Chapter 2 Lesson 4 "Latitude"

Materials:

• Worksheet, "Latitude"
• Note paper for class notes.

Objective:

• Students will explain what a global grid is.
• Students will define latitude.
• Students will estimate a point's latitude.

Anticipatory Set:* Students will be shown a globe without any lines on it. Students will try to explain the location of the Hawaiian islands. What would help us explain the location of the islands. Most students know the answer. What we are going to do is learn more than just latitude. We will be able to explain and estimate the degrees of latitude across a globe.

Students will be shown a corner of a paper and asked what the angle of the corner. Teacher will use a protractor to measure the angle. Now if we combine two of the papers together what do we have. Teacher will then add a third and fourth paper with a second protractor and explain that a circle has 360 degrees. Change the picture of a circle into a picture of the globe. Draw a line across the middle. Have the students name the line. Explain that this is zero degrees. then with a protractor mark the north pole. What is the degree angle formed to go to the north pole? Next mark off the degrees on both sides of the circle and draw lines across.

What are the names of the lines across. Will they ever cross? What do you call two lines that never cross. Parallels Are these lines parallel? (Yes)

Teacher Input:* Define some of the key words we have talked about. Have the students put them in their notes. (latitude, Equator, Parallel, Degree.

Thursday is a very special day. Does anyone know what is is? (First day of fall) Why is that important? What does it mean? On the first day of fall the sun is directly over what attitude line? On the first day of Winter the sun is directly over what latitude line? On the first day of spring the sun is over what latitude line? On the first day of summer what latitude line is the sun directly above. Use these pictures in the discussion:

Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle

If you were given a degree of latitude could you make a good hypothesis about the average temperature of that place. Show the seasons.

Go over the degrees latitude and ask if you were at X degrees right now would you want to wear a swim suit, jeans and a t-shirt, or a winter parka and good boots.

Show this picture and go through several locations? Looking at this map is it possible to estimate your latitude, How?

Guided Practice:* Work with the students on the answers to the questions on Page 45 give one question to each site and then go around and have them give you the answers.

Independent Practice:* Have the students complete the worksheet on Latitude.

Check for Understanding:* Students should take the quiz on latitude.

Duration:

30 minutes + 10-15 for Independent Practice (Could be longer if taken for homework).

Alaska Performance Science Standards Addressed in this lesson:

• A.4 Earth
  Conduct research and make predictions about tides, weather, seasons, and phases of the moon and correlate these natural events to the motion of the Earth within our solar system.
• A.5 Forces of Nature
  Describe gravity as the force that governs orbital motion in the solar system and motion of the tides on the Earth, and describe light as radiation that travels in a straight line that can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed by matter.
• A.7 Processes that Shape the Earth
  Use models to explain how large scale movements within the Earth's interior cause changes on the Earth's surface
• A.15 Local Knowledge
  Conduct research to learn how the local environment is used by a variety of competing interests including local plant and animal populations, individual families, the local community, and outside sources such as oil and mining companies, hunting groups, and tourists.