Teaching Longitude and Latitude Resources
Give your students a break from worksheets when teaching longitude and latitude. At some point, we’ve all handed out a packet to students, and they grumble through their work. Student work should be colorful, lively, and engaging, especially in learning map skills.
So how can you shake things up when you’re teaching longitude and latitude? Take a look…
1. Digital Map Skills for Google Classroom
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m a die-hard Google Classroom advocate. I’m obsessed with how easy it is to prep, assign and grade student work with a few clicks. That’s why I created the Longitude and Latitude Fun Activities for Google Classroom.
Why do teachers love using these interactive Google Slides with their students? They are:
- Colorful
- No prep
- Interactive
- Students love using them
Teachers are raving about using them in their classrooms too. Jessica H. says, “This is a great fit for my students! I liked using the digital version in class so that it is colorful for the students.” and Nicole B. likes that the resource has “a very clear way of explaining latitude and longitude to students.”
Investing in colorful, digital resources for your classroom is worth the time you save and the engagement of your students. Check out 5 ways to practice map skills.
P.S. All my Google Classroom products include video tutorials on how to share and assign the activities.
2. YouTube Videos
YouTube videos are an excellent source for unique explanations and attention-grabbing visuals. Why not take advantage of this awesome resource? Well, if you’re like me, to find the best videos, you often have to wade through the not-so-good videos. This search can take up a ton of your time. So I rounded up a few you may enjoy using when teaching longitude and latitude.
The first one is a thorough video that does a good job of explaining the coordinates system and how to use it to find certain locations.
You can also select a video with a fun song. Although they can be a bit cheesy, a catchy tune can help students remember the difference between longitude and latitude. Check out this video for a more traditional sing-along to the tune of “The More We Got Together” or this video by The Singing History Teachers, where they about longitude and latitude to the tune of a One Direction song.
3. An Escape Room
Ok, don’t panic, I’m not signing you up for a room transformation (although those are fun). This escape room is a Google Classroom activity and perfect for reviewing longitude and latitude! There are 5 rooms, and students escape them by answering questions correctly. This activity can be used for
- Teacher-led, whole class review
- Partner Practice
- Group Competitions
- Individual Assessment
The escape room also includes a review of map grids, cardinal and intermediate directions, map scale, and types of maps.
4. Longitude and Latitude with Google Earth
Give a list of famous landmarks and have them use Google Earth to find the longitude and latitude, which is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen. You could also reverse the activity and give them the coordinates and have them find the locations.
Pro Tip: Make sure they are viewing the coordinates in the decimal degree format.
Which resource caught your eye? I love helping teachers feel prepared for class with beautiful and engaging resources. Grab a copy of my Longitude and Latitude activities here to start rocking your lessons without the extra stress!
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