A SENSE OF PLACE Upper Primary 4..5

A
SENSE
OF
PLACE
UPPER PRIMARY
SOCIAL STUDIES
4/5
Aligns with the New PCR
Beverly Houlder
1/1/2017

2
OUR ENVIRONMENT
Map Literacy
Map skills are a part of visual
literacy — a set of skills to “read” and
understand images. Can you read maps
and use the information to solve a
problem? I suspect the answer will be no
or not confidently. In this chapter we
explore the skills needed to read and
interpret maps.
Maps are resources that allow you to
explore the immediate and distant
environment. They have information that
comes in the form of images and
symbols. If you can interpret (decode) the
images and understand them you can use
them to make sense of your world. The
secrets to understanding world time, the
reasons for the seasons in different parts
of the world and communicating the exact
location of any place on earth are
available when you are map literate.
Additionally, we focus on your visual
literacy and higher-order thinking skills —
to take you into a deeper exploration of
the planet you inhabit. How does this
knowledge help you to read and
understand the real world? Well, included
are map conventions — the cardinal
points, how to use a key, scale, map
symbols, latitude and longitude and
regions connected to seasons, and how
to locate cities and countries. Where do
you fit in? Let’s begin with the Cardinal
Points.
THE CARDINAL POINTS
DIRECTION COMPASS
GRENADA
You are now on a quest to gather
information that takes you beyond the
borders of the Caribbean. It is important
to continue to be guided by the four
Cardinal Points that are East, West,
North, and South. Keep in mind that on

3
most maps, the right side is always East;
the left side is always West; the top is
always North and the bottom is always
South.
EXERCISE 1
First, look closely at the image and symbols on the Map of Trinidad. Next, answer the
following questions based on the map.
(1) On which coast is Blanchisseuse?
(2) Moruga is located on the
_________________ Coast.
(3) Pointe-a-Pierre is located on the
______________ Coast.
(4) The Nariva Swamp is on the East
Coast. True or False
(5) Which coast is longer, the North or the
South Coast?
(6) To which coast does the Ortoire River
flow?
(a) North (b) East (c) West (d) South
(7) On which side of the island would you
find the Gulf of Paria?
(8) If I travel from Port of Spain to San
Fernando, I travel mainly in a
__________________________
direction.
(9) Arima lies to the West of Port of Spain.
True or False
(10) What is the direction of Flanagin
Town from Couva?

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COMPASS DIRECTIONS
Initially, men used landmarks such as
the stars and the sun to identify the
direction in which to travel. The first
compass-like device was invented in
China when people in ancient China
discovered that if a lodestone (stone with
magnetic properties) was suspended so it
could turn freely, it would always point
toward the magnetic poles. This
‘compass’ was first used to assist with
finding the best areas for building Chinese
homes (geomancy).
Compasses were later adapted for
navigation. The Compass is an instrument
that shows the direction of the Magnetic
North. On the Compass there are many
points of direction but at our level we
concern ourselves with the Main Cardinal
Points; East (E), West (W), North (N) and
South (S) and the Intermediate Points: -
North East (NE), North West (NW), South
East (SE) and South West (SW). The
compass gives us a specific vocabulary
with which to give and discuss directions.
An actual compass is a very useful
instrument to pilots, navigators, hikers,
deep sea divers and mountain climbers. It
helps them to plot their course of direction
and to find their way around. The Cardinal
Points are also important to every citizen
in a country as one can determine the
routes to places of interest.
COMPASS DIRECTIONS

5
How it Works:
The Quan Island
Imagine you are standing at Town “Y” and
looking towards Town "X". The arrow
shows the direction in which you are
looking. This lines up with the
intermediate cardinal point of South West.
If you are uncertain, draw an imaginary
cross at "Y", shown by the dotted lines.
The arms of the cross represent the
Cardinal Points.
You can now declare, “Town “X” lies to the South West of Town “Y”.
EXERCISE 2
Look at the map of Trinidad on page 2, and answer the questions in your exercise
book.
(1) In what direction does Couva lie from
Sangre Grande? ______________
(2) From Moruga, in what direction does
San Fernando lie? ______________
(3) In what direction does Moruga lie from
Couva? _____________________
Complete the following sentences:-
(4) Siparia lies to the __________ of Rio
Claro.
(5) Caroni Swamp is __________ of the
Nariva Swamp.
(6) From Chaguanas, Arima lies to the
__________
(7) From Couva, San Fernando lies to the
__________.
State whether the following are True or
False.
(8) The Caroni River flows to the East
coast
of Trinidad. __________
(9) Moruga lies to the West of
Guayaguayare. __________
(10) Mayaro Bay lies to the South of
Manzanilla Bay. __________

