Before maps went mobile, people actually had to learn how to read maps. Pupils look at map elements in order to understand how to read them and locate specific locations. Finally, young cartographers discover how to make aerial maps.

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...

Youngsters work in groups to solve clues involving latitude and longitude coordinates in order to decipher mystery animals in this fun learning experience!

Students research the climate patterns of various locations and make predictions based on their findings. They determine the importance of latitude and longitude in weather and climate. Students create graphs displaying their collected...

Students compare/contrast the grid and latitude/longitude system used on a globe. They describe the areas which are considered to be a tropical, temperate, and polar, based on knowledge of climates.

Students analyze Columbus' rationale for sailing west, and find the latitude and longitude of modern and ancient place names.

Take out a map, a paper, a ruler, and those coveted colored pencils for a lesson on Chinese culture and geography. This is a multifaceted approach to basic geography skills that incorporate story telling, class discussion, primary source...

Young scholars examine how Christopher Columbus determined his latitude.

Fifth graders explore places visited by Lewis and Clark. In this geographical concepts lesson, 5th graders plot places on a map and put events in chronological order. Students find locations on a map using longitude and latitude....

Students acquire a working knowledge of the geographical concepts: absolute location, relative location, longitude and latitude. They analyze primary sources that shows the physical and human characteristics of the places along the 1899...

Introduce your class to map projections and coordinates, the basics for the work done in a GIS, with an activity that uses Google Earth to challenge learners to think about the earth's shape. 

Students play a bingo-type game to locate cities by coordinates. They explain the use of orientation on a map and identify cities in the western hemisphere. They compare road maps, shutttle images, and a CIR image and obtain an...

This resource provides two ways to engage learners in using latitude, longitude, and research skills. In pairs, or on their own, learners will locate several Antarctic regions on a map. They will write the name of the place and a few key...

Learners identify Earth's equator, prime meridian, lines of latitude, lines of longitude, parallels, and meridians.

Learners identify longitude and latitude and how they were, and are, determined, and discuss the rudiments of navigation in the eighteenth century.

Students discover plate boundaries based on the uneven geographic occurrence of geologic hazards. After discussing geologic hazards, students plot different sets of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on maps.

Students are shown the very basics of navigation. The concepts of relative and absolute location, latitude, longitude and cardinal directions are discussed, as well as the use and principles of a map and compass.

Students identify the location of the 50 states using an interactive map. They practice geography skills by playing a fun game. Pupils become familiar with the state abbreviations for the US states. Students become familiar with the...

Students discover the connection between geography and folklore in several African nations. In groups, they record information from maps of their assigned countries. Students observe the pictures in books and match the geographic...

How did the 2017 eclipse look in Los Angeles—or Chicago? Experience both views, plus many more, using a lesson from PBS's Space series for middle schoolers. Scholars follow the movements of the sun, moon, and Earth during the most recent...

Young geographers discover not only how to read and recognize coordinates on a map, but also gain a deeper understanding of latitude and longitude and how climate changes can vary significantly across latitudes.

Learners work in pairs to locate the ancient cities on a world atlas using the longitude and latitude measurements. They examine the physical and human futures that explain their locations.

Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using...

Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude to determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph, and find locations using the Earth's coordinate system....