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Basic Geography Vocabulary
Our first unit in 6th^ grade social studies will focus on geography. Knowing the basic vocabulary terms below is a great way to prepare for this unit. Feel free to complete part or all of this assignment depending on what you already know and what you need to learn. Vocabulary Term Definition : Illustration: Draw a picture (or find one online) describing what it looks like Real World Example : Where can you find an example of this? Describe where it is located Peninsula Example: Land surrounded by water on three sides The state of Florida is a peninsula Gulf Plateau Channel Strait Delta Source (in terms of a body of water) Mouth (in terms of a body of water)
Plain Valley Desert Tundra Permafrost Agriculture Rural Urban Hemisphere
Continents
Continents are large continuous expanses of land on the Earth’s surface. These include Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Follow the directions below to become more familiar with each of the continents. Directions: Label North America and color it blue. Label South America and color it yellow. Label Europe and color it purple. Label Africa and color it red. Label Asia and color it green. Label Australia and color it orange. Label Antarctica and leave it white.
Oceans Of The World
An ocean is a large, continuous body of saltwater. There are five major oceans and together they cover nearly three fourths of the Earth’s surface. These oceans include the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Southern Ocean. Directions:
- Label the Pacific Ocean
- Label the Atlantic Ocean
- Label the Indian Ocean
- Label the Arctic Ocean
- Label the Southern Ocean
Lines of Longitude
Longitude is a measurement of location from East to West of the Prime Meridian. They are vertical imaginary lines that can be used to measure the distance from one location to another. The Prime Meridian also separates the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Follow the directions below to become more familiar with the use of longitude lines. Directions:
- Highlight and label the Prime Meridian.
- Write 0° (Zero Degrees) next to the Prime Meridian.
- Label the Eastern and Western Hemispheres
- What continent does 105 degrees West pass through? __________________________
- What continent does 105 degrees East pass through? ___________________________
- How do you know which line of longitude is east or west?
Latitude and Longitude Practice
Now that you know a little bit more about latitude and longitude, let’s practice! Use the map below to answer the following questions. When writing coordinates, you will always write the latitude first. Remember, latitude lines are horizontal and measure north and south (think of the steps of a ladder going up and down). Next you will find the vertical line of longitude which measures east or west. Example: The coordinates for letter A are (20◦S, 100◦E). The letter A is below the Equator, so we know that the line of latitude is South. The letter A is also located East of the Prime Meridian, so we know that our line of longitude represents the Eastern Hemisphere. It is very important that you write the cardinal direction for each degree, or you could wind up on the opposite side of the world! Now its your turn! Find the coordinates for the following letters: D: ________________________ H: ________________________ F: ________________________ C: ________________________ Note When writing the Equator or Prime Meridian, you do not need to put the direction.
Next, write the letter that matches the coordinates below:
(80◦N, 0◦) __________
(10◦S, 40◦W) __________
(40◦N, 60◦E) ___________
(40◦N, 100◦W) ________
