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6th grade · Social Studies · Unit 7 of 9

World Maps & Globes

Latitude, longitude and map projections

What your child practices

Latitude and longitude, hemispheres, kinds of maps and projections, continents, oceans and major landforms.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 6.3(C); 6.19(C) · locating major physical features on maps and globes, and interpreting maps

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Absolute location uses latitude and longitude.
  2. The equator splits north and south; the prime meridian splits east and west.
  3. Earth turns 360° in 24 hours, so time zones change about every 15°. A political map shows borders and capitals.

Example: Why do time zones change about every 15° of longitude? Earth turns 360° in 24 hours. 360 ÷ 24 = 15° each hour. Answer: Earth turns 15° each hour.

World Maps & Globes in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 7 of 9 in 6th grade Social Studies, after Science, Technology & Change and before World Regions.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which ocean lies between Africa and Australia?

    • The Indian Ocean
    • The Pacific Ocean only
    • The Atlantic Ocean
    • The Arctic Ocean

  2. Question 2

    Why does every flat world map distort something?

    • Mapmakers are careless
    • Earth is flat
    • A round Earth can't be flattened without stretching or squeezing
    • Oceans move every year

  3. Question 3

    Which continent is entirely in the Southern Hemisphere and covered by ice?

    • North America
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Antarctica

  4. Question 4

    Places near the equator are usually…

    • Dark half the year
    • Frozen all year
    • Always snowy
    • Warm all year

  5. Question 5

    The Himalayas, with Mount Everest, are on which continent?

    • Africa
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia

  6. Question 6

    Which is the largest continent by area?

    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Europe
    • Australia

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