Thursday, September 2

Today after we spent some time adjusting and re-arranging our desks (some are too small) and after we had a little discussion about changing some behaviors such as sharpening your pencil while someone is having a lesson, we worked on our last vocabulary words for chapter one.
After lunch we did a review and tackled lines of latitude and longitude.  We talked about how long ago map makers came up with this system of finding an exact location on the earth.  It is measured in degrees and lines of latitude run east and west, while lines of longitude run north and south.  We practiced by looking at a map and finding the absolute location of a place by naming the closest line of latitude and longitude, always naming the latitude first.
Here's a fun family activity you might try using latitude and longitude:
www.geocaching.com
This website explains what geocaching (geo cashing) is and you can sign up for a free account which will let you see a list of the ones hidden near here.

We are at the end of chapter one so you can expect a test sometime next week!

Facts to Remember
Absolute location = the exact location of a place
Lines of latitude are also called parallels.
Lines of longitude are also know as meridians.