LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
Latitude and Longitude
Unit 1, Day 2
August 20, 2015
WARM UP
Describe how a geographer might be needed in the following situations:
1. A major earthquake has just hit Japan. Rescue crews from the
Red Cross need to get it to provide medical care. Why would
someone call a geographer first?
2. Fish are dying in rapid numbers in a lake in Italy. Why would a
geographer useful in figuring out why?
3. Megabux Corporation wants to tear down an old school to build a
new skyscraper. The local neighborhood doesn’t want to see it
happen. How could a geographer help them?
4. Trade negotiations are happening over the price of oil. Why would
leaders of many countries want a geographer present at the
meeting?
HOW DO GEOGRAPHERS FIND LOCATIONS?
1) Geographers use lines of latitude and longitude to
create a grid that can map out any location on the
earth.
1) These lines create hemispheres.
1) There are four hemispheres: North, South, East,
and West.
HOW MANY HEMISPHERES ARE THERE?
WHAT ARE LINES OF LATITUDE?
1) Horizontal lines (run East to West)
1) Measured 0 0 to 90 0 (labeled with N, or S)
1) 0 0 latitude= the equator
1) Divides the world into Northern and Southern
hemispheres.
WHAT ARE LINES OF LONGITUDE?
1) Vertical lines (run North to South)
2) Measured 0 0 to 180 0 (labeled with E, or W)
3) 0 0 longitude= the prime meridian
1) The prime meridian divides the earth into
the eastern and western hemispheres.
LET’S SUM IT UP WITH A VIDEO…
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/latitudeandlongitude/
HOW DO I WRITE GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES?
Written in this format:
degree of latitude (N or S), degree of longitude (E or W)
Examples:
39 N, 121 E
79 S, 40 W
PRACTICE ON YOUR MAP…
Open your books to page RA4- RA5 (in the front pages).
Locate the following coordinates using the map provided.
Jot down the answers at the bottom of your notes.
1) What US city is located at approximately 30 N, 95 W?
2) What continent would you find at 30S, 150 E?
3) Name two countries that are intersected by the
equator.
4) Find the approximate coordinates for Los Angeles.
PRACTICE ON YOUR MAP…
For example… Google Earth!
• Google Earth uses lines of Longitude and
Latitude to capture and create a detailed look
at nearly every location on earth.
• Let’s give it a try!
GEO-GUESSER GAME
• The game will randomly choose a location using
Google Earth.
• You will have one minute to examine the location.
Think about: landforms, vegetation, climate, buildings.
• With your team, you will make a guess as to where the
chosen spot is located. (Write your guess down in the
“extra credit” section of your warm up)
• If your team guesses correctly, you win a point!