Where on Earth is Roxaboxen? Why might you need to find out where places are? Lesson 1

Location A location is where something is found.

Map A map is a picture that shows the location of something.

Yuma Yuma is a city in Arizona, which is a state in the United States of America. Arizona is close to California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Continent A continent is one of the seven main land areas on the Earth. The seven continents are: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. The United States, Canada, and Mexico are the countries that make up the biggest part of North America.

Ocean An ocean is a large body of salt water. The largest oceans are: the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.

Globe Map A globe is a better model of the Earth because it is round.

Globe Maps do not always show the true shape of the planet or the continents because maps are flat, and the Earth is round. A globe is a better model of the Earth because it is round.

Hemisphere Hemisphere means “half of the Earth” (hemi means “half” and sphere means “ball” or “globe”) If you cut a globe in half from the North Pole to the South Pole, you get the Western Hemisphere to the west and the Eastern Hemisphere to the east.

Equator The equator is an imaginary line that is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. If you cut a globe in half at the equator, you get the Northern Hemisphere to the north and the Southern Hemisphere to the south.

North America North America (the continent in which we live) is in the Northern Hemisphere (north of the equator) and the Western Hemisphere. Every place on the Earth is in two hemispheres at the same time.

Title The title of a map tells you what the map is about. The title is usually at the top of a map.

Symbols Symbols stand for things that are real on the Earth. Some symbols do not look exactly like what they stand for.

Map Key A map key tells what the symbols on the map stand for.

Distance Scale A distance scale measures the distance, or how far it is, between two places on a map.

Compass Rose A compass rose tells you directions, or which way you need to go to get someplace. The four cardinal directions are north (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W)