Students learn how the global grid of latitude and longitude helps us find any place on Earth. Wondy the Globe hosts, and the lesson ends with a quick quiz so learners can check what they remember. Try pausing at each quiz question and letting your learner answer out loud.
What's in this lesson
- Lines of latitude and longitude
- The equator and the prime meridian
- Reading coordinates
- The 24 time zones
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About this geography lesson
Latitude and longitude are imaginary lines that make a grid around Earth, so we can find any place with two numbers. This free grades 6–7 geography video explains the Equator, the Prime Meridian, how to read coordinates and how longitude connects to time zones.
Key ideas
- Latitude lines run east–west and measure north or south of the Equator (0°)
- Longitude lines run north–south and measure east or west of the Prime Meridian (0°)
- Coordinates list latitude first, then longitude
- Earth has about 24 time zones, roughly 15° of longitude each
Questions parents and teachers ask
What is the difference between latitude and longitude?
Latitude measures how far north or south a place is from the Equator. Longitude measures how far east or west it is from the Prime Meridian.
How do you remember latitude vs longitude?
Latitude lines are flat like the rungs of a ladder (lat-itude, ladder). Longitude lines are long and run from pole to pole.
Why are there time zones?
Earth turns 360° in about 24 hours, so every 15° of longitude is about one hour of time difference.
