You Know It, But Can You Find It

*EDIT*  I couldn't insert this picture from school since the website's still blocked.  I'm putting it at the beginning rather than the end, that way if you read this earlier and you're coming back to it, you'll catch it.  Hopefully you figure out why I put it on here after reading the whole post.

 

The past week we've been doing a lot with latitude and longitude.  Today we put it what we've learned into practice on a map.  Students had to use latitude and longitude to find various countries on a map of the world.

Here's a list of the coordinates I used in the class.  If you were absent today, it might be a good idea to check it out.  You'll have to find a map of the world online somewhere since I only have a classroom set of National Geographic Maps.  Maybe try THIS ONE.

We also broke out the globes and used latitude and longitude to find places on them as well.  I also pointed out why maps are not perfect representations of the globe.

I should probably mention how much time bellwork took.  I want my students to gain a spacial understanding of the world in here.  Granted, I think that true appreciation of this comes with age and travel - but I have them draw a map of the world once a week.  Eventually, they should be able to get one relatively quickly - under two minutes.  Today, I let them look off another map so they could better get the shape and scale of each continent.  Many students had ovals or circles for the continents on the first day - and they were in the wrong spots.  The students were were really supposed to focus today.  The maps didn't have to be perfect, but no circles.  Sometimes it helps if they imagine the continents as something else.  I always see a cat when I see Australia.  (No offense if you're Australian...) 

Remember, to get the extra credit, you have to read the blog with an adult, and discuss it.  If you did this, see if you can draw a map of the world from memory in under two minutes and have the adult you discussed the blog with sign it.  Do not take more than two minutes on the map.  If you want to practice drawing  them, that's fine... but make sure your math and language arts homework is done.

I should probably also say that the original (pre-cat) map/picture came from THIS SITE.  I'm not sure if it matters, and the copyright expired in 2010.  But credit where credit is due.  I like to think that I'm adding value, although the mapmakers may disagree.