SUBJECT: Science
GRADE: 7,8,9
GROUP SIZE: Large
TIME: 45 minutes
TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Student Activity Skill Review
TEACHING STRATEGY: Expository Guided Discovery
CONCEPTS: Longitude Latitude Position
SKILLS: Map Reading Reading and Reporting Data
Objectives: To review the concepts of latitude and longitude; to gain experience locating and reporting the position of sites on Earth in degrees of latitude and longitude.
latitude and longitude worksheet
Materials: Study sheet; pencils; map of the U.S. or a globe; straight edge.
Teacher Background Information:
It is essential that students be able to locate the latitude and longitude of an area on the Earth in order to use Landsat maps. The next lesson will introduce Landsat images and have students locate the position on Earth of the images supplied with the lesson.
This lesson has the students locate the position of several facilities important to NASA and the Shuttle program. See if the students can determine the common denominator of the locations following their having determined the latitude and longitude of each.
Procedure:
- Reproduce the study sheet for each student.
- Using a map of the U.S., have the students locate the latitude and longitude of each position marked with a circle on the study sheet.
- Have the students record their positions on the sheet.
- What are some possible relationships between the locations circled on the map? Find out more about the facilities which can be found at the locations marked and their relationship to the space program.
Extensions: Have the students plot imaginary flights from one coordinate to another on a map. Review activity 57 in the “Come Fly With Me!” K-6 manual.
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