LET’S TRY ONE
Latitude is north or south of the equator. Which hemisphere contains a point at 20° S, 40° E?
Southern Hemisphere
The S label describes latitude south of the equator.
Learning steps & teaching tips
Use a supplied coordinate convention to distinguish hemispheres and compare locations.
- Read latitude first and identify its N or S label.
- Read longitude and identify its E or W label.
- Compare only the coordinate requested; do not infer travel distance from degrees alone.
Try it together
Make four invented place cards using N/S and E/W coordinates. Sort them into hemispheres and explain which coordinate controlled each sort.
Latitude uses north or south of 0°; longitude uses east or west of 0°.