1. United States in Spatial Terms Where is the United States Located
United States in Spatial Terms Where is the United States Located? Unit 2 Lesson 1

2. Content Expectations
4 - G1.0.2: Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the relative location of significant places in the United States.
4 - G1.0.3: Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes (e.g., measure distance, determine relative location, classify a region) of a variety of geographic tools and technologies (e.g., globe, map, satellite image).
Integrated GLCE’s
W.PR.04.02: Apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both narrative and informational writing (e.g., graphic organizers such as maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., plot, setting, conflicts/resolutions, definition/description, or chronological sequence).

3. E nvironment Interaction L ocation P lace
Think like a Geographer
What questions might a geographer might ask about the United States?
M ovement
R egions
H uman/
E nvironment Interaction
L ocation
P lace

4. the five themes of geography1
the five themes of geography
five big ideas that help people understand geography
Example: Location is one of the five themes of geography.

5. political boundaries
lines that define the border of a country or state
Example: There is a political boundary between the and countries.

6. Label the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Describe the relative location of the United States using political boundaries.

7. where a place is located in relation to other places
location
the geographic theme that answers the question “Where is it?” Example: Maps can be used to find out the location of a place.
relative location
where a place is located in relation to other places
Example: The United Stated is located north of the country of Mexico.

8. Possible answers include:
• The United States borders Mexico and Canada.
• The United States is located mostly north of Mexico.
• The United States is located mostly south of Canada.
• The United States is located between Canada and Mexico.

9. continent
one of the seven large landmasses of the Earth
Example: The United States is part of the continent of North America .

10. a region created when the Earth is divided in half
hemisphere
a region created when the Earth is divided in half
Example: The Earth can be divided into the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. It can also be divided into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
The Northern Hemisphere
The Western Hémisphère

11. Look at map of globe in social studies book.
Make inferences about the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemispheres.
(What do you notice?)

12. • All of North America is in the Northern hemisphere.
• More countries are in the Northern hemisphere than the Southern hemisphere.
• The North Pole is in the Northern hemisphere and the South Pole is in the Southern hemisphere.
• All of North America is in the Northern hemisphere.
• Most of South America is in the Southern hemisphere.
• There are some countries that are partly in the Northern hemisphere and partly in the Southern hemisphere.

13. Outline Map of North America

14. Equator
an imaginary line that divides the Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres
Example: The is located north of the equator.

15. Prime Meridian
an imaginary line that divides the Earth into Western and Eastern Hemispheres
Example: The United States is located west of the Prime Meridian

16. Describe the relative location of the United States using the Prime Meridian and the concept of hemisphere.
Example: The United States is located west of the Prime Meridian

17. Using the globe or map of “The Western Hemisphere,” make inferences about the Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemispheres. What do you notice?

18. Possible answers include:
• Fewer countries are in the Western Hemisphere than the Eastern Hemisphere.
• All of North America is in the Western Hemisphere.
• A section of the western part of Africa is in the Western Hemisphere.
• All of Asia is in the Eastern Hemisphere.

19. 9
absolute location
the location of a point on the Earth by use of a grid system
Example: We can find the absolute location of a place by using a globe.

20. We use imaginary lines called longitude and latitude to find absolute location.

21. Where is the United States
Graphic Organizer
Where is the United States
located?
Continent
Political
Boundaries
Hemisphere
Equator
Prime
Meridian
Northern
Western
North
America
Mostly North of Mexico
Mostly South of Canada

22. Using political boundaries
Describing the Relative Location of the United States
By continent
Using political boundaries
By hemisphere
Using the equator
Using the Prime Meridian
Think of one more way to describe the relative location of the U.S. 

23. Describing the Relative Location of the United States – Sample Answers
By continent
The is located on the continent of North America.
Using political boundaries
The is north of Mexico.
The is south of Canada.
By hemisphere
The is located in the Northern Hemisphere.
The is located in the .
Using the equator
The is north of the equator.
Using the Prime Meridian
The is west of the Prime Meridian.
Think of one more way to describe the relative location of the  
The United States is located west of Europe and Africa.

24. Questions Geographers Ask
Theme
Questions
Location
Where is it?
What is its absolute location?
What is its relative location?
Place
What is it like there?
What are its natural characteristics?
What are its human characteristics?

25. Human/Environment
Interaction
How do people interact with the environment?
How have people used the environment?
How have people adapted to the environment?
How have people modified or changed the environment?

26. Movement
How is the place connected to other places?
How and why have people, goods, and ideas moved in and out of the place?
Regions
How might common geographic characteristics help us understand this place?
How can the place be divided into regions?
To what regions does the place belong?

27. Big Ideas of Lesson 1, Unit 2
Big Ideas Card
Big Ideas of Lesson 1, Unit 2
Location is where a place is on the Earth’s surface.
Geographers investigate both the absolute and relative location of places.
A variety of geographic representations including maps and globes can help answer the question: Where is the located?
The United States is located on the continent of North America.
The United
States is located on the planet of the Earth. It is also located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth.
The equator and the Prime Meridian are used to define the hemispheres of Earth.

28. References
Egbo, Carol. Supplemental Materials (Unit 2, Lesson 1). Teacher-made material. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative, 2008.
The Northern Hemisphere. Wikimedia Commons. 7 October 2008 <
Outline Map of North America. About.com. 7 October 2008 <
The Western Hemisphere. Wikimedia Commons. 7 October 2008 <