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Finding a Hidden Spot With Latitude and Longitude

5th grade nonfiction passage about map coordinates: 200 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction map coordinates 200 words

Finding a Hidden Spot With Latitude and Longitude

Imagine you want a friend to find a hidden object on a globe. You cannot just say "somewhere near the middle." You need a system that gives every place its own address. Mapmakers solved this problem by drawing imaginary lines around the Earth.

Lines of latitude run east and west, like rings around the globe. The longest ring is the equator, which is marked zero degrees. Latitude tells how far north or south of the equator a place is. Lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole. The starting line, called the prime meridian, passes through Greenwich, England. Longitude tells how far east or west of that line a place is.

To find any spot, follow these steps. First, find the latitude on the side of the map and trace a line across. Next, find the longitude along the top or bottom and trace a line up or down. The spot where the two lines cross is your location. Write the latitude first, then the longitude.

These numbers are called coordinates. Sailors used them to cross oceans, and pilots still use them today. Your phone also uses them to show where you are on a map.

Questions

  1. Which direction do lines of latitude run? in the text

  2. What is the line at zero degrees latitude called? in the text

  3. What does longitude tell you? in the text

  4. Which number do you write first in coordinates? in the text

  5. Why do you need both latitude and longitude to find a spot? think about it

  6. Why do you think sailors needed coordinates on the ocean? think about it

Words to know

latitude
distance north or south of the equator
longitude
distance east or west of the prime meridian
equator
the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth
imaginary
not real, but pictured in the mind
coordinates
a pair of numbers that name an exact place
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 153 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3

Say you want a friend to find a hidden object on a globe. You cannot say, "It is near the middle." You need a way to give each place its own address. Mapmakers drew imaginary lines around the Earth.

Lines of latitude run east and west, like rings. The longest ring is the equator. It is zero degrees. Latitude tells how far north or south of the equator a place is. Lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole. The starting line is the prime meridian. It goes through Greenwich, England. Longitude tells how far east or west of it a place is.

To find a spot, first trace the latitude across the map. Next, trace the longitude up or down. The spot where the lines cross is the place. Write latitude first.

These numbers are coordinates. Sailors used them to cross oceans. Pilots and phones use them today.

▲ This passage · 200 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.7

Imagine you want a friend to find a hidden object on a globe. You cannot just say "somewhere near the middle." You need a system that gives every place its own address. Mapmakers solved this problem by drawing imaginary lines around the Earth.

Lines of latitude run east and west, like rings around the globe. The longest ring is the equator, which is marked zero degrees. Latitude tells how far north or south of the equator a place is. Lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole. The starting line, called the prime meridian, passes through Greenwich, England. Longitude tells how far east or west of that line a place is.

To find any spot, follow these steps. First, find the latitude on the side of the map and trace a line across. Next, find the longitude along the top or bottom and trace a line up or down. The spot where the two lines cross is your location. Write the latitude first, then the longitude.

These numbers are called coordinates. Sailors used them to cross oceans, and pilots still use them today. Your phone also uses them to show where you are on a map.

■ Harder · 216 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2

Imagine that you want a friend to locate a hidden object on a globe. You could not simply say "somewhere near the middle." You would need a system that gives every place on Earth its own address, and mapmakers solved this problem long ago by drawing imaginary lines around the planet.

Lines of latitude run east and west, like rings circling the globe. The longest ring is the equator, which is marked zero degrees. Latitude tells how far north or south of the equator a place is. Lines of longitude, by contrast, stretch from the North Pole to the South Pole. The starting line, called the prime meridian, passes through Greenwich, England, and longitude tells how far east or west of that line a place lies.

To find any spot, follow these steps. First, locate the latitude on the side of the map and trace a line across. Next, find the longitude along the top or bottom and trace a line up or down. The point where the two lines cross is your location. By convention, the latitude is written first, followed by the longitude.

These numbers are called coordinates. Sailors relied on them to cross entire oceans, pilots still use them today, and your phone uses them to show where you are on a map.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put latitude, longitude, equator, imaginary and coordinates on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Finding a Hidden Spot With Latitude and Longitude"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 200 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.7. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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