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Geography 417

Geography Lab - Using the Geographic Grid

Image: Flag of CaliforniaBefore you Start:

It's always a good idea to print a copy of this exercise out first.  Then you can pencil  in your answers on the paper copy as you go through the assignment.  Should your internet connection fail, then you won't have to start over.  Also, you'll have a 'hard copy' as proof that you did the assignment.  When you enter your answers, remember to press TAB after you have typed in a response.  You can also use your mouse to move to the next response box.  DO NOT press enter until you are finished.  Once you press Enter or click the Submit button below, you will be redirected to a page that displays your answers.  It's a good idea to keep a copy of this as well.

 

Background.  The state of California requires 4th graders to be able to:

  1. Explain and use the coordinate grid system of latitude and longitude to determine the absolute locations of places in California and on Earth.
  2. Distinguish between the North and South Poles; the equator and the prime meridian; the tropics; and the hemispheres, using coordinates to plot locations.

This is not difficult, but it is imperative that you master these basic skills and that you understand the logic behind the geographic grid well enough to effectively teach your pupils how to use the grid system.  This exercise is designed to either introduce you to these concepts or refresh your memory.   Other courses, such as Introduction to Physical Geography or World Regional Geography should perhaps offer a more in-depth look at the geographic grid and how to make use of it.

In order to read many maps effectively you need to understand how the geographic coordinate system works.  As important, you need to understand many of the concepts below to understand other common geographic notions.

 

 

Part 1 : Vocabulary and Fundamentals

Click the link below to open a short refresher on the grid system and the two major coordinate systems you may encounter using a Global Positioning System (G.P.S) or as you teach these concepts to students. After you have read through this information, answer the questions below to demonstrate your comprehension of the vocabulary and basic concepts.

Refresher / Primer on Geographic Coordinate Systems (.pdf)

In the sentences below, there are response boxes into which you should type the best answer to each "fill-in-the-blank" question.

1. The____________ is the basic point (or line) of reference for all lines of latitude. How far north or south on a map are measured as an angle from this line.

2. If you were to say you were 15 degrees west of New York City, you would need to reference your position with a line of _________________. .

3. The spot in the Northern hemisphere where all lines of longitude converge is called the ______ ____________. This spot is 90 degrees north latitude.

4. The _______ _________ runs through Greenwich Observatory in England and is neither East nor West, but 0 degrees longitude.

5.  Another name for a line of longitude is a ________________ .

6.  The largest number for degrees of longitude is _______________degrees.

7. Convert into decimal degrees (D.D.) the D.M.S. latitude location 39 degrees, 30 minutes, 15 seconds south:

Part 2: Application to California

In this part of the exercise, you will be asked to find several cities on a map using the latitude and longitude coordinates provided you. You will then be asked to finding several locations using coordinates.

First, open the link below in a new window.  If your browser is set to automatically resize large images, then wait a moment and look for a resize button Icon: Image Resize Button, four arrows pointing outward from a square picture to appear in the lower right hand corner of the map. Some browsers may use a magnifying glass icon. Click on it to see the whole map.  Click on it again to resize.

Link: Map of Los Angeles

Answer the next two questions.

8.  What city lies very close to 34 degrees north and 118 degrees, 30 minutes, 0 seconds west (or 34.0, -118.5) ? .

9.  What is the approximate latitude in the D.M.S. system for Hidden Hills? Make sure to provide the latitude first and the longitude second, plus other important information. (Use the word "degrees" rather than the symbol "o"

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Most mapping is done by computers now and there a number of very good web based applications that can help you and students understand the grid system and coordinate mapping.

If you haven't already, I urge you to download and install Google Earth on your computer. It is a fun and very useful teaching and learning tool. For those of you without the skills to download and install Google Earth or access to a computer that permits you to do that, then you may proceed with the exercise below:

Step 1. Open the U.S. Census' Tiger Map Server in you web browser.

Once you're at the Tiger Map Server page, you'll notice that the default map is of Washington D.C. In order to map something more local, like Burbank, you must click on the words New Location appearing just below the map of Washington D.C. Doing so will direct you to a page where you can enter any US town or city name and the application will map it.

Step 2. In the response box next to Name: type in Burbank and in the State box, type in CA. Click on the Search button. Several options will appear on the generated page. Burbank is 1) a "cdp" or census designated place; 2) a county subdivision, and 3) a city.

Step 3. Click on the word Map in the section in which Burbank is designated as a "city", and a map will draw of the Burbank area and a load of options for displaying the map will appear on the right. The list of map layers that you can add to the map includes Grid (lat/long).  Click on the little box under the word ON and to the left of the word GRID. Then click on the Redraw Map button.

Answer the following questions:

10. What is the latitude and longitude for Burbank, according to the US Census Bureau? You only need to note it to the 100ths place, but you must report the latitude first and the longitude second. So if Burbank was at 82.476 North and 52.567 West, you would enter into the box below: 82.48,-52.57. * Note that a negative (-) sign in front of a latitude means that the location is either in the Southern Hemisphere, and if there is a negative sign in front of a longitude, it means that it must be in the Western Hemisphere.

11. What is the latitude and longitude for Lewiston, California? Make sure to express your answer as you did in number 10 above.

12. How many degrees west of the prime meridian is Grand Canyon, Arizona?


Double check your answers and enter your personal information below:



When you click the button below, you will be directed to a web page that shows your answers. The instructor will get a copy of this email as well, but you may want to keep a copy for your records. If you are curious about the correct answers, please bring your questions to class.

 

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