Basic Geography Skills WG SOL 1

Two types of maps: General Purpose: includes political and physical maps Thematic: A thematic map displays special features such as population, climate, vegetation, precipitation etc.

Political and Physical Maps Political Maps Physical maps represent what a region looks like by showing its major physical features, such as hills and plains. Political maps show political borders: continents and countries. Political maps also include symbols and labels for capitals, cities and towns.

Important Map Terms: Compass Rose: shows map orientation (north, south, east, and west) Scale: shows what a measurement on a map is equal to in real life Legend: a key

Location, location location: 2 Types Absolute location: specific address, latitude or longitude Relative location: in relation to another place: north/south/right/left etc.

Sources of Geographic Information: GIS-Geographic Information Systems Satelite Images Maps Databases Field work Photographs Globes

Maps show information using: Symbols: = a church Colors: represent changes in elevation, water is usually blue Lines: usually a river Boundaries: usually a bold line Contours: lines indicate changes in elevation

Mental Maps Mental Map is a map produced by someone’s mind Uses: 1. daily activities such as going to school or driving to church 2. Give directions 3. Understand world events Ways developed and refined: 1. Comparing to a real map 2. Describing the location 3. Describing the relative location

Understanding Globes Lines of Latitude – Imaginary horizontal lines around the globe. *Also called Parallels Lines of Longitude – Imaginary vertical lines around the globe. *Also called Meridians Together, these lines form the global grid. Every place on the earth has its own set of coordinates on the global grid.

How Latitude and Longitude Form the Global Grid OwlTeacher.com

The Hemispheres OwlTeacher.com

Which 2 hemisphere’s do we live in?

THE GLOBAL GRID The Earth is divided by latitude and longitude lines. There are several important lines to know on the earth's surface: #1 is the ARCTIC CIRCLE found at 66 ½ o NORTH of the Equator #2 is the TROPIC OF CANCER found at 23 ½ o NORTH of the Equator #3 is the EQUATOR which splits the earth into two hemispheres at 0o Latitude #4 is the TROPIC OF CAPRICORN found 23 ½ o SOUTH of the Equator. #5 is the ANTARCTIC CIRCLE found at 66 ½ o SOUTH of the Equator 6 #6 is the PRIME MERIDIAN which runs north to south at 0o LONGITUDE

Pencils down.....just listen! Use the pink map cards....

East West, North South on the Earth The N tells us we’re north of the Equator. The S tells us we’re south of the Equator. The E tells us that we’re east of the Prime Meridian. The W tells us that we’re west of the Prime Meridian. (N, W) (N, E) (S, W) (S, E)

East West, North South on the Earth That means all points in North America will have a North latitude and a West longitude because it is North of the Equator and West of the Prime Meridian. (N, W) Prime Meridian

East West, North South on the Earth What would be the latitude and longitude directions in Australia? ? Prime Meridian If you said South and East , you’re right!

So Where is (0,0)? The origin point (0,0) is where the equator intersects the prime meridian. (0,0) is off the western coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.

See If You Can Tell In Which Quarter These Lon/Lats Are Located 1. 41°N, 21°E 2. 37°N, 76°W 3. 72°S, 141°W 4. 7°S, 23°W 5. 15°N, 29°E 6. 34°S, 151°E A B D C

In Summary!

Positioning on the Earth’s Surface North Pole South Pole Latitude and Longitude together enable the fixing of position on the Earth’s surface. Prime Meridian 0o Longitude Longitude 60o West Longitude 30o West 90o Longitude 30o East Longitude 60o East 66½o Latitude 23½o North Tropic of Cancer 23½o 21st June 22nd December 22nd Sept 20th March 90oW 60oW 30oW 90oE 30oE 60oE Equator Latitude 0o 23½o 900 Latitude 23½o South Tropic of Capricorn Longitude 90o West Longitude 90oEast

Now you’re ready to find some locations on a map!

Activity: Bingo with Latitude

Honors Assignment: Create a Map You will be using a mental map to create a paper map. The mental map will be your route to school. Be sure to include your TODALS! You will also include step by step written instructions.