5th Grade Geography A Study of our world

What is Geography? Geography is the study of the earth and the way people live on it and use it.

Location Everything has a location…..Even you! You live on the planet Earth. You live on the continent of North America You live in the country of The United States of America You live in the State of Illinois Our School is in the city of Plainfield.

Continents and Oceans There are 7 Continents: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica There are 4 Oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. Recently the Southern Ocean was added, but we will focus on the main 4

On a map, a compass rose helps the user locate these directions. A compass is a tool that helps the user know what direction one is headed. On a map, a compass rose helps the user locate these directions.

Directions The cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west. The intermediate directions are northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest. They help describe the location of places in relation to other places.

Hemispheres Hemi= half Sphere= ball or globe So….a hemisphere is Half of the Globe When we split the Earth into hemispheres, we end up either with the northern and southern hemispheres or the eastern and western hemispheres. Northern and Southern Hemispheres Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Lines Longitude lines run north and south. Latitude lines run east and west. The lines measure distances in degrees. Longitude affect time zone, latitude affects temperature Longitude Latitude

Latitude Lines of Latitude measure distance north or south from the Equator. We sometimes call them parallels

Where is 0 degree? Equator The equator is 0 degree latitude. It is an imaginary belt that runs halfway point between the North Pole and the South Pole. Equator

We sometimes call these lines Great Circles or Meridians. Longitude Lines of Longitude measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. We sometimes call these lines Great Circles or Meridians. They are called this because they separate the Earth in half. The lines are long and run from the north and south pole.

Where is 0 degree? P R I M E D A N The prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude. This imaginary line runs through the United Kingdom, France, Spain, western Africa, and Antarctica.

International Date Line Located at 180 degrees longitude. It marks the change in date due to time zones.