Skip to content
PlayOwl

Geography · Grade 4

Latitude, Longitude and Coordinates

A town map can use a letter–number grid, but the whole round Earth needs a grid of its own. Learners meet the equator and the prime meridian, name the four hemispheres, learn how parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude measure degrees north, south, east and west, read and write whole-degree coordinates for real cities, and use coordinates to find places on a world map.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 90 minutes
  • Coordinates check: 10 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, pin a map, pick map regions, match pairs and type a number
Try it now (no account) One of the five free starter courses Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Describe the equator and the prime meridian and tell which two hemispheres a place is in.
  • Explain how parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude measure degrees north or south of the equator and east or west of the prime meridian.
  • Read and write a place's coordinates in whole degrees, latitude first, with N or S and E or W.
  • Find a place on a world map from its coordinates and compare places using their coordinates.

Lessons

  1. The equator, the prime meridian and four hemispheres 7 steps3 practiceabout 18 min
  2. Parallels and meridians 8 steps5 practiceabout 20 min
  3. Reading and writing coordinates 8 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  4. From coordinates to places 7 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  5. Coordinates check 10 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Globe ExplorerSpin a real 3D globe, flip to the flat map, and find continents, oceans and countries.
  • Pin the PlanetDrag the pin onto wonders, cities and exact latitude and longitude points.
  • Mapmaker QuestFollow directions to make a map, then read its legend, compass rose and scale.

More 4th grade geography

Guide for grown-ups