Preview of Main Ideas

World Geography at Wilbur Wright College seeks to have students recognize and understand human efforts to understand Earth.

Connection with the Curriculum

Both latitude and longitude help us understand Earth. While latitude is based on natural and physical observations, longitude resulted from superimposing a human and cultural system over Earth. The two systems represent human quests to make life on Earth more manageable. Understanding that latitude, longitude and time zones are human conventions based on observations of Earth phenomena leads to being a more geographically informed person.

The Prime Meridian was located at the Greenwich, England Observatory by international agreement and is the basis of world time zones that are central to human activity. Understanding how the system was developed and how we use time zones today is a basic geographic accomplishment. Maps and mapping techniques are extremely useful in portraying Earth at local and global scales.

Viewing recent color slides of a trip to Greenwich, England provides the reinforcement after completing a time zone activity and provides occasion to discuss the new millennium.

Teaching Level: Community College Adult learners

Adaptable for higher and lower levels

Objective #1: Students will use latitude and longitude to locate world and U.S. cities.

Essential Element: The World in Spatial Terms.

Standard #1: Using maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Knowledge Statement #4: How to use appropriate geographic tools and technologies.

Skill Set #2: Acquiring Geographic Information.

Skill #2: Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information.

Theme: Location.

Objective #2: Students will calculate time zone differences using longitude.

Essential Element: Seeing the World in Spatial Terms

Standard #1: Using maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Knowledge Statement #4: How to use appropriate geographic tools and technologies.

Skill Set #2: Acquiring Geographic Information.

Skill #2: Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information.

Theme: Location.

Objective #3: Students will participate in learning experiences that require working with others and communicating both orally and in writing in areas related to geography.

(Affective/Skill Objective – no classification to standards)

1. List of cities of the US and of the world with latitude, longitude, and time based on Eastern Standard Time.
2. Blank world map with lines of latitude and longitude.
3. Airline flight schedules showing arrival and departure times.
4. Geography text: Essentials of World Regional Geography, second edition, Salter, Hobbs, Wheeler & Kostbade, Sauders College Publishing, 1998.
5. Color slides of IGA trip to Greenwich, England.

1. Prior to doing this class activity, have students read introductory Chapter 1 of the text concerning the language of maps including sections on latitude and longitude.

1. Give each student a list of World and US cities showing latitude, longitude, and time according to Eastern Standard Time. For each group of cities have students mark 3-5 cities they would like to visit someday on an imaginary world tour.
2. Have students work alone or in pairs to use latitudes and longitudes to locate on the blank world map each city they selected. Each city should be marked on the blank map and the time based on Eastern Standard Time should be added. These should next be converted to Central Standard Time, the time zone from which we will plan the trips.
3. Have students plan the itinerary route they will take, and the number of days they will spend in each location.
4. Have students calculate time differences for phoning home from each location.

1. Show a brief color slide show from Europe Study Tour visit to Greenwich England and explain the history of the Royal Observatory.
2. Have students calculate the time it was here in Chicago when the photo showing time was taken.
3. Discuss the recent millennium and the Greenwich banner reading "The millennium starts here". Explain the International Date Line and reasons for the British decision to start the millennium in Greenwich.

1. Administer a map quiz requiring students to locate cities around the world when latitude and longitude are given.
2. Have students make up word problems involving travel across time zones.

Return to European Lesson Plans Table of Contents

Return to IGA Home Page