globe; for grade 4, add the paper globe from the printables (10 minutes).
3. Compare projections
Use the Projection Lab, then the Distortion Lab for grades 7-8 (10 minutes).
4. The right map for the job
Visit the Real Map Exhibit and read the lesson on choosing a projection, then try Flight Paths (10 minutes).
5. Check
Finish the worksheet from the printables and ask the exit question on the Teachers page (5 minutes).
What this site does not cover
- Constructing maps and graphs (C3 D2.Geo.1, and the National Geography Standards on building geographic representations). Pupils read and manipulate maps here; they do not make them.
- Map scale as a ratio or scale bar, legends and symbols, and map types such as choropleth maps and cartograms.
- Geospatial technologies (GIS, GPS, remote sensing), satellite images and aerial photographs.
- Latitude and longitude as coordinates, and time zones.
- Place and region content, human-environment interaction and every other C3 geography indicator (D2.Geo.4 to 12), plus C3 inquiry dimensions 1, 3 and 4.
- State standards. None were checked for this page.
Status notes
- The United States has no national curriculum. Each state sets its own standards, and the C3 Framework and National Geography Standards are voluntary models. Do not read this page as saying any state requires these objectives.
Sources and attribution
Official document: C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards and Geography for Life: National Geography Standards (voluntary national models; there is no US national curriculum) (National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS); National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE))
- National Council for the Social Studies, College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards (2013).
- C3 text was checked against NCSS's PDF through an Internet Archive snapshot, because the live PDF blocks automated access. NCSS allows the text and excerpts to be freely reproduced.
- National Geography Standards © NCGE. Geography for Life: National Geography Standards, Second Edition (2012).
- The National Geography Standards are summarised in our own words and not quoted.
Checked on October 9, 2026