Earth Matters

Find five activities all about longitude and latitude! Use oranges to show the equator and prime meridian, plot birthdays on a map using coordinates, and plan a dream vacation.

Teaching learners about latitude and longitude can get a little complicated. Present the concept by first representing it as a graph. Just like finding a location on a graph using the x and y-axis, learners will be able to locate items...

Introduce the terms and concepts related to basic map and geography skills. Terms include full definitions and cover latitude, longitude, the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Prime Meridian, and the International Date Line.

Pinhead Patty takes us around the globe and explains what latitude and longitude are in this entertaining video. The author uses an orange to demonstrate the line measurements on a sphere.

Explore new discoveries as you join Dr. Nagler inside his laboratory. In this video, help a troubled passenger land a plane by navigating the invisible lines of longitude and latitude that circle the globe. [6:33]

Latitude and longitude lines are explained in this video. Students focus on the mathematics and how to calculate distance using the degrees of various locations.

Students play a grid-based game and devise clues to help classmates locate spots on the globe in order to recognize the value of using longitude and latitude for identifying locations.

"The quest for a reliable method to find your way at sea was one of the thorniest problems of the 1700s." Find out about the search for longitude at this NOVA site. Includes interactive Shockwave game, learning activities and more.

Scholars warm-up their map skills with a discussion using location words to describe familiar places. An engaging video informs class members about latitude and longitude. Three leveled activities extend the learning experience for...