In this lesson, I walk you through the basics of maps, latitude, and longitude in a way that’s friendly for elementary students and super practical for the classroom. We start with the big picture: what maps are, why we use them, and how different types of maps can show different kinds of information. From there, I introduce the coordinate grid system so students can begin thinking about absolute location (not just “near” or “by”). Next, I focus on the key lines students need to know: the Equator and the Prime Meridian. I explain how latitude lines run east to west and tell us how far north or south a place is, and how longitude lines run north to south and tell us how far east or west a place is. This video follows my free slide deck, so you can teach right along with me, then have students practice using the matching worksheet activities. It’s a solid foundation for geography skills and lines up with California 4th grade social studies standards.