Shadow Stories Worksheet

Team Name: ___________________________

Team Members: ________________________________________________________

Part A: Lost on Earth

Problem

You are one member of a four-person exploration team that has been lost in the wilderness for several days. You know that your longitude is approximately 60 degrees west and that it is January the tenth. You have radio contact with the outside world. Your team must determine its approximate latitudinal location and radio this information out to direct search efforts. You decide to take careful note of your surroundings and to use your knowledge of physical geography to help your group determine its latitude.

Observations

"It was nearly 9:00 p.m. before darkness overtook our camp and we folded up our maps for the evening. It was quite warm, so we did not build a fire to cook our evening meal. By 5:30 the next morning it was light enough for Joe and me to head out to the east through the dry grasslands and scattered trees in search of drinking water. Just before noon we came upon a small stream running south through a marshy area. As we headed back west toward camp with our drinking water, Joe remarked that our shadows, off to our left, were very short - almost beneath us. This seemed a bit strange to us, but we dismissed it with no further thought. It was very hot now. We longed for a chance to rest under one of the occasional trees that we saw, but decided that it was best to press on. When we got back to camp, we made a list of the things we knew about this place in an effort to determine our approximate latitude."

Solution

  1. At which of the following parallels do you conclude that you are located?
    1. Tropic of Cancer
    2. Antarctic Circle
    3. Equator
    4. Tropic of Capricorn
    5. Arctic Circle
  2. Why do you think the exploration team is located at the parallel you chose? Mention as many clues as you can.
  3. How do the shadows which you observed help identify your location?
  4. Name at least one of the four parallels that you did not select (see #1) and explain why it could not be the correct location of the exploration team.
Part B: Create Your Own Scenario

Choose one of the parallels from the following list and write a place description that contains clues, similar to the previous one, that can be used by classmates to determine the parallel you have selected.
  1. Tropic of Cancer
  2. Antarctic Circle
  3. Equator
  4. Tropic of Capricorn
  5. Arctic Circle
  6. 45 degrees north latitude
  7. 45 degrees south latitude
Problem

It has been some time since your exploration team was rescued. You are now on another journey and, sure enough, you are lost again! You know that the date is _____________________ and that your longitude is approximately ____________________________. You have observed the place carefully and made the following notes:

Observations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solution:

You are located ___________________________________________.