Where in the U.S. is Mr. K?
Purpose: In order to familiarize students with states within the United States of America and to introduce the concept of
latitude and longitude, students will engage in an interactive search of locations, based on the travels of a pilot.
Grade Level(s): 3-5
Objectives: Upon completion of a year long participation in the activity, students will be able to
1. identify the location of their home city and state (Indianapolis, Indiana) on a map of the United States,
2. locate all fifty of the states on a map of the United States,
3. explain how to use latitude and longitude (degrees and minutes),
4. read, from an atlas, the latitude and longitude of a location (degrees and minutes), and
5. locate a location based on latitude and longitude (degrees and minutes) on a world map.
National Geography Standards:
1.
How t o use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report
information from a spatial perspective.
2.
How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Indiana Geography Standards:
3.3.1 Distinguish between physical and political features on maps and globes, and label a map of North America
identifying countries, oceans, major rivers, the Great Lakes, and mountain ranges. Locate the United States, Indiana,
and the local community.
3.3.2 Identify the continents and oceans, the equator, Northern and Southern hemispheres, Eastern and Western
hemispheres.
3.3.3 Explain that regions are areas which have similar physical or cultural characteristics, and locate the local
community in a specific region.
Indiana Math Standards:
3.5.1 Measure line segments to the nearest half-inch.
3.5.2 Add units of length that may require regrouping of inches to feet or centimeters to meters.
Key Words:

Map

Globe

Latitude

Longitude

Michigan

Atlas






Distance
Location
Atlantic/Pacific
Region
Scale
Hemisphere
Materials Required:
 Flat map of the United States with latitude and longitude (degrees depicted)
 List of Mr. K’s travel locations
 Globe
 Yarn/string
 Atlas(es)
 Rulers





