Globe Grid Explorers Teacher Guide
Grade 1 Social Studies • 45 Minutes
Globe Grid Explorers Teacher Guide
Unit 1 • Lesson 6 Modified for Grade 1
Learning Goals
- Show "Flat Lat" (horizontal) and "Tall Longitude" (vertical) with hand gestures.
- Find places on a grid using criss-crossing lines.
Kid-Friendly Terms
Latitude: Flat lines like ladder rungs.
Longitude: Tall lines pole-to-pole.
Grid: Criss-cross map lines.
Materials Needed
• Student Activity Packet (1/student)
• Red and blue crayons or colored pencils
• Classroom globe or large ball with tape
• Lesson Slide Deck & projector
45-Minute Master Pacing Schedule
Time Phase What the Teacher & Students Do
7 Mins Hook & Whole-Body Move Simon Says movement: "Arms wide like the Equator!" "Arms tall like poles!" Teacher demonstrates mystery globe with tape lines.
10 Mins Interactive Modeling Teach the chant: "Flat Lat sleeps side-to-side! Tall Longitude goes for a ride!" Introduce Equator Belt & Prime Meridian Zipper on slides.
13 Mins Guided Partner Practice Activity Packet Page 1 & 2: Trace and color the lines. Work in pairs to find the treasure animal at row/column intersection points.
10 Mins Independent Detective Hunt Packet Page 3: Students plot stickers or draw symbols onto their own mini-grid map using 2 clues (e.g., Red Line + Star Column).
5 Mins Debrief & Quick Check Complete 2-question Exit Ticket. Students show final gesture chant before lining up.
First-Grade Adaptation Rationale
Grade 3 curricula use degree numbers (e.g., 30°N, 75°W) and abstract coordinates. For Grade 1, we replace numerical degrees with visual color-coding (Red = Equator, Blue = Prime Meridian) and kinesthetic anchors (Horizontal = Bed/Flat, Vertical = Standing Tall). This builds the foundational spatial schema without cognitive math overload.
Globe Grid Explorers • Teacher Instructional Reference Page 1 of 2
Teaching Scripts, Supports & Answer Guide
Teacher Reference
Kinesthetic Script & Chants
Teacher Call: "Explorers! Show me Latitude!"
Student Echo: "LAT is FLAT! Side to side like a welcome mat!" [Hold arms out wide]
Teacher Call: "Explorers! Show me Longitude!"
Student Echo: "LONG stands TALL! Up and down from wall to wall!" [Reach arms straight up to sky]
Teacher Modeling: "When two lines make an X, what is that? It's our treasure spot! An address for our planet!"
Common Misconceptions
- Line confusion: Thinking lines of latitude run North to South because they are "stacked" North of the Equator. Anchor with the word "belt".
- Thinking lines are real physical ropes: Clarify that these lines are imaginary helpers drawn on maps like lines on writing paper.
Differentiation & Scaffolding
For Emerging English Learners (ELL):
Pair gestures with color visual strips (Red = Flat/East-West, Blue = Tall/North-South). Use arrows on desks to guide finger tracking.
For Students Needing Motor Support:
Provide thick crayons or bingo dabbers instead of thin pencils. Allow partner finger-tracing before marking the paper.
Fast Finisher Challenge:
Have students draw their own secret island at coordinate (C, 3) on the back and challenge a partner to locate it.
Tip for Hands-on Engagement:
Pass an orange around each table group with a rubber band around its middle to demonstrate the Equator belt!
Student Packet Answer Key & Look-Fors
Page 1: Line Sort & Trace
• Latitude (Flat): Horizontal arrows circled, traced in Red crayon.
• Longitude (Tall): Vertical arrows circled, traced in Blue crayon.
Page 2: Zoo Grid Rescue
• Panda: Row 1 & Column A (Top-Left)
• Lion: Row 2 & Column B (Center)
• Penguin: Row 3 & Column C (Bottom-Right)
Page 3: Exit Ticket
• Q1: Latitude line is circled (Flat line — Choice A).
• Q2: Star is located at crossing point of line 2 and column B.
