Latitude and Longitude — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Lines of latitude run from north to south around the globe.
Corrected: Lines of latitude run from east to west around the globe.
In Grade 5 geography, latitude lines, also called parallels, run east-west and measure distance north or south of the Equator.
2. Fix the sentence:
The Equator is the line of latitude at 90 degrees.
Corrected: The Equator is the line of latitude at 0 degrees.
Grade 5 students learn that the Equator sits at 0 degrees latitude and divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
3. Fix the sentence:
Latitude is measured east or west of the Prime Meridian.
Corrected: Latitude is measured north or south of the Equator.
In Grade 5 social studies, latitude tells how far a place is north or south of the Equator, which is the 0-degree line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Lines of latitude are also called parallels.
Grade 5 learners call lines of latitude parallels because they run side by side and never meet.
2. The Equator has a latitude value of 0 degrees.
In Grade 5 geography, the Equator is labeled 0 degrees and is the reference line for all latitude measurements.
3. The North Pole is at 90 degrees north latitude.
Grade 5 students learn latitude ranges from 0 degrees at the Equator to 90 degrees at the North or South Pole.
4. Latitude lines measure distance north or south of the Equator.
In Grade 5 social studies, every latitude is labeled either north or south of the Equator to show its hemisphere.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Why are lines of latitude called parallels?
Sample answer: Lines of latitude are called parallels because they run east and west around Earth and always stay the same distance apart, so they never cross each other. This is an important Grade 5 idea for reading maps and globes.
Grade 5 learners use the word parallels because each latitude line is parallel to the Equator and to every other latitude line.
2. How does the Equator help us describe locations on Earth?
Sample answer: The Equator is the 0-degree line of latitude that splits Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Grade 5 students use it as a starting point to say how many degrees north or south a place is located.
In Grade 5 geography, the Equator gives every place on Earth a clear reference for measuring north-south position.