Ocean
North/East/South/West
Continent
Equator
Hemisphere

Tape or push-pin
Procedures:
1. Begin by introducing students to the activity with a visit from Mr. K (or another pilot).
2. Explain the purpose for the activity in the coming year.
3. Utilize a map of the United States and locate Indiana (and Indianapolis). Utilize Lake Michigan (Great Lakes)
as a key identifier for locating Indiana.
4. Discuss any significant features that they notice about Indiana (Lake Michigan to the North, Ohio River to the
South, sort-of an odd rectangle…)
5. Introduce the concept of latitude and longitude (LONG) by first using a simple grid (ABCD, 1234). See the
activity associated with the “Me on the Map” book, by author Joan Sweeney.
6. Demonstrate basic latitude and longitude applications on the US map. Do not introduce degrees at this time
unless the students are ready.
7. Work through Week 1 locations with the students as a class. Lots of teacher help will probably be needed for a
few weeks. You could divide the United States into regions with colored tape: New England, East Coast,
Southeast, Midwest, Upper Midwest, South-Central, Southwest, Pacific Northwest. Initially, this may help the
students as you can direct them to a region in order to more quickly locate a state.
8. Work through a few more weeks together, but the goal is to eventually let the students begin to utilize the
latitudes and longitudes given to locate the city and states – stressing states. Discussions may include who has
traveled to a particular state and “what” they remember about the state.
9. Create a power point of images that coincide with the locations. Use the power point to identify different
physical and human characteristics of the location that may grasp the students’ attention or may relate to another
activity or book that you are using.
10. During subsequent weeks, and as your students are ready, introduce the equator, and reinforce the identification
of continents and oceans (especially those surrounding the United States).
11. After several weeks, also introduce the concepts of regions (if not already done). The students may identify
regions based on patterns of the United States map or based on images that share commonalities. What types of
regions do the students visualize? How do they create/define a region? Discuss how you identify or define a
region (Midwest). Make a list, as a group, of commonalities that their local community (region) has.
12. As students have worked on the activity for many weeks, introduce the concepts of hemispheres: Northern and
Southern to begin with and Eastern and Western later.
13. To measure the distance traveled, connect each location with a string or yarn. Measure the total string length
with a ruler. Discuss the conversion of the string length to real-life distances utilizing the scale on the map.
14. As you introduce economic concepts (consumer, producer, resources…), print images that depict a particular
state’s product(s); for example, Indiana produces hogs; Florida has the Everglades and tourism (a photo of the
beach) or oranges; Michigan produces tulips and cranberries. Utilize items that will capture the students’
imagination. Make sure to include Latin American (or other) countries that some of your students may be from!
Assessments:
 Weekly participation in the activity.
 Identify all fifty states in an end-of year “exam”.
 Successfully demonstrate the location of the equator, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Great Lakes (specifically, Lake Michigan).
 Employ the application of scale (regrouping techniques) successfully.
 Write a one-page essay on at least three regions of the United States based upon the year’s experiences conducting
the “Where in the US…” activity.
 Correctly spell and define the key words.
Adaptations/Extensions:
 Keep track of the frequency of “visits” to each state (or city). Have the students create a tally chart, bar graph,
scatter diagram or other graphic presentation to depict the number of stops to a state/city. Continue with the math
applications by converting the frequency of “visits” to fractions and percentages. Create a map that depicts the
frequency of “visits”.
 Calculate the overall miles traveled. Determine the total cost of the aviation fuel if the airplane burns 300 gallons per
hour and if aviation fuel costs $4.50 per gallon.
 Determine air speed if the plane is traveling east bound at 525 miles per hour (about 460 knots) with a tail-wind (out
of the west moving to the east) of 80 knots. If the plane had a head-wind (plane traveling into the wind) of 120
knots, what would be the speed of the plane? Discuss.
City
Week 1:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Dulles
Teterboro
Vale
Santa Fe
Jackson Hole
Los Angeles
State
Indiana (IN) (390 North, 860 West)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Virginia (VA) (390 N, 770 W)
New Jersey (NJ) (400 N, 740 W)
Colorado (CO) (390 N, 1070 W)
New Mexico (NM) (350 N, 1060 W)
Wyoming (WY) (440 N, 1110 W)
California (CA) (340 N, 1180 W)
Week 2:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Denver
Houston
Bozeman
San Francisco
Tucson
Fort Myers
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Colorado (CO) (400 N, 1050 W)
Texas (TX) (290 N, 950 W)
Montana (MT) (450 N, 1110 W)
California (CA) (370 N, 1220 W)
Arizona (AZ) (320 N, 1110 W)
Florida (FL) (260 N, 810 W)
Week 3:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Newark
Teterboro
Jackson Hole
Los Angeles
Fort Myers
Minneapolis
Fort Myers
Bermuda
Wilmington
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
New Jersey (NJ) (400 N, 740 W)
New Jersey (NJ) (400 N, 740 W)
Wyoming (WY) (440 N, 1110 W)
