The Earth and the Compass

What do we use to determine the exact locations on the earth? Your kids can learn all about compass roses and latitude and longitude. Test understanding with the five reading comprehension questions included on the page.

Scholars build a compass using a needle, cork, magnet, and a water-filled cup in order to locate the magnetic north and south.

Have you ever wanted to travel the world? Take a virtual trip with a geography lesson plan that uses longitude and latitude, the position of the sun, an astronomy app, and a classroom globe.

In this magnetic Earth activity, students learn how a compass works with the magnetic poles of the Earth. This activity has 4 short answer questions.

Learners name the different layers of the Earth. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the thickness of each layer. They draw a scaled model of the Earth.

Have your class create their own compass. Using a needle, a container of water and a magnet, have learners explore magnetism. They will love making this useful tool and it will reinforce the fact that Earth has a magnetic field.

Students build their own compass following a given procedure. In this technology lesson, students explain how a compass is used in navigation. They trace the history of its development.

Fifth graders, in groups, create paper bag "globes", complete with magnetic poles. They use compasses to determine and label various locations (N. and S. Poles, Prime Meridian, Equator, etc.) and finish it by drawing in the continents...

Young scholars explain why compass angles need to be corrected for regional magnetic variation. They observe the difference between magnetic and true north. Each student measures the angle of variation for a town in a different state.

Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...