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USING A REAL COMPASS
Learning how to use a compass and a map reduces the chances of getting lost in the
wilderness.
What you’ll Need:
• Orienteering-style compass with degree markings
• Map of your local area or area of interest
How to Use a Compass:
1. To align a compass, read the directions for the compass and learn which end of the
needle points north.
2. Turn the compass until the north arrow on the compass’s face is aligned with the
north end of the pointer. You are now aligned “north.” Observe the letters on the
compass: N is north, E is east, S is south, W is west. Northeast, southeast,
southwest, and northwest may also be present.
3. Next, look at and record the numbers. These are degrees, another form of
measuring compass direction.
4. Turn and face any direction. Hold one hand out flat and place the compass on your
palm. Point the arrow on the base plate in the direction you’re facing.
5. Turn the dial on the compass until the north-facing arrow is aligned with the pointer.
Now read the degree mark that the index line crosses. This is your direction in
degrees.
6. To find your bearing, place the map on the ground and find where you want to start
and end. Place the compass so that it matches both points. Turn the dial until “north”
points the same direction as the north indicator on the map. The index on the base
plate should now line up with the correct bearing on the dial. Turn the compass in
the correct direction.
Article by the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

7
SEVEN CONTINENTS - FIVE OCEANS
Compared to the countless stars and
planets which make up the universe, the
earth is less than the size of a needle
point. However, to us its inhabitants, this
is a very huge home. There are very large
masses known as continents and
immense water bodies known as oceans.
We consequently have seven
continents and five oceans on planet
earth. It is only fitting that as global
citizens you should know these basic
facts. Jesus Christ is Lord!
Listed below are the seven continents and five oceans on planet earth.
CONTINENTS
OCEANS
1. Africa Pacific Ocean
2. Antarctica Atlantic Ocean
3. Asia Indian Ocean
4. Australia Southern Ocean
5. Europe Arctic Ocean
6. North America
7. South America

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The Seven Continents of the World
Continents are large land masses
made up of many countries. Countries
which share the same land mass as each
continent are designated as being part of
the closest continent. These are those
many smaller land masses which are
surrounded by water which we call islands
with each usually being one country. (Like
the islands of the Caribbean)
The seven large largest land masses or
seven continents are:
Asia
Area
44,579,000km²
Population 3,879,000,000
Pop. density
89/km2 (226/sq mi)
Countries 48
Largest
Country
Highest Peak
Lowest Point
Time Zones
China
Mount Everest, 8,848 meters
(29,029 feet) above sea level
Dead Sea, 422 meters (1,384.5 feet)
below sea level
UTC+2 to UTC+12
Asia is easily seen to be the
largest continent. It is the largest
and most populated, with 60% of
the human population of the world.
Asia has 8.6% of the total surface
area of the earth and is located in
the eastern and northern
hemispheres.

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Africa
Area
30,221,532km²
Population 1,000,010,000
Pop.
density
30.51/km2(about 80/sq mi)
Countries 53
Largest
Country
Highest
Point
Lowest
Point
Time
Zones
Algeria
Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres,
19,341 feet) above from sea level
Lake Assal (Djibouti) (155 metres
509 feet)
_______________________________
UTC-1 to UTC+4
The second largest continent is Africa. It
is also the second most populated
continent in the world. The continent is
bordered by the Red Sea and the Suez
Canal to the northeast, Mediterranean
Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to
the west and the Indian Ocean to the
southeast. Africa also has a number of
island groups.
North America
Area
Population
Pop. density
Countries
24,709,000 km²
528,720,588 (July 2008 est.)
22.9/km2 (59.3/sq mi)
23
Largest
Country
Highest Point
Canada
Mount McKinley, Alaska (6,194
meters/20,320 feet above sea level)
Lowest Point Death Valley, California (86
meters/282 feet below sea level)
Time Zones
UTC-10 to UTC
North America is located in the
northern and western hemisphere. It is
bounded by the North Atlantic Ocean on
the east, the Arctic Ocean on the north,
the North Pacific Ocean on the west, and
the Caribbean Sea and South America
on the southeast.

