State Compass Worksheet
U.S. Geography Spatial Orientation & Map Skills
Total Score: _____ / 20
State Compass Challenge
Use the reference map and 8-point compass rose to determine neighboring states.
Name:
Date:
Class:
Period:
N S E W NE SE SW NW
Directional Key
Cardinal: North (N), South (S), East (E), West (W)
Intermediate: Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW), Northwest (NW)
West
Midwest
South
Northeast
50 States Spatial Navigator Map Bordering tiles represent adjacent geographic boundaries
INSET AK INSET HI WA ID MT ND MN VT NH ME OR NV WY SD IA WI MI NY MA RI CA UT CO NE IL IN OH PA NJ CT AZ NM KS MO KY WV VA MD DE OK AR TN NC SC TX LA MS AL GA FL
1
Part 1: Cardinal Navigator (North • South • East • West)
Questions 1–8 • 1 pt each
Start in Oklahoma (OK). Travel directly North across its top horizontal border. What state do you enter?
N
State:
Abbr:
Start in Georgia (GA). Travel directly South across the state line into the Atlantic/Gulf peninsula. What state do you enter?
S
State:
Abbr:
Start in central California (CA). Travel directly East across the Sierra Nevada into the Great Basin. What state do you enter?
E
State:
Abbr:
Start in Indiana (IN). Travel directly West across the Wabash River boundary into the Prairie State. What state do you enter?
W
State:
Abbr:
Start in Utah (UT). Travel directly North across the border into the Gem State. What state do you enter?
N
State:
Abbr:
Start in Kentucky (KY). Travel directly South across its horizontal border into the Volunteer State. What state do you enter?
S
State:
Abbr:
Start in North Dakota (ND). Travel directly East across the Red River into the Land of 10,000 Lakes. What state do you enter?
E
State:
Abbr:
Start in New Mexico (NM). Travel directly West across the state line into the Grand Canyon State. What state do you enter?
W
State:
Abbr:
Turn over to Page 2 for Intermediate Directions & Route Expeditions Page 1 of 2
Page 2 Intermediate Directions & Multi-Step Expeditions
Name:
Directional Guide: NE = Northeast (between N & E) • SE = Southeast (between S & E) • SW = Southwest (between S & W) • NW = Northwest (between N & W)
2
Part 2: Intermediate Expeditions (Diagonal Crossings)
Questions 9–16 • 1 pt each
Start in Colorado (CO). Travel diagonally Northeast across its corner border into the Cornhusker State. What state do you enter?
NE
State:
Abbr:
Start in North Carolina (NC). Travel diagonally Southeast along the Atlantic coastline into its sister state. What state do you enter?
SE
State:
Abbr:
Start in Wyoming (WY). Travel diagonally Northwest across Yellowstone into Big Sky Country. What state do you enter?
NW
State:
Abbr:
Start in Missouri (MO). Travel diagonally Southwest past the Ozark plateau corner into the Sooner State. What state do you enter?
SW
State:
Abbr:
Start in Pennsylvania (PA). Travel diagonally Northeast across the upper Delaware River into the Empire State. What state do you enter?
NE
State:
Abbr:
Start in Illinois (IL). Travel diagonally Southeast across the Ohio River into the Bluegrass State. What state do you enter?
SE
State:
Abbr:
Start in Iowa (IA). Travel diagonally Northwest across the tri-state corner into the Mount Rushmore state. What state do you enter?
NW
State:
Abbr:
Stand at the Four Corners in Colorado (CO). Look diagonally Southwest across the vertex pin. What desert state lies opposite?
SW
State:
Abbr:
3
Part 3: Non-Contiguous Frontier Navigation
Questions 17–18 • 1 pt each
Located far to the Northwest of Washington (WA), across Canadian territory, is the largest US state by land area:
NW
State:
Abbr:
Located far to the Southwest of California (CA), isolated in the Pacific Ocean, is the volcanic archipelago state of:
SW
State:
Abbr:
4
Part 4: Multi-Step Expeditions (Trace the Route)
Questions 19–20 • 1 pt each
19. The Heartland Trek 3-Step Path
• Step 1: Start in Texas (TX).
• Step 2: Move directly North across Oklahoma into Kansas (KS).
• Step 3: From Kansas, travel directly West into the Rocky Mountain state of:
Final Destination:
Abbr:
20. The New England Traverse 3-Step Path
• Step 1: Start at the NE tip in Maine (ME).
• Step 2: Travel Southwest through NH into Massachusetts (MA).
• Step 3: From MA, head directly South into the nation's smallest state:
Final Destination:
Abbr:
All 20 state names written All 2-letter postal codes recorded
Teacher Verification:
State Compass Challenge • U.S. Geography & Map Navigation Skills Page 2 of 2
