«Off the beaten track» – what makes a location to be « close to the centre » or « remote » ?
Is it possible to reach two places that are the same distance away in the same amount of time? The new "Off the beaten track" teaching idea on sCHoolmaps.ch invites pupils to explore travel times from six Swiss hubs. Whether to start from Basel, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne or Lugano – how long will it take me to reach my destination?
Planning travel time with maps
The maps from map.geo.admin.ch show not only distances, but also the time required to reach various locations by public transport or car.
Pupils select two locations – for example, one nearby and one in the mountains – and find out how long it takes to reach them. They then record the travel times for different locations in a table and compare the results.
In this way, learners explore key map elements, learn to understand the colour-coded legend, retrieve information about map features, and interpret relevant data (e.g. travel time in minutes).
Alignment with Swiss Teaching Plans
The new lesson is aligned with Lehrplan 21 for German-speaking students, Plan d’études romand for the Romandy and Piano di studio della scuola dell’obbligo for the canton of Ticino.
Students learn to use and evaluate different maps and orientation tools to answer questions. At the same time, they develop digital skills in the Media and Information Technology subject by engaging with various forms of data representation, such as symbols, tables and graphics.
The offer is suitable for Cycle 3.
Fostering digital map and geodata knowledge
sCHoolmaps.ch is a joint project developed by the Coordinating agency for Federal geographical information (GCG), in collaboration with educational institutions and partners. Its aim is to promote cross-disciplinary understanding of maps and geodata among students by enabling them to explore the Federal Geoportal through learning content.
More information on a school content
- Link to the lesson (in German): “Off the beaten track” – sCHoolmaps | Data about Switzerland for your lessons
- Offers for teaching and research