Date: January 27, 2000

Grade Level(s): 5, 6

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/Geography

Description: This lesson helps fifth graders learn how to find locations using longitude and latitude.

Goals: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of longitude and latitude.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• give definitions for latitude and longitude.
• find a location using longitude and latitude.
• write the appropriate coordinates of a given location.
• explain the importance of using longitude and latitude.
• become more aware of locations in the United States.
• use the Internet to find the longitude and latitude of different cities in the United States.

• Transparencies of maps of the United States that contain longitude and latitude lines.
• Large United States map.
• Hand out of the United States map containing longitude and latitude grids and names of the states.

1. Tell the students that they will be learning how to locate different states and cities by using longitude and latitude.
2. Explain to the students that the latitude lines they will be working with will be expressed as north, because the U.S. is located north of the equator. Explain that the longitude lines they will be working with will be expressed as west, because the U.S. is located west of the Prime Meridian.
3. Have the students write the north west and directions in front of the correct latitude and longitude lines on their maps (this way they won't be confused easily)
4. Show the children how to find the latitude and longitude of Pennsylvania on the large map and have them follow along on their own map (show them that the latitude is 40 degrees north and that the longitude is 80 degrees west)
5. Work along with the students using your overhead and show them how to locate a state by starting with the latitude and longitude coordinates (for example: start with the latitude of 35 degrees and the longitude of 120 degrees and figure out that the answer is California.)
6. Use one more example that you can do with the class. Find what state is located at 45 degrees north and 100 degrees west. The correct answer is South Dakota.
7. Have the students find a partner. Give the class three states and have them find their latitudes and longitudes, and give them three longitudes and latitudes and have them find the states (give the students 5 minutes maximum to complete this)
a. Arizona (answer: 35 degrees north and 110 degrees west)
b. Wisconsin (answer: 45 degrees north and 90 degrees west)
c. North Carolina (answer: 35 degrees north and 80 degrees west)
d. 45 degrees north, and 70 degrees west (answer: Maine)
e. 40 degrees north and 90 degrees west (answer: Illinois)
f. 30 degrees north and 100 degrees west (answer: Texas)

8. Have the class go over the answers with the teacher. Have one group give its answer for the first question, and then show the students how to do this on the transparency. Repeat this until all six answers are given.

9. Have the students go to the website Elementary Education Resources-Social Studies-Geography.
Have the students look up latitudes and longitudes of cities around where they live.

Assessment:

1. Hand out the worksheets to each student. One worksheet will be a map and the other will contain 2 questions each with 5 parts.

2. Make sure the students complete this for homework and turn it in the next day.

3. Grade the paper and hand it back to each student so that they can see how well they caught on to the concept of latitude and longitude.

4. I also assessed the children throughout the lesson by having them do the partner work. I walked around the room and saw how well everyone was catching on to the topic that I was teaching them.