Map Tools
These lines run side-to-side around the Earth, measuring distance North or South of the Equator.
Latitude? (Memory Hook: "Flat-itude")
The symbol printed on a map that displays directions.
What is a Compass Rose? (Memory Hook: Map direction star)
A map that highlights human-made boundaries such as country borders, state lines, and capital cities.
What is a Political Map? (Memory Hook: Borders & state lines)
A set of numbers (latitude and longitude) used to find a precise spot on a map.
What are Coordinates? (Memory Hook: Map address)
How humans actively change the natural environment to fit their needs, like building dams or roads.
What is Modification? (Memory Hook: Building dams or roads)
These lines run up and down around the Earth, measuring distance East or West of the Prime Meridian.
Longitude? (Memory Hook: "Long" lines)
North, South, East, and West are known by this name.
What are Cardinal Directions? (Memory Hook: Never Eat Shredded Wheat)
A map showing natural terrain like mountains, rivers, deserts, and elevation.
What is a Physical Map? (Memory Hook: Nature & terrain)
The exact, specific spot on Earth where something is located, like an exact GPS pin.
What is Absolute Location? (Memory Hook: Exact GPS pin)
The long-distance movement of people or animals from one home to live in another.
What is Migration? (Memory Hook: Moving homes)
The 0-degree line of latitude that splits the Earth into Northern and Southern halves.
What is the Equator? (Memory Hook: Belt around Earth's middle)
Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest are examples of these in-between directions.
What are Intermediate Directions? (Memory Hook: Halfway points)
A map designed to focus on one special topic, like climate or population.
What is a Thematic Map? (Memory Hook: Special topic map)
Describing where a place is compared to other places nearby (e.g., "next to the school").
What is Relative Location? (Memory Hook: Compared to around it)
A negative reason that forces or encourages people to LEAVE a place, such as war or drought.
What is a Push Factor? (Memory Hook: PUSHES you away)
The 0-degree line of longitude that splits the Earth into Eastern and Western halves.
What is the Prime Meridian? (Memory Hook: Starting line for East/West)
The box on a map that unlocks what the symbols, colors, and lines mean.
What is a Map Key (or Map Legend)? (Memory Hook: Unlocks map secrets)
Natural features of a location made by Mother Nature, such as climate, rivers, and landforms.
What are Physical Characteristics? (Memory Hook: Made by Mother Nature)
An area of land grouped together because it shares common features like climate or culture.
What is a Region? (Memory Hook: Shared characteristics)
A positive reason that attracts people to MOVE TO a new place, like jobs or safety.
What is a Pull Factor? (Memory Hook: PULLES you in)
This term refers to any single half of the Earth.
What is a Hemisphere? (Memory Hook: Hemi = Half)
This line or bar compares the distance on a paper map to real-world distance on Earth.
What is a Map Scale? (Memory Hook: Map distance Real distance)
Features of a location created by people, such as language, buildings, and culture.
What are Human Characteristics? (Memory Hook: Made by Humans)
How humans change their own clothing or habits to fit their environment (e.g., wearing heavy coats in winter).
What is Adaptation? (Memory Hook: Heavy coats in winter)
Combining a line of latitude and a line of longitude (like $30^\circ\text{N}, 90^\circ\text{W}$) gives you this specific type of location.
What is Absolute Location (or Coordinates)?