California (CA) (340 N, 1180 W)
Florida (FL) (260 N, 810 W)
Minnesota (MN) (440 N, 930 W)
Florida (FL) (260 N, 810 W)
in the Atlantic Ocean (320 N, 650 W) (2 hours flight east of NY)
Delaware (DE) (390 N, 750 W)
Week 4:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Dulles
Teterboro
Columbus
Houston
Jackson Hole
Savannah
Melbourne
Washington
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Virginia (VA) (390 N, 770 W)
New Jersey (NY) (400 N, 740 W)
Ohio (OH) (40N, 83W)
Texas (TX) (290 N, 950 W)
Wyoming (WY) (440 N, 1110 W)
Georgia (GA) (320 N, 810 W)
Florida (FL) (280 N, 800 W)
District of Columbia (DC) (380 N, 770 W)
Week 5:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Teterboro
Las Vegas
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
New Jersey (NY) (400 N, 740 W)
Nevada (NV) (360 N, 1150 W)
El Paso
Columbus
Chicago
Denver
Texas (TX) (310 N, 1060 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Illinois (IL) (410 N, 870 W)
Colorado (CO) (400 N, 1050 W)
Week 6:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Houston
Bozeman
Birmingham
Houston
Birmingham
Palm Beach
Bahamas
Dulles
Wilmington
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Texas (TX) (290 N, 950 W)
Montana (MT) (450 N, 1110 W)
Alabama (AL) (330 N, 860 W)
Texas (TX) (290 N, 950 W)
Alabama (AL) (330 N, 860 W)
Florida (FL) (260 N, 800 N)
(260 N, 760 W)
Virginia (VA) (390 N, 770 W)
Delaware (DE) (390 N, 750 W)
Week 7:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Washington
Jacksonville
Sarasota
Orlando
Bermuda
Raleigh
Dulles
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
District of Columbia (D.C.) (380 N, 770 W)
Florida (FL) (310 N, 810 W)
Florida (FL) (270 N, 820 W)
Florida (FL) (280 N, 810 W)
in the Atlantic Ocean (320 N, 650 W) (2 hours flight east of NY)
North Carolina (NC) (310 N, 810 W)
Virginia (VA) (390 N, 770 W)
Week 8:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Melbourne
Little Rock
Orlando
Bahamas
Raleigh
Louisville
Minneapolis
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Florida (FL) (280 N, 800 W)
Arkansas (AR) (340 N, 920 W)
Florida (FL) (280 W, 810 W)
(260 N, 760 W)
North Carolina (NC) (310 N, 810 W)
Kentucky (KY) (380 N, 850 W)
Minnesota (MN) (440 N, 930 W)
Week 9:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Washington
Miami
Louisville
Chicago
Tucson
Bozeman
Aspen
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
D.C. (380 N, 770 W)
Florida (FL) (250 N, 800 W)
Kentucky (KY) (380 N, 850 W)
Illinois (IL) (410 N, 870 W)
Arizona (AZ) (320 N, 1110 W)
Montana (MT) (450 N, 1110 W)
Colorado (CO) (390 N, 1060 W)
Week 10:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Jackson Hole
Los Angeles
Louisville
Chicago
Kansas City
Phoenix
Denver
Melbourne
Saint Louis
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Wyoming (WY) (440 N, 1110 W)
California (CA) (340 N, 1180 W)
Kentucky (KY) (380 N, 850 W)
Illinois (IL) (410 N, 870 W)
Kansas (KS) (390 N, 940 W)
Arizona (AZ) (330 N, 1120 W)
Colorado (CO) (400 N, 1050 W)
Florida (FL) (280 N, 800 W)
Missouri (MO) (380 N, 900 W)
Week 11:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Chicago
Pontiac
Orlando
Wilmington
Teterboro
Phoenix
Las Vegas
Spirit Lake
Houston
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Illinois (IL) (410 N, 870 W)
Michigan (MI) (420 N, 830 W)
Florida (FL) (280 W, 810 W)
Delaware (DE) (390 N, 750 W)
New Jersey (NJ) (400 N, 740 W)
Arizona (AZ) (330 N, 1120 W)
Nevada (NV) (360 N, 1150 W)
Idaho (ID) (470 N, 1160 W)
Texas (TX) (290 N, 950 W)
Week 12:
Indianapolis
Columbus
White Plains
Providence
Fargo
Pierre
New Orleans
New Haven
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
New York (NY) (410 N, 730 W)
Rhode Island (RI) (410 N, 710 W)
North Dakota (ND) (460 N, 960 W)
South Dakota (SD) (440 N, 1000 W)
Louisiana (LA) (300 N, 900 W)
Connecticut (CT) (410 N, 720 W)
Week 13:
Indianapolis
Columbus
San Francisco
Washougal
Portland
Las Vegas
Anchorage
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
California (CA) (370 N, 1220 W)
Washington (WA) (450 N, 1220 W)
Oregon (OR) (450 N, 1220 W)
Nevada (NV) (360 N, 1150 W)
Alaska (AK) (610 N, 1490 W)
Week 14:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Grand Island
Davenport
Salina
Tulsa
Biloxi
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Nebraska (NE) (100 N, 980 W)
Iowa (IA) (410 N, 900 W)
Kansas (KS) (380 N, 970 W)
Oklahoma (OK) (360 N, 950 W)
Mississippi (MS) (300 N, 880 W)
Cleveland
Ohio (OH) (410 N, 810 W)
Week 15:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Bangor
Washington
Manchester
Burlington
Hartford
Memphis
Orlando
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Maine (ME) (440 N, 680 W)
D.C. (DC) (380 N, 770 W)
New Hampshire (NH) (430 N, 710 W)
Vermont (VT) (440 N, 730 W)
Wisconsin (WI) (430 N, 880 W)
Tennessee (TN) (350 N, 900 W)
Florida (FL) (280 N, 810 W)
Week 16:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Manchester
Providence
Charleston
Harrisburg
Bahamas
Raleigh
Charleston
Acapulco
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
New Hampshire (NH) (430 N, 710 W)
Rhode Island (RI) (410 N, 710 W)
South Carolina (SC) (320 N, 790 W)
Pennsylvania (PA) (400 N, 760 W)
(260 N, 760 W)
North Carolina (NC) (310 N, 810 W)
West Virginia (WV) (380 N, 810 W)
Mexico (160 N, 990 W)
Week 17:
Indianapolis
Columbus
Houston
Mobile
Phoenix
Los Angeles
Hilo
San Francisco
Tucson
Salina
Annapolis
Indiana (IN) (390 N, 860 W)
Ohio (OH) (400 N, 830 W)
Texas (TX) (290 N, 950 W)
Alabama (AL) (30 N, 88 W)
Arizona (AZ) (330 N, 1120 W)
California (CA) (340 N, 1180 W)
Hawaii (HI) (190 N, 550 W)
California (CA) (370 N, 1220 W)
Arizona (AZ) (320 N, 1110 W)
Kansas (KS) (380 N, 970 W)
Maryland (MD) (390 N, 760 W)