10
South America
Area
17,840,000 km2 (6,890,000 sq mi)
Population 387,489,196
Pop. density
Countries
21.4 per km2 (55.4 per sq mi)
13 (plus 1 disputed)
Largest Country Brazil
Highest Peak Aconcagua, Argentina (22,830
feet above sea level)
Lowest Point Laguna del Caron, Argentina (344.5
feet below sea level)
Time Zones
UTC-2 to UTC-5
The fourth-largest continent in
the world, South America is
located in the Western
Hemisphere and in the Southern
Hemisphere. A small part of the
continent is also located in the
Northern Hemisphere.
Antarctica
Area (Overall)
Percent of
Earth's Land
14,000,000km2 (5,405,428 sq mi)
8.9%
(ice-free) 280,000 km2 (100,000 sq mi)
(ice-covered) 13,720,000 km2 (5,300,000 sq mi)
Antarctica, almost 98% solid ice, was finally
Status considered a continent in 1840, and not just
a group of isolated islands.
Highest Point Vinson Massif at 16,066 ft. (4,897 m)
Lowest Point Bentley Sub glacial Trench, -2,555 m
Antarctica is the
southernmost continent in
the world. it is surrounded
by the Southern Ocean.
Almost 98 percent of the
continent is covered by ice
at least 1.6 km thick.

11
Europe
Area
10,180,000 km2 (3,930,000 sq
mi)
Population 742,500,000
Pop. density
70/km2 (181/sq mi)
Countries 50
Largest
Country
by Area
Highest Point
Lowest Point
Time Zones
Russia
Mt. Elbrus (5,642 meters),
Caucasus Range, Russia
Caspian Sea (-28 meters),
Russia
UTC to UTC+5
Europe is the second smallest continent
in the world in terms of surface area with
an area of 10,180,000 sq. km. However it
is the third most populous continent.
Australia
Area
Population
8,468,300 km2
31,260,000 (estimated)
Pop. density 3.7/km2
Australia, Papua New Guinea,
Countries
and portions of Indonesia
Time Zones GMT+10, GMT+9.30, GMT+8
.
Australia is the smallest continent in the
world. The islands of New Guinea and
Tasmania share the same geological
landmass as the mainland but some
dispute that they are part of the continent.

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THE FIVE OCEANS
The large expanse of salt water that
covers three-quarters of the earth’s
surface is truly one large ocean. However,
this interconnected body of salt water has
divisions which have the continents, or
the equator, and other imaginary lines as
their boundaries.
SEAS
A sea, on the other hand, is a body of
salt water that is surrounded by land on
all or most sides; they are however, part
of one of the oceans. Note especially that
sea and ocean refer to different bodies of
water. Look at the globe showing the
continents and oceans. Find the
Caribbean Sea; note how the water
seems to be surrounded by the
archipelago of islands. Major seas include
the Mediterranean, Baltic, Bering, Black,
Caribbean, Coral, North, Red, and Yellow.
ACTIVITY
(Locate the seas mentioned above in your
Atlas and see if the definition holds true
for them. Pose any questions you have to
your teacher and peers.)
THE FIVE OCEANS
The five major oceanic divisions are
defined with reference to their location to
the continents, various archipelagos, and
other criteria. Make connections to the
continents as you learn the names
and locations of the oceans.

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The Earth’s five main oceans, in descending order, are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian,
Southern and Arctic Oceans.
1
2
3
4
5
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Atlantic
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
Southern
Ocean
Arctic
Ocean
Location
Separates Asia and Australia from the Americas
Separates the Americas from Europe and Africa
Washes upon southern Asia and separates Africa and Australia
Comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean which encircles Antarctica. Its
largest Northern boundary merges into the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Occupies a roughly circular basin located in the north polar region. It is surrounded by
many landmasses so is sometimes considered a sea. It washes upon northern North
America and Europe
1. The Pacific Ocean is the largest
of the world's five oceans.
Total Area: 155.557 million sq km
This ocean includes some seas; Bali Sea,
Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East
China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin,
Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of
Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea,
and rivers and streams.

