Grade 4 · Social Studies · Lesson 11

Understand Latitude and Longitude

Geographers use an invisible grid drawn on the Earth to describe the exact location of any place on the planet. This grid is made up of two sets of lines: lines of latitude and lines of longitude. Together they create a coordinate system that works like a giant address for every point on Earth.

What this lesson teaches

1Explain what latitude and longitude lines are and how they are used
2Locate the equator and the prime meridian on a globe or map
3Read and write coordinates using degrees, N/S, and E/W
4Identify a location using its latitude and longitude coordinates

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