Latitude and longitude
I can use latitude and longitude to locate places around the world.
Latitude and longitude
I can use latitude and longitude to locate places around the world.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Lines of latitude are horizontal circles on Earth, measured in degrees north or south of the Equator.
- Lines of longitude are vertical circles on Earth, measured in degrees east or west of the Greenwich Meridian.
- We can use coordinates to locate places around the world.
- GPS uses coordinates in communication and transport systems to help society function.
Keywords
Hemisphere - one half of Earth, usually divided into the Northern or Southern Hemisphere by the Equator, or Eastern and Western Hemispheres by a line that runs through the Poles.
Prime Meridian - the line of longitude at 0 degrees, from which the other lines of longitude are measured east and west.
Equator - an imaginary line encircling Earth at 0° latitude and is an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole.
Common misconception
Latitude lines run vertically down the Earth.
Latitude lines run horizontally while longitude lines run vertically.
Equipment
Atlases and globes can be used in the lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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