Map Skills: Finding Any Place
Aligned to C3.D2.Geo.2 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Maps use a grid of lines to help us find places. Lines of latitude run east–west and measure how far north or south a place is; lines of longitude run north–south and measure east or west. A map's key and scale explain the symbols and distances.
Worked example
To find a city, you read its coordinates like an address: 40 degrees north, 105 degrees west. Where those two lines cross is the exact spot, just like a seat number tells you where to sit at a game.
Practice questions
- Which lines measure how far north or south a place is?
- Explain how latitude and longitude work together to find one exact place.
- You have a map with a scale that says one inch equals 50 miles. How would you figure out the real distance between two towns three inches apart?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Habilidades con Mapas: Encontrar Cualquier Lugar
Los mapas usan una cuadrícula de líneas para ayudarnos a encontrar lugares. Las líneas de latitud van de este a oeste y miden qué tan al norte o al sur está un lugar; las líneas de longitud van de norte a sur y miden hacia el este o el oeste. La leyenda y la escala del mapa explican los símbolos y las distancias.
Ejemplo: Para encontrar una ciudad, lees sus coordenadas como una dirección: 40 grados norte, 105 grados oeste. Donde se cruzan esas dos líneas está el punto exacto, igual que un número de asiento te dice dónde sentarte en un partido.
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