Latitude and Longitude Grid¶
An interactive world map that helps students understand how latitude and longitude create a grid system for locating any place on Earth.
About This MicroSim¶
This interactive map teaches the coordinate system:
- Latitude lines run east-west and measure north/south position
- Longitude lines run north-south and measure east/west position
- The Equator (red line) is 0° latitude
- The Prime Meridian (blue line) is 0° longitude
How to Use¶
- Move your mouse across the map to see live coordinates
- Click anywhere to place a marker and see exact coordinates
- Toggle the grid to show/hide latitude and longitude lines
- Show Cities to see major world cities with their coordinates
- Quiz Me! to test your ability to find locations by coordinates
Key Concepts Demonstrated¶
- Latitude ranges from 90°S to 90°N (the Equator is 0°)
- Longitude ranges from 180°W to 180°E (the Prime Meridian is 0°)
- The grid creates four hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western
- Any place on Earth can be located using two numbers
Lesson Plan¶
Learning Objective: Students will locate places using latitude and longitude coordinates on an interactive globe.
Bloom's Taxonomy Level: Apply (L3)
Activities:
- Explore (5 min): Move the mouse around and observe how coordinates change
- Find the Lines (5 min): Click on the Equator, then the Prime Meridian
- Hemisphere Hunt (5 min): Click in each of the four hemispheres
- Quiz Challenge (10 min): Complete the 6-question location quiz
Assessment: Students should correctly click within 5° of given coordinates.
Technical Notes¶
- Built with Leaflet.js for interactive mapping
- Grid lines drawn at 30° intervals
- Real-time coordinate display on mouse movement
- Quiz validates click locations with tolerance
Related Concepts¶
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Equator
- Prime Meridian
- Hemispheres
- Coordinates