Where in the World?

Objectives:
The student will be able to:
1. identify and label latitude, longitude, poles, equator, and the cardinal directions on a globe and a map
2. identify places on Earth by points of latitude and longitude
3. provide the coordinates of a location.
4. recognize a grid.

Grades: 1-4

Materials:
Globe
City map
State map
US map
World map
Blank world map with space for labeling all the above concepts
Handout with coordinates of places in latitude and longitude.

Lessons: One to two class periods

Introduction: Introduce the lesson to younger students by getting them to sing along and act out songs. These songs can be sung to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" (with minor variations).

Latitude:
I'm climbing the Ladder of Latitudes, latitudes, latitudes
I'm climbing the ladder of latitudes, all around the world.

(Stretch arms from side to side, then bring them together in front as if you were holding a beach ball.)

Longitude:
It's a LONG LONG way from pole to pole, pole to pole, pole to pole
It's a LONG LONG way from pole to pole, so we call those LONGITUDES.

(Stretch arms from up to down to indicated going from pole to pole.)

OR

For older students, prompt their interests with questions such as how do airplanes know how to land and how do ships know where to navigate? Explain that latitude and longitude play a large role in these processes.

Activity:
1. Explain the difference between maps and the globe. Both are models of the Earth, but the globe is round, like the Earth, and the map is flat, like a picture. Give attention to the different features each represents.
2. Ask students to identify where they live - from specific to general (i.e., address, city, state, country, continent, hemisphere, planet). Define each of these terms. Use city, state, US and World maps and globe to relay these concepts. Invite students to identify these locations on the maps and globe.
3. Explain that imaginary lines divide the Earth. Using the globe identify the equator, the poles, and the prime meridian. The halves separated by the equator and the halves separated by the prime meridian are called hemispheres. Show these same features on the map.
4. Use the map to demonstrate the cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west. Ask students to identify the map grid. Explain that the grid lines refer to latitude and longitude. Compare and contrast the grid as it appears on the map and the globe.
5. Explain that the equator as 0 degrees latitude and horizontal lines above and below the equator identify points of latitude.
6. Explain that the prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude and vertical lines around to the left and right of it are the lines of longitude.
7. Demonstrate how to locate a place on Earth (your city) by its point of latitude and longitude.
8. Invite students to name locations and show them how to find them on the map and globe.

Closure: The lines of latitude and longitude are not straight, since they are on the surface of a sphere. Note that close to the poles the lines appear to be closer together. But if one looks at a map the lines of longitude and latitude appear straight and seem to form a square grid. Even though the lines look different on a map and globe, the measurements were standardized a long time ago so that everyone could use longitude and latitude to find an exact spot on Earth.

Extensions:

Online: Go to the activity Help Thor Save his Ship.

Offline: Ask students to make a list of places they would like to visit. Students can exchange lists with each other and in small groups use maps and the globe to find the coordinates for the location. For each location, students write a sentence that includes uses the cardinal directions and the terms equator, prime meridian, latitude, and longitude, and include a drawing of the location.

Assessments: Handout with coordinates of places in latitude and longitude. Blank world map correctly labeled to show latitude, longitude, poles, equator, and the cardinal directions. More challenging questions should be identified for upper grade students.

Glossary:
cardinal directions
equator
hemisphere
latitude
longitude
prime meridian
pole
sphere

Standard covered in this lesson: State Goal 17

DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE OF WORLD GEOGRAPHY, AS WELL AS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY ON SOCIETY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE UNITED STATES.

Grade 1

CAS A.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of direction, size, shape, distance, relative and absolute location, and other geographic representations.

CFS
1. Locate familiar places in a community on a map using cardinal directions (e.g., north, south, east, west).
2. Describe the location of school, home, neighborhood, community, and features within it (e.g., parks, stores, landmarks).

CAS B.
Use maps, globes, graphs, photographs, other geographic tools, and technology to acquire, process, and report information about Chicago and other places and regions in the United States.

CFS
1. Compare and contrast maps and globes and describe the information they provide.

Grade 2

CAS A.
CFS
1. Locate places in a community and city using cardinal directions and measure the distances between them.

CAS B.
CFS
1. Interpret symbols on a map to identify physical features.

Grade 3

CAS B.
CFS
1. Identify the major reference points on maps and globes (e.g., Equator, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circles, Prime Meridian, International Dateline).
3. Differentiate between types of maps and their uses.

Grade 4

CAS A.
Explain and demonstrate the use of geographic concepts and skills (e.g., estimation of distance, calculation of scale, population, density, spatial distribution) when describing the historical development of the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the United States.

CFS
1. Explain fundamental concepts such as distance, latitude, and longitude.

CAS B.
Acquire, process, and report information about places and regions in the world using maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technology.

CFS
1. Explain the characteristics and purposes of geographic representations (maps, globes, graphs, diagrams, aerial photos).

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