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Earth's Hemispheres Interactive Globe

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About This MicroSim

This interactive map helps students understand how the Earth is divided into four hemispheres. The Equator divides the Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres, while the Prime Meridian divides it into Eastern and Western hemispheres.

Learning Objectives

After using this simulation, students will be able to:

  • Identify the four hemispheres (Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western)
  • Explain how the Equator and Prime Meridian divide the Earth
  • Classify locations into their correct hemispheres
  • Understand that a location can be in two hemispheres at once

How to Use

  1. Click hemisphere buttons (North, South, East, West) to highlight that half of the Earth
  2. Toggle the dividing lines on/off to see the Equator (red) and Prime Meridian (blue)
  3. Click "Show US Hemispheres" to see which hemispheres the United States is in
  4. Pan and zoom the map to explore different regions
  5. Click the US marker to see its hemisphere information

Key Concepts

Term Definition
Hemisphere Half of a sphere (half of the Earth)
Equator The imaginary line at 0° latitude that divides Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres
Prime Meridian The imaginary line at 0° longitude that divides Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres
Northern Hemisphere Everything north of the Equator
Southern Hemisphere Everything south of the Equator
Eastern Hemisphere Everything east of the Prime Meridian (Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia)
Western Hemisphere Everything west of the Prime Meridian (North and South America)

Discussion Questions

  1. Which two hemispheres is the United States in?
  2. Can a country be in more than two hemispheres? (Hint: Think about countries on the Equator or Prime Meridian)
  3. Why do we use imaginary lines like the Equator and Prime Meridian?

Lesson Plan

Grade Level

3-6

Duration

15-20 minutes

Materials Needed

  • Computer or tablet with web browser
  • Globe or world map for reference (optional)

Warm-Up (3 minutes)

Ask students: "If I cut an orange in half, how many pieces do I have? What if I cut it in half again?"

Main Activity (10 minutes)

  1. Introduce hemispheres (3 min)
  2. Show the map with lines ON
  3. Explain that the Equator is like cutting the orange in half horizontally

  4. Explain that the Prime Meridian cuts it vertically

  5. Guided exploration (4 min)

  6. Click each hemisphere button as a class
  7. Ask: "Which continents are in the Northern Hemisphere?"

  8. Ask: "Which hemisphere is Australia in?"

  9. US Location Activity (3 min)

  10. Click "Show US Hemispheres"
  11. Discuss why the US is in TWO hemispheres at once

Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

  • Quiz: Turn off lines and ask students to point to each hemisphere
  • Have students name countries in each hemisphere

Assessment

  • Can students correctly identify all four hemispheres?
  • Can students explain what the Equator and Prime Meridian do?
  • Do students understand that places can be in two hemispheres?

Technical Details

Library: Leaflet.js 1.9.4

Map Tile Source: OpenStreetMap

Features: - Interactive hemisphere highlighting - Toggle dividing lines (Equator, Prime Meridian) - US location marker with popup - Animated hemisphere demonstration - Responsive design

Source Code

References