New
New
Year 7
Latitude and longitude
I can use latitude and longitude to locate places around the world.
New
New
Year 7
Latitude and longitude
I can use latitude and longitude to locate places around the world.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Lines of latitude are horizontal circles on Earth, measured in degrees north or south of the Equator.
- Lines of longitude are vertical circles on Earth, measured in degrees east or west of the Greenwich Meridian.
- We can use coordinates to locate places around the world.
- GPS uses coordinates in communication and transport systems to help society function.
Keywords
Hemisphere - one half of Earth, usually divided into the Northern or Southern Hemisphere by the Equator, or Eastern and Western Hemispheres by a line that runs through the Poles.
Prime Meridian - the line of longitude at 0 degrees, from which the other lines of longitude are measured east and west.
Equator - an imaginary line encircling Earth at 0° latitude and is an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole.
Common misconception
Latitude lines run vertically down the Earth.
Latitude lines run horizontally while longitude lines run vertically.
Use a globe to show the major lines of latitude and longitude.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Atlases and globes can be used in the lesson.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What three dimensional shape is the Earth?
a circle
an oval
a cylinder
Q2.
Each half of the Earth is called a ...
semisphere.
demisphere.
Q3.
Put these letters in the correct order to find the name for the line of latitude that runs around the centre of the Earth at an equal distance from the North and South Poles.
Q4.
Which of these places are all located in the Northern Hemisphere?
Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Madagascar
UK, Japan, New Zealand, Antarctica
Q5.
Which city in the UK does the Prime Meridian run through?
New York
Lagos
Tokyo
Paris
Q6.
Which of these are online maps?
atlases
Ordnance Survey maps
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
How many hemispheres are there?
1
2
6
Q2.
Which city does the Greenwich Prime Meridian run through?
New York
Manchester
Paris
Tokyo
Q3.
Which of these is not a line of latitude?
the Equator
the Tropic of Cancer
the Tropic of Capricorn
Q4.
To find the coordinates of a location, we give ...
longitude first, then latitude.
only longitude.
only latitude.
Q5.
What does GPS stand for?
Global Points Systems
Google Positioning Systems
Q6.
Which line of latitude splits the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
the Tropic of Cancer
the Tropic of Capricorn
the Prime Meridian