Geography Lesson Plans

How to Remember Lines of Latitude 

Children often mix up which lines on a map are latitude lines and which are longitude lines. To help them remember the difference, I tell my children to say latitude with a smile. We exaggerate the smile and drag out the name, so we are saying "laaaaaaa taaaaa tuuuuude" in a high pitched voice with a big stretched out grin. I explain to them that the latitude lines go sideways just like their mouths go sideways with grinning and saying the word "latitude."

Then I tell them to say longitude while dropping their chins to open their mouths as far as possible. We exaggerate the long mouth and drag out the name, so we are saying "looooong aaaa tuuuude" in a very deep voice. I explain to them that the longitude lines go up and down just like their mouths go up and down when they say the word "longitude." Also, you cannot say the word "longitude" with a smile I am not sure if it is the actual saying of the words or the fun of watching the teacher made a fool of herself/himself, but it seems to work for helping them remember which is which.
Submitted by: Sandy Adams in SC