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2. The Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of
the world's oceans
Total Area: 76.762 million sq km
This ocean also includes the following seas;
Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis
Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake
Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea,
Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian
Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and rivers
and streams.
3. The Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the
world's five oceans
Total Area: 68.556 million sq km
Seas included are the Andaman Sea,
Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,
Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of
Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel,
Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of
Malacca, Timor Sea, and rivers and streams.

15
4.The Antarctic / Southern
Ocean
The Antarctic Ocean is the fourth-largest of
the five oceans.
The Antarctic is also known as the Great
Southern Ocean, the Southern Ocean and
the South Polar Ocean.
Total Area: 20.327 million sq km
Included are the Amundsen Sea,
Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the
Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other rivers
and streams.
5. Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the
world's five oceans. The Northwest Passage
(US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route
(Norway and Russia) are two important
seasonal waterways.
Total Area: 14.056 million sq km
Included are Baffin Bay, Barents Sea,
Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian
Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson
Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest
Passage, and some rivers and streams.

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LINES OF LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
Knowing the location of the earth’s
seven continents and five oceans is
valuable information to apply as we
explore the skills needed to ‘locate’ a
place. Your home address identifies your
‘local’ position. However, every place on
earth has an absolute location identified
through the use of lines of latitude and
longitude. The absolute location of a
place doesn’t change. These are the
concepts (ideas) which we now explore.
The local location or address of the
Central Bank (Twin Towers) in Port-of-
Spain is Independence Square Port of
Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. This address
is in relation to the many other buildings
located in this general area. In contrast, to
state that it lies at 10°38'55.1"N
61°30'44.6"W is to pinpoint a position at
which only the Central Bank is located
(absolute).
Among the things you observe when
you look at a globe is that there is an
overlay of lines that create a grid on the
earth. This grid is known as a graticule.
Those lines drawn in a North-South (sky
to earth) or vertical direction are called
lines of Longitude. The others drawn in an
East-West or horizontal direction are
called lines of Latitude.
Traditionally, both lines of Longitude
and Latitude are measured in degrees.
They had been plotted many years ago by
scientists and geographers. Though we
see real lines they are only imaginary
guide lines. These lines assist us to
locate a place on Earth.
LINES OF LONGITUDE

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Longitude lines are not parallel since
they meet at the poles. There are 24 lines
of Longitude and there were different lines
of longitude being used as a starting
point. However, a universal agreement
was reached to designate one common
longitude line as the PRIME MERIDIAN.
This line at 0 o is the Greenwich Meridian
or the zero degrees (0 o ) line of Longitude.
It passes through the town of Greenwich
in England.
Now with 0 o being in the centre, the
lines are identified by measurements to
both the east and the west using zero
degrees as their starting point.
Consequently, we read eastwards from
the 0 o line to the 180 0 line East Longitude
and westwards from the 0 0 to the 180 0
West Longitude. The 180 0 East and 180 0
West Longitude line is the same line.
ACTIVITY
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,
The International Dateline
THE TIME FACTOR
Lines of Longitude are referred to as
meridians (midday lines) because all
places along any line of Longitude have
midday (noon) at the same time. The
180th Meridian directly intersects four (4)
countries, and those countries could have
had different time zones within their
borders. They include Fiji, Kiribati, Russia,
and the United States. The International
Date Line follows part of the 180 o
longitude line but diverts around these
land masses to prevent such a confusing
situation.

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LINES OF LATITUDE (parallels)
Think about Hula Hoops of different
sizes covering a ball. The largest hoop
will rest at the centre, dividing the sphere
into halves. On both sides we would
need matching pairs of hoops to cover the
ball totally. However, the one at the centre
is the largest.
both halves. All other lines of latitude run
parallel to the equator; they never touch.
Many years ago Eratosthenes of
Cyrene, the ‘father of geography’, divided
the globe into ninety (90) slices on either
side of the equator.
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.c
om/articles/worldhistory/eratost
henes.htm
Hula Hoops and Ball
LINES OF LATITUDE
Now, imagine that the Hula Hoops are
circles around the earth. These would
represent the lines of latitude. The largest
hoop that lies at the middle would
represent the Equator. The equator is the
main line of Latitude. If we were to cut the
earth in half at the equator and place a
large piece of paper in between the two
halves, the paper would fit exactly onto
These slices are bounded by the lines
He was the first to use the word
of latitude. The scale shows these in
geography, employing it in a nowlost
of work ten degrees titled Geographika. (10 o ) from In the
intervals
equator. this work, the contents of which
are known because of references
However, there are five major lines
from subsequent books still in
which are existence, important Eratosthenes for you divided to understand
as you the study planet your into planet. climate The zones first and of
employed overlapping grid lines
these is indeed called the equator. The
onto maps of Earth. Geographika
equator also is the listed landmark the names line and of Latitude
around locations which the of 400 other cities. lines get their
bearing. The equator is located at 0°
latitude.
Going north from the equator we find
the Tropic of Cancer. This circle is located
at 23.5 ° north. Continuing further
northward we reach the Arctic Circle at
66.5 ° north. Continuing all the way to the

