Goal:

Students use longitude and latitude to determine locations of expedition sites and viewing sites for the 2004 Transit.

Grade Level:

4-6

Objectives:

• Define and correctly use the terms latitude and longitude
• Give reasons for the use of latitude and longitude
• Correctly list the latitude and longitude for selected sites
  

Subject Area or Standard:

Science, Measurement
And National Geography Standard one

Materials Needed:

• Internet access
• World Atlas
• Globe and maps
• Paper and pencil
• Tracing paper
  
  

Websites:

Lookup
http://www.bcca.org/misc/qiblih/latlong.html
Definitions
http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Slatlong.htm
World cities
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001769.html
World Atlas
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageg.htm
Map maker site
http://www.hammondmap.com/sites/hammond/geography/latlong1.html
Lesson Plan From National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/longlat.html

Procedures:

1. Use globe to introduce concepts of latitude and longitude
2. Ask for reasons why one would need to know one's exact position on the Earth.
3. Have students make their own grids on tracing paper and place over a map. What could they name the lines so that they could give instructions to someone else about locations?
4. Note that the Earth's circumference is divided into 360 degrees (like a circle)
5. Have students find the prime meridian. Where does it start and end?
6. What is opposite the prime meridian at 180 degrees? Why is it called the International Date Line?
7. Have students find the equator. How many lines of latitude are there above and below the equator?
8. How far apart are the lines if the earth is approximately 25,000 miles in circumference?
9. Explain that the measurement is broken down into minutes (60) and seconds (60).
10. Have students use sites to look up latitudes and longitudes of expedition sites and then locate them on the globe or a map.

Alternatives:

Explore how Global Positioning Systems (GPS) use latitude and longitude.