1. Mr. Perkins 8th Grade Geography
The Coordinate System
Classroom Script:
Mr. Perkins: Good Morning Class!
Class: Good morning Mr. Perkins!
Mr. Perkins: Today we will learn about the coordinate system.
Mr. Perkins: Please take out your notebook as we will have testable material you’ll want to write down.
Mr. Perkins: Who can tell me where we are right now?
Class: School, [insert schools address], your class.

2. What is our exact location on Earth?
How would you tell a person exactly where you are if they have never been here?
Classroom Script:
Mr. Perkins: How would you tell a person exactly where you are, who hasn’t been here before?
Class: [various responses, leading to] Coordinates.

3. What is our exact location on Earth?
36°02’17” North 114°58’51” West
We use a gridded system to narrow down an exact location.
This is an example of an Absolute Location.
As a society we use Relative Location for directions or describing where a location is. “We are in the Southeast side of town.” or “Go Left onto Lake Mead PKWY and the store will be on the right.”
Classroom Script:
Mr. Perkins: We are at {insert actual schools coordinates} [the power point is set for city center Henderson, NV]
Mr. Perkins: We use the coordinate system to narrow down our exact location. Or Absolute location.
Class: Neat!
Mr. Perkins: As a society we use Relative Location for directions or describing where a location is. “We are in the Southeast side of town.” or “Go Mr. Perkins: Left onto Lake Mead PKWY and the store will be on the right.”

4. Absolute Location Vs Relative Location
Absolute location is a place's exact spot on a map, while relative location is an estimate of where a place is in relation to other landmarks. Absolute location is defined by latitude and longitude measurements. Relative location is used in conversational language and for giving rough directions.
Mr. Perkins: Please take this time to write down the definitions for Absolute and Relative Location.
Mr. Perkins: Absolute location is a place's exact spot on a map, defined by latitude and longitude measurements.
Mr. Perkins: Relative location is an estimate of where a place is in relation to other landmarks, used in conversational language and for giving rough directions.

5. Coordinate Terms
degrees - A unit of measure used to determine absolute location; on globes and maps, lines of latitude and longitude are measured in degrees.
minute - 1/60 of a degree.
Second – 1/60 of a minute or 1/3600 of a degree.
Mr. Perkins: The degree is a unit of measurement that is used to determine absolute location; on globes and maps, lines of latitude and longitude are measured in degrees. For more specific location we use Minutes that equal 1/60th of a degree. (city blocks) and seconds that equal 1/60th of a minute.(small buildings and trees) following the degree number to even further narrow a location.

6. Coordinate Breakdown Degree Minute Second Orientation
36° ’ ” North
Degree Minute Second Orientation
114° 58’ 51” West
Mr. Perkins: Lets break down a line of latitude. The red box is the degree with the ° degree symbol.
Mr. Perkins: The minute is in the green box followed by an ‘ apostrophe to represent minutes
Mr. Perkins: The Second is in the blue box and is followed by the a singular “ quotations symbol.
Mr. Perkins: The Orientation indication for this Line of latitude is North or N. That say that this point is north of the Equator.
Mr. Perkins: The same format is used for Longitude.
Mr. Perkins: Who can tell me the degree of longitude?
Class: (raises hand) 114°
Mr. Perkins: Correct! Who can tell me the minute?
Class: (raises hand) 58’
Mr. Perkins: Correct! Who can tell me the second?
Class: (raises hand) 51”
Mr. Perkins: Correct!
Mr. Perkins: Now since our point is West what is it West of?
Class: silence [not expecting an answer but correct answers would be Prime Meridian, or Greenwich, England.]
Mr. Perkins: Greenwich, England
Class: What?
Mr. Perkins: Because that is where Royal Observatory is.

7. Longitude
longitude lines - A series of imaginary lines, also called meridians, that run north and south, from one pole to the other; used to measure the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian in degrees.
Mr. Perkins: With competing map makers the majority of the world decided on Greenwich, England due to Mr. Perkins: its popularity amongst many long voyage ships in 1884.
Mr. Perkins: but what is a meridian?
Class: A line going north to south
Mr. Perkins: Correct, they are used to measure from East to West.
Mr. Perkins: Class, Please write down the definition for Longitude.

8. Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian - The line of longitude that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole through Greenwich, England; it is designated 0° longitude and is the reference point from which lines of east and west longitude are measured.
Mr. Perkins: Now that you know of the Prime Meridian, does anyone know what is its opposite?
Class: Anti-Meridian
Mr. Perkins: correct!! Anti-meridian. The anti-meridian runs on the opposite side of the planet and it splits the Pacific Ocean.
Mr. Perkins: Class, Please write down the definition for Prime Meridian

9. Latitude
latitude lines- A series of imaginary lines, also called parallels, that circle the Earth parallel to the Equator; used to measure a distance north or south of the Equator in degrees.
Mr. Perkins: Now let move on to Latitude. These lines measure North and South of the equator.
Mr. Perkins: Class, please write down its definition.

10. Equator
Equator - An imaginary line that circles the globe at its widest point, dividing the Earth into two halves called hemispheres; used as a reference point from which north and south latitudes are measured.
Mr. Perkins: Class, please write down equators definition.
Mr. Perkins: Class, it is now time to distribute the class laptops. [or Ipads/ whatever will run the program]

11. Activity As a class, lets find the below location.
Locate 38°53 North, 77°02 West
What is at this absolute location?
Is it man made or natural?
What country is it in?
Once everyone is ready
Mr. Perkins: Class, please start up Google Earth and follow along.
[give them a moment to get the program started.]
Mr. Perkins: Class, which direction to I need to go with my mouse to get to 38°53 North?
Class: Up/North
Mr. Perkins: correct, as I go up/North my Latitude increases.
Mr. Perkins: Now that I am at 38°53 North what direction do I need to go to get to 77°02?
Class: right/East
Mr. Perkins: Correct, now that we have centered on our coordinate what is here?
Class: The White House
Mr. Perkins: Is the White house man made or natural?
Class: manmade
Mr. Perkins: and what country is it in?
Class: The United States of America
Mr. Perkins: Perhaps that was too easy.

12. Practice 36°41North , 108°50 West 51°30 North , 0°04 West
What is at this absolute location?
Is it man made or natural?
What country is it in?
51°30 North , 0°04 West
Mr. Perkins: Class, it is your turn. Find first above location and write down the answers to the questions.
Mr. Perkins: Please raise you hand once you found it.
Mr. Perkins: [ walk through the class helping students ]
Class: {Finished}
Mr. Perkins: What was the location of the first point.
Class: Ship Rock, NM?
Mr. Perkins: how is it made?
Class: Its Natural
Mr. Perkins: Okay, lets find the second one.
Mr. Perkins: Alright class what was it?
Class: The London Bridge
Mr. Perkins: is it manmade or natural?
Class: Manmade!
Mr. Perkins: What country is it in?
Class: England

13. Activity
You will use Google Earth to identify locations based on the coordinates on the work sheet.
Finished early?
Lets find the bonus ones
11°19 North , 142°34 East
25°00 North , 55°01 East
Write your answers at the bottom on your sheet.
Mr. Perkins: [Passes out worksheet]
Mr. Perkins: Alright class you will have until [5-10 remaining in class] to finish the worksheet. What you
don’t finish will be homework. [Make accommodations to students that might not have ability to use google earth at home]
Mr. Perkins: Raise your hand if you have any questions or run into issues.
Mr. Perkins: [ walk through the class helping students ]

14. Wrap up What is the absolute location of your home?
Mr. Perkins: Alright class, did anyone get to the bonus questions?
Class: Yes/No
Mr. Perkins: That’s okay if you didn’t.
Mr. Perkins: before we close the laptops. Find the absolute location of your home.
Mr. Perkins: Please write it on the back of the worksheet. ~
Mr. Perkins: Lets put away the laptops.
Class: Okay.

15. Define in your own words
Absolute location
Relative location
Degree
Latitude
Longitude
Prime Meridian
Equator
Mr. Perkins: Class for our last activity or homework I want you to define todays geography terms in your own words on a separate sheet of paper, to be turned in with your coordinates worksheet.
Mr. Perkins: That concludes today class, any work you didn’t finish will be homework that is due tomorrow.