STUDENT MATERIALS
How do longitude and latitude help us analyze data and solve problems?
“Where Am I?”
In this activity, you will think about all the different ways you could communicate your location to someone. Reflecting on a series of photos, you will write in response to a few prompts.
“The Orange Challenge”
In this activity, you will discover how the spherical shape of Earth is captured on a two-dimensional map by experimenting with oranges. Following the provided instructions, you will try to turn an orange peel into a map of the world.
“The Orange Challenge” instructions
“The Quest to Calculate Longitude”
In this activity, you will watch and analyze a video about the development of the first machine that could accurately calculate longitude. As you watch the video, you will fill out a corresponding handout.
“The Longitude Problem” handout
“Comparing Map Projections”
In this activity, you will compare and contrast different map projections, paying special attention to how the longitude and latitude are presented in each model. You will study the map projections in the provided document and answer corresponding questions. Then, you will watch a video about the topic.
“Basic Map Skills – Longitude and Latitude”
In this activity, you will learn how to read longitude and latitude on a map. You will complete a practice worksheet.“Longitude and Latitude” practice worksheet
“Maps Practice – Longitude and Latitude”
In this activity, you will practice reading longitude and latitude using Google Earth.
“Google Earth – Longitude and Latitude” handout
“Null Island – Defining a Culture”
In this activity, you will create a culture for “null island” – the fictional place located at 0°N, 0°E. Before creating fictional cultural artifacts for the place, you will first read an article about it.
Waypoint Hide and Seek
In this activity, you will practice using a GPS device (or an equivalent mobile app) to mark and find waypoints, in preparation for using this kind of technology while collecting citizen science data. Both sample instructions for students are provided below, along with a couple of resources related to public geocaching.
“Waypoint Hide and Seek” – sample instructions
“Researching GPS”
In this activity, you will explore a variety of sources to learn more about how GPS works and the different ways it can be used. The choice board for this activity is provided below.