19
top of the Earth at 90 ° latitude we
encounter the North Pole.
If we journey southward from the
equator we will find the Tropic of
Capricorn at 23.5 ° south. Continuing
south we reach the Antarctic Circle at
66.5 ° south. Finally, at 90 ° south, we find
the South Pole.

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HEMISPHERES
What are the hemispheres?
The prefix ‘hemi’ means half while
sphere means the shape of a ball
such as the earth. Therefore, a
hemisphere is any half of the earth.
Geographers have divided the earth
into four specific hemispheres
(halves). They are paired as the
Northern and Southern or Western
and Eastern Hemispheres.
The Northern Hemisphere includes all
of North America, the northern parts of
South America, about two-thirds of
Africa, all of Asia excluding (parts of
Indonesia) and all of Europe.
The Southern Hemisphere
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN
The equator (0 o Latitude) divides
the earth into a Northern and a
Southern Hemisphere. The Northern
Hemisphere extends from the equator
‘northwards’ to the North Pole and the
Southern Hemisphere extends from
the equator ‘southwards’ to the South
Pole.
The Northern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere includes
most of South America, one-third of
Africa, all of Antarctica, a small sliver
of Asia (parts of Indonesia) and all of
Australia/Oceania.
The Northern Hemisphere has
almost 90% of the land and the
Southern Hemisphere has 90%
water. Most of the world
population lives in the Northern
Hemisphere.

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EASTERN AND WESTERN HEMISPHERES
North and South America, which
includes the Caribbean, Central
America and Greenland.
Naturally, the Prime Meridian
which was selected to stand out, is
used to separate the globe into vertical
halves. From the Greenwich or Prime
Meridian (0 o Longitude) eastwards to
the 180 o East Longitude line is referred
to as the Eastern Hemisphere. In a
similar manner, from the 0 o Longitude
to the 180 o West Longitude line is
referred to as the Western
Hemisphere.
The Eastern Hemisphere includes
most of Africa, about half of Antarctica,
all of Asia and Australia /Oceania, and
most of Europe.
HISTORICAL FACT
The Western hemisphere became
politically and historically significant
when Spain and England began
explorations. The Eastern became “the
Old World” and the Western “New
World”.
The Western Hemisphere includes
about half of Antarctica and all of

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LOCATE PLACES USING LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE LINES
Look at a globe and identify the 0 o
Line of Latitude – Equator. It is the
starting point for reading Latitudes.
North and South Latitude lines are
visible both to the right and left of the
Equator. They increase at 10 o intervals
up to 180 o . Next, locate the 0 o Line of
Longitude – Prime Meridian. In the
same way, East Longitude and West
Longitude lines run on both sides of
the Prime Meridian.
Now, if the coordinates to a location
are known then you may locate the
specific place as follows. Latitude is
read first followed by Longitude. Let us
use the coordinates (30 o North
Latitude, 90 o West Longitude). From
the Equator, move upwards in a
northern direction to find the 10 o North
Line of Latitude. Next, from the Prime
Meridian locate the 60 o West Line of
Longitude. Our target location is at the
point where these two lines ‘meet.’ If
your finger landed on New Orleans,
USA, you got it!
http://www.worldmapsonline.com/LESSON-PLANS/6-global-grid-system-world-maplesson-4.htm

23
It is to be noted however, that like
other measurements there are
intermediate points. With location, the
units used are degrees, minutes and
seconds. As a result, the coordinates
can zero in on the location with the
smaller units. For places that do not
intersect exactly on two exact latitude
and longitude lines the location may be
40° 27' 30" N 117° 47' 30" W
You would read it as 40 degrees 27 minutes 30 seconds North latitude and 117
degrees 47 minutes 30 seconds West longitude.
Your teacher will guide you to sources of additional information.