Virginia SOL 3.2.b

Social Studies3rd Grade

The Standard

locating and describing the equator, the Prime Meridian, and the four hemispheres

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students find the equator and Prime Meridian on globes and maps. They explain that one line divides north from south and the other divides east from west. They use both lines to identify a location's hemispheres.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student accurately labels both reference lines on a blank world map. Given a city, the student names the two hemispheres containing it and explains each choice using the lines.
Common Misconceptions: Students often swap the two lines or draw the Prime Meridian from east to west. Some think Earth has four separate quarters, rather than recognizing that most places belong to two hemispheres. They may assume every country sits entirely within one hemisphere.
How to Assess It: Give students a blank world map with labeled dots for Richmond, Cairo, Brasília, and Sydney. Ask them to label both reference lines and list the two hemispheres for each city.

Lesson moves

Place removable tape along the equator and Prime Meridian on a globe, then attach Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemisphere labels.
Have students answer: Why can Richmond be in two hemispheres at the same time?
Post Northern and Eastern, Northern and Western, Southern and Eastern, and Southern and Western signs in corners; students move for each city card.
Use a flight map from Virginia to Australia, and have students name the hemispheres at departure and arrival.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.2.b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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