Santa Rosa Island map mystery
The island of Santa Rosa is approximately 20 kilometres long and 10 kilometres across at its
widest point. The island is roughly shaped like an egg with a large bite taken out of the eastern
side. This bay provides a sheltered harbour with a wide sandy beach for the village of Malvern.
Malvern is the island’s port and the largest settlement.
I landed on a rocky beach in the south-west corner of the island,
guarded by tall cliffs. I climbed a footpath to the top of the cliffs, and
standing by a lighthouse, I could see most of the island.
In the centre of the island is a large lake. The lake has a marshy area
on its northern shore. Another lake is found in the south-east corner of
the island. The northern half of the island is divided into a patchwork
of small fields in which crops are ripening or animals are grazing.
I continued walking inland on the footpath for two kilometres until I met up with a B road which
runs close to the west coast, joining the village of Northbourne, on the north-west coast, to the
hamlet of Cowbridge, on the south coast.
I turned right onto the road and passed Santa Rosa’s youth hostel on my left, and a lane leading
to Castle Down Farm on my right. After a few hundred metres I turned left to follow an A road
which took me into Malvern.
The A road crossed the River Major after one kilometre before passing a large quarry on my
right. Close to the quarry I stopped to eat my packed lunch by a monument marking a battle
which took place in 1425.
When I arrived in Malvern, I found it to be a small settlement of around
40 houses. The houses are grouped around the harbour where there is
a long pier jutting out into the sea. Malvern has two churches: one
with a tower and one with a tall spire. There are also two small
chapels. Two pubs look out over the beach and the harbour. I popped
into one for a half pint of shandy before calling at the Post Office next
door.
After posting some postcards I walked to Malvern train station which is situated close to the
pier. The train timetable informed me that the railway line runs only between the two stations
of Malvern and Northbourne. I then took the train to Northbourne, passing through a tunnel and
then a cutting on the journey.
Northbourne is a village of only 10 homes. It has a pub and a church with a very attractive
tower. There is an excellent tourist information centre in the village, and I bought a poster of
an aerial view of the whole island. The poster showed me that the B road had a caravan park
with a campsite about halfway between Northbourne and Cowbridge. I could also see that the
River Major actually starts in the lake in the centre of the island and runs into the sea on the
south coast, where there are steep cliffs and a large sandy beach.
A small diamond-shaped island lies just offshore. The island is owned by the National Trust, and
is open to visitors all year but only if they have their own boat! A ruined castle guards the cliffs
overlooking the island where a footpath leads back to Malvern.
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Santa Rosa Island map mystery
Teaching notes
This could be used as part of a sequence of lessons developing map skills. Students might have
previously used resource 17591, ‘Manoa map mystery’.
Prior knowledge of OS map symbols is desirable. The resource focuses on the use of Ordnance
Survey map symbols (as well as direction and scale) and develops presentation and spatial
understanding. One possible answer is available on the next page.
The Ordnance Survey has symbols available for download at
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/docs/legends/50k-raster-legend.pdf
or previous starter activities could make use of the OS map symbol flash cards available at
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/docs/teaching-resources/50k-map-symbolflashcards.pdf.
The task can be split into three key parts:
1.
2.
3.
Draw a map of the island from the description given.
Try to use the correct OS symbols.
Remember to give your map a title, a scale and a key.
Suggested approach
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A possible starter would be a quiz of the OS map symbols required for this map
drawing exercise.
Explain to the students that they will now draw a map of Santa Rosa Island using the
text of a story and their knowledge of Ordnance Survey map symbols.
Set the scene by reading the story in class.
Ask the students which clues referred to symbols they already know.
Where will students start? Ask a volunteer to draw the shape of the island on the
whiteboard.
Students can then work independently or in pairs to reread the story and build up a
map of the island. It is probably best to start with a rough copy and spend time on a
neat copy when most of the mystery has been solved.
The story has been written in this way to allow less able students to decipher
sufficient clues to be able to draw a map, but at the same time include a number of
more difficult clues to extend the more able students. Support can be offered where
appropriate and it is a good idea to have a ‘here’s one I made earlier’ copy to hand for
reference/display.
Extension tasks / further development
1.
2.
Carry out peer assessments of finished maps.
Students can write their own stories and their friends can attempt to draw the map.
To do this, it is best if the students draw the ‘answer’ first, and then construct their
story.
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Santa Rosa Island map mystery
Santa Rosa Island
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