Globe Grid Explorers • Teacher Instructional Reference Page 2 of 2
Globe Grid Explorers Activity Packet
First Grade Map Explorers • Part 1
Explorer Warm-Up: Flat & Tall Lines
Name:
Date:
🙌
Latitude ("Lat is Flat!")
Arms stretch side to side like a belt!
🙋
Longitude ("Long is Tall!")
Reach fingers high up to the sky!
1
Trace the Lines! Use RED for Flat Lines & BLUE for Tall Lines.
Flat Latitude Lines (Trace with RED)
Tall Longitude Lines (Trace with BLUE)
2
Dress Up Planet Earth!
• Step A: The Equator Belt
Use your RED crayon to trace the belt line across Earth's middle.
• Step B: The Prime Zipper
Use your BLUE crayon to trace the tall zipper from top pole to bottom pole.
• Step C: Draw a Star ⭐
Where the two lines cross in the middle, draw a shiny star!
🌎 🌍 North Pole South Pole
Globe Grid Explorers Activity Packet Page 1 of 3
First Grade Map Explorers • Part 2
Zoo Grid Rescue Mission
Name:
Date:
Mission Instructions
Animals are exploring the zoo! Follow the tall column letters (A, B, C) and flat row numbers (1, 2, 3) to find where they are hiding!
Rows ↓
Column A
Column B
Column C
Row 1
🐼 Panda
🌳 Tree
🦄 Giraffe
Row 2
🌊 Pond
🦁 Lion
🐠 Fish
Row 3
🐒 Monkey
🐒 Rock
🐧 Penguin
1. Which animal is at Row 1 and Column A?
2. Which animal is right in the center at Row 2, Column B?
3. Find the Penguin 🐧. What are its two grid lines?
Row: Col:
Globe Grid Explorers Activity Packet Page 2 of 3
First Grade Map Explorers • Part 3
Explorer Check & Draw!
Name:
Date:
1
Which picture shows lines of LATITUDE (Flat lines like a belt)?
Circle the correct globe below:
Choice A
Lines go Flat (Side-to-Side)
Choice B
Lines go Tall (Up-and-Down)
2
What happens when a flat line and a tall line cross each other?
Globe Grid Explorers Slides
Grade 1 • Map Adventure
45-Minute Mission
Secret Earth Lines!
Globe Grid Explorers
How do geographers find anything on Earth? By drawing secret helper lines!
Flat Latitude Lines
Tall Longitude Lines
The Magic Map Grid
Simon Says: Explorer Moves!
Whole-Body Action
🙌
Move #1: Stretch WIDE!
"Simon says stretch your arms side-to-side like a flat sleeping cat!"
Side to Side = Horizontal
🙋
Move #2: Reach TALL!
"Simon says reach straight up to the stars like a rocket ship!"
Up and Down = Vertical
Great job, explorers! Our bodies just showed the two secret directions!
Meet Latitude: "Lat is Flat!"
Lines Go Side-to-Side
Say the Rhyme with me:
"LAT is FLAT like a welcome mat!
It wraps round Earth like a belly belt!"
• The middle line is called the EQUATOR.
• It never touches the other latitude lines.
Equator Belt
Flat Lines wrap around Earth!
Color code reminder: In your packet, we trace Latitude with RED!
Meet Longitude: "Long is Tall!"
Lines Go Up-and-Down
Prime Meridian Zipper
Tall Lines run Pole to Pole!
Say the Rhyme with me:
"LONG lines stand TALL from sky to floor!
From North Pole down to South Pole's door!"
• The middle line is the PRIME MERIDIAN.
• It zips our planet from top to bottom!
Color code reminder: In your packet, we trace Longitude with BLUE!
Video Time: Planet Earth Lines
Watch Closely!
Embedded media
Look closely: What happens when the flat line and the tall line cross?
Criss-Cross Magic: The Global Grid!
X Marks the Spot
Latitude
Longitude
⭐
Coordinates = Map Address!
1. Two Lines Cross
A flat line and a tall line meet in an exact spot.
2. Secret Address
This gives every city, island, and ship a special address on Earth!
