Maps for teachers

Printable maps for lessons

The printable maps cover the world, every continent and country, groups such as the EU and region sets such as the US states. Most places come in two versions: a blank outline, and the outline with its regions or country borders drawn in. Both are free PDFs for A4 or Letter, in colour or black and white.

There are no names on the printables, on purpose. Pupils label them, colour them in or use them for a test, and each printable page lists the regions or countries underneath as a key for marking. Good places to start are the printable world map, the printable map of Europe and the printable map of France with its departments.

Worksheets and quizzes

The blank outline worksheet puts the world on an A4 page with a line at the top for a pupil's name, ready for labelling and colouring-in. The quiz worksheet adds numbered pins, so pupils write down the place that goes with each number; keep the answers on a separate sheet.

Open either one in the editor, switch the map to the continent or country you are teaching, and download it as a PDF. The editor also prints on A3, which suits a wall display.

Making your own

The blank maps give you the outline of any place, on its own or with its regions or country borders, as a PNG on a transparent background, an SVG or a PDF, ready to drop into a worksheet or a slide you are making yourself. For more than an outline, open the map in the editor: colour the regions for a lesson on climate or languages, drop pins on the cities in a class reader, add a title and a legend, then print the map or put it on a slide. Maps you change are kept in your own browser under Your maps, so they are still there next lesson on the same computer.

Ideas for the classroom

• Map skills: hand out a blank outline and ask pupils to mark the capital and write in the neighbouring countries.
• Homework: send home a printable with a short list of places to find and label.
• Displays: give each group one region to colour, then put the sheets up together as one map.
• Home education: print a continent each week and build up an atlas in a folder.