How do longitude and latitude help us analyze data and solve problems?
In this lesson, students will learn what longitude and latitude are, how to read and create maps featuring longitude and latitude coordinates, and how GPS technology can be used to solve scientific problems.
What are longitude and latitude?
- Reflect on how a 3-D coordinate grid can be visually represented on a 2-D map
- Learn about the invention of John Harrison’s H4 clock
- Compare different map projections
How do you read longitude and latitude on a map?
- Learn about the basics of the coordinate grid (the Equator, the Prime Meridian, longitude and latitude lines and degrees, etc.)
- Practice finding locations on a map based on their longitude and latitude coordinates
- Do calculations related to longitude and latitude (e.g. converting between decimal and degrees, finding distance and midpoint between two locations, etc.)
What is GPS, and for what purposes can it be used?
- Discover what GPS is and how it works
- Learn about how GPS technology is evolving
- Explore real world applications for GPS technology
- Practice using GPS technology by completing a geocaching challenge
Discipline: Science
Sub-discipline(s): Geoscience
Grade level: 9-12
Summative Performance Task
Description: The students will write a short essay about how longitude and latitude can be used for citizen science.
Assessment method(s): Essay
Assessment criteria:
- Did the student list multiple ways that GPS technology can be used for problem-solving, citing specific examples from the lesson?
- Did the student recognize that GPS technology can benefit citizen science projects by allowing for more accurate re-testing?
- Did the student explain how creating a map with GPS coordinates can reveal important patterns or trends in data?
- Did the student acknowledge that creating a map is a great way to share data with an audience visually?
- Did the student come up with multiple ways that GPS technology could be used for problem-solving in their own community?
- Did the student come up with at least one way that the GPS technology they used for the geocaching activity could be used for problem-solving in their own community?
- Did the student explain how GPS technology can benefit multiple steps of the scientific method?
Taking Informed Action
Description: In this activity, the students will use GPS technology to complete a citizen science project that benefits their own community (like the Solution Plan Project).
Assessment method(s): Quick write; map
Assessment criteria:
- Did the student demonstrate the ability to properly use GPS technology? (i.e. did their coordinates on their map make sense? Did they match up with other students’ maps?)
- Did the student recognize any patterns in the data (or a lack thereof)?
- Did the student generate logical explanations for the data patterns (or a lack thereof)?
- Does the student’s map tell a clear and accurate story of the data they collected?
Types of activities featured in this lesson plan...
C3 Standards
- SC.HS.12.2.C Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate and scale of global or regional climate changes.
- SC.HS.13.3.A Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
- SC.HS.13.3.D Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and their effects on Earth materials, surface processes, and groundwater systems.
- SC.HS.15.5.C Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Give your students a more integrated educational experience
Overlapping standards and skills
- Geography: The topic and themes of this lesson are intimately connected to the subject of geography. Students will learn how to read longitude and latitude on a map, as well as do related calculations (like finding the midpoint between two locations). They will also learn about the development and applications of different map projections. Furthermore, they will use GPS technology to mark and find precise locations, and they will use this location data to create maps. The only thing setting this lesson apart from a geography lesson is the stated learning standards; you could easily adapt it to a geography class. Completing this lesson would fulfill geoliteracy standards.
- History: In this lesson, students learn about the invention of navigation tools like John Harrison’s H4 clock and GPS devices. In a history class, they could take a deeper dive into the technology that allows us to calculate and communicate longitude and latitude coordinates.
- Art: During one activity in this lesson, the students are asked to create a fictional culture for “Null Island,” a unique location on the world map. To do this, they will need to create a cultural artifact, such as a flag, a national anthem, or a travel brochure. This activity offers students an opportunity to express themselves through music and/or visual art. Consider collaborating with a music or art teacher.
- Math: During this lesson, students are taught not only how to read longitude and latitude on a map, but also how to do related mathematical calculations. For example, they will practice converting between decimal and degree form, as well as finding the distance and midpoint between two locations. This activity provides students with an opportunity to practice dealing with unfamiliar units and dissecting story problems. Consider collaborating with a math teacher. The students could not only practice these calculations in their math class, but they could also try more complicated calculations and explore their foundations.
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