Student Activities for Latitude and Longitude
The 14 questions of Set 1 of the Activities for Latitude and Longitude are designed as an introductory exercise. An additional seven sets of exercises focus on practising and extending basic skills. Skills Master 22: Testing Your Skills: Latitude andLongitude is provided as a formal assessment tool, but any of the sets of activities can also be used this purpose.
Activities for Latitude and Longitude, Set 1
Atlas Page 170Answer on a separate sheet of lined paper.
1.Define the term “latitude.”
2.Define the term “longitude.”
3.How many degrees of latitude are there in one hemisphere?
4.What is the name of the line at 0 degrees latitude?
5.What is the name of the point at 90 degrees north latitude?
6.What is the name of the point at 90 degrees south latitude?
7.What are the names of the features found at the following latitudes?
a)23 ½°Nb)66 ½°N
c)23 ½°S d)66 1/2°S
8.How many degrees of longitude are there in one hemisphere?
9.What is the name of the line at 0 degrees longitude?
10.What is the name of the line at 180 degrees longitude?
11.Skills Master 8 is a model of the longitude/latitude grid of the Earth based on the Prime Meridian. You will note that the lines of longitude do not converge as they do on the real Earth. However, you can use this grid to plot locations. Locate the following places on the grid on Skills Master 8: Grid: Prime Meridian. Use a dot and a letter or a line and a letter to locate the places.
a)Prime Meridianb)equatorc)Tropic of Cancer
d)Tropic of Capricorne)Arctic Circlef)Antarctic Circle
g)10°N, 20°Wh) 60°S, 30°Ei)20°N, 40°E
j)60°N, 0°k)35°N, 20°El)75°S, 25°W
m)33°S, 27°En)5°N, 43°Wo)17°S, 64°E
12.Skills Master 9 uses a grid similar to the one used in the previous exercise but based on the 180 degrees longitude baseline rather than the Prime Meridian. Use this diagram to do the following activities.
12.1Label the International Date Line and the equator.
12.2Label the lines of longitude (which are drawn on the diagram but not labeled) at 15-degree intervals from the International Date Line and indicate whether they are east or west of the Prime Meridian.
12.3Locate the following on Skills Master 9: Grid: International Date Line, using the letters indicated for each location:
a)15°N, 120°Eb)45°S, 135°Wc)5°N, 160°W
d)40°N, 180°e)7°N, 105°Wf)62°S, 105°E
g)32°N, 157°E
13.Explain why there is no indication of east or west for location j) in activity 11.
14.Explain why there is no indication of east or west for location d) in activity 12.
Activities for Latitude and Longitude, Set 2
Use Skills Master 10 to complete the following activities.
1.Insert the correct numbers for all lines of latitude and longitude shown.
2.Indicate whether the lines are north or south in terms of latitude, east or west in terms of longitude.
3.Give the latitude and longitude for the locations identified by the following letters:
A______B______C______
D______E______F______
G______H______I______
J______K______
4.Which locations identified in activity 3 are closest to the equator?
______
5.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Prime Meridian?
______
6.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Tropic of Cancer?
______
7.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Tropic of Capricorn?
______
Activities for Latitude and Longitude, Set 3
Use Skills Master 11 to answer the following questions.
1.Insert the correct numbers for all lines of latitude and longitude shown on Skills Master 11.
2.Indicate whether the lines are north or south in terms of latitude, east or west in terms of longitude.
3.Draw on the map and label the Tropic of Capricorn, the Tropic of Cancer, the Arctic Circle, and the Antarctic Circle.
4.Give the latitude and longitude for the locations identified by the following letters:
A______B______C______
D______E______F______
G______H______I______
J______K______
5.Which location identified in activity 4 is closest to the equator? ______
6.Which locations identified in activity 4 are closest to the Prime Meridian? ______
7.Which location identified in activity 4 is closest to the Tropic of Cancer? ______
8.Which location identified in activity 4 is closest to the Tropic of Capricorn? ______
9.How many degrees of latitude are there between B and D? ______
10.How many degrees of longitude are there between A and C? ______
Activities for Latitude and Longitude, Set 4
Use Skills Master 12 to complete the following activities.
1.Insert the correct numbers for all lines of latitude and longitude shown on Skills Master 12.
2.Indicate whether the lines are north or south in terms of latitude, east or west in terms of longitude.
3.Give the latitude and longitude for the locations identified by the following letters:
A______B______C______
D______E______F______
G______H______I______
J______K______L______
4.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the equator? _____
5.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Prime Meridian? ______
6.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Tropic of Cancer? _____
7.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Tropic of Capricorn? ______
8.How many degrees of latitude are there between C and D? ______
9.How many degrees of longitude are there between B and D? ______
Activities for Latitude and Longitude, Set 5
Use Skills Master 13 to complete the following activities.
1.Insert the correct numbers for all lines of latitude and longitude shown on Skills Master 13.
2.Indicate whether the lines are north or south in terms of latitude, east or west in terms of longitude.
3.Give the latitude and longitude for the locations identified by the following letters:
A______B______C______
D______E______F______
G______H______I______
J______
4.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the equator? ______
5.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the International Date Line? ______
6.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Arctic Circle? ______
7.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Tropic of Capricorn? ______
8.Which location identified in activity 3 is closest to the Antarctic Circle? ______
9.How many degrees of latitude are there between A and C? ______
10.How many degrees of longitude are there between A and J? ______
Examine the climographs on page 160 of the Pearson School Atlas.
1.In words, describe the temperature pattern at Darwin.
2.In words, describe the precipitation pattern at Darwin.
3.Even Darwin has a dry season: from April to October. Calculate what percentage of Darwin's precipitation falls
in the summer period. (Hint: Be careful. When is summer?)
4.Location affects precipitation patterns to a great degree.
4.1During what season of the year does much of the precipitation take place in Perth?
4.2Review the other climographs included in the World Regional section of the Pearson School Atlas —pages 114, 118, 124, 130, 140, 144, 148, 156. Identify which other stations have a maximum of precipitation in the season identified in 4.1
4.3Plot these locations on a blank world map (Line Master 11).
4.4Identify any similarities about the locations of the stations the group identified in 4.3.
4.5Develop a hypothesis regarding the similarities of location you identified in 4.4.
5.The statistics below are the climatic data for an unidentified Australian city.
5.1Use these statistics to construct a climograph similar to those in the Pearson School Atlas .
5.2Suggest a location for the city. Give the reasons for your choice.
J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D / AnnualT / 22 / 22 / 21 / 18 / 14 / 13 / 11 / 13 / 14 / 17 / 19 / 21 / 17
P / 17 / 17 / 25 / 45 / 70 / 78 / 68 / 63 / 50 / 42 / 30 / 35
T = temperature in degrees Celsius
P = precipitation in millimetres
6.Referring to the climographs on page 160 of the Atlas, speculate on what factors could explain the following aspects of the climate in the following areas:
a)the extreme aridity (dryness) of Alice Springs
b)the cool temperatures of Dunedin
c)the low range in temperature in Dunedin
d)the even nature of the precipitation in Dunedin
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