“Where Do They Play?” Using NFL Teams to Learn Fundamental Geography Skills: Absolute and Relative Location
NAME ____________________________ DATE _______________ “Where Do They Play?” Using NFL Teams to Learn Absolute and Relative Location Directions: Use the maps in your classroom atlas, atlases from the library, Internet databases, or Google Earth to determine the location of each NFL team’s home city. Write your answers on the chart.
Vocabulary Words:
Absolute location is “the exact position of a location on the Earth.” We use latitude and longitude coordinates to show where places are located. For instance, the city of Atlanta is located at 33°N, 84°W.
Relative location is “the location of a place as described by places near it.” We use cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) and intermediate directions (Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast) to describe where places are located. For instance, Arizona is located west of the Mississippi River and southeast of Oregon.
NAME ____________________________ DATE _______________ “Where Do They Play?” Using NFL Teams to Learn Absolute and Relative Location Directions: Use the maps in your classroom atlas, atlases from the library, Internet databases, or Google Earth to determine the location of each NFL team’s home city. Write your answers on the chart.
Vocabulary Words:
Absolute location is “the exact position of a location on the Earth.” We use latitude and longitude coordinates to show where places are located. For instance, the city of Atlanta is located at 33°N, 84°W.
Relative location is “the location of a place as described by places near it.” We use cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) and intermediate directions (Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast) to describe where places are located. For instance, Arizona is located west of the Mississippi River and southeast of Oregon.
(Results may vary. It depends on what tools you have at your disposal. You may allow students some leeway with these answers.)
Answers will vary. My advice is to use a classroom map and ask students to describe the city’s relative location. Allow the students to determine if the relative location is correct.
Atlanta Falcons
Georgia
33°N, 84°W
Baltimore Ravens
Maryland
39°N, 76°W
Buffalo Bills
New York
42°N, 78°W
Carolina Panthers
Can you name the city and the state where they play?
Charlotte, North Carolina
35°N, 80°W
Chicago Bears
Illinois
41°N, 87°W
Cincinnati Bengals
Ohio
39°N, 84°W
Cleveland Browns
Ohio
41°N, 81°W
Dallas Cowboys
Texas
32°N, 96°W
Denver Broncos
Colorado
39°N, 104°W
Detroit Lions
Michigan
42°N, 83°W
Green Bay Packers
Wisconsin
44°N, 88°W
Houston Texans
Texas
29°N, 95°W
Indianapolis Colts
Indiana
39°N, 86°W
Jacksonville Jaguars
Florida
30°N, 81°W
Team Name
Their Home State
This City’s
Absolute Location
This City’s
Relative Location
Kansas City Chiefs
Missouri
39°N, 94°W
Miami Dolphins
Florida
25°N, 80°W
Minnesota Vikings
Can you name the city where they play instead?
Minneapolis, MN
44°N, 93°W
New England Patriots
Can you name the city AND state where they play?
Foxboro (or Boston) , Massachusetts
42°N, 71°W
New Orleans Saints
Louisiana
29°N, 90°W
New York Giants
New York (or New Jersey)
They actually play in neighboring East Rutherford, NJ.
40°N, 74°W
New York Jets
New York (or New Jersey)
The Jets and Giants share a football stadium.
40°N, 74°W
Oakland Raiders
California
37°N, 122°W
Philadelphia Eagles
Pennsylvania
39°N, 75°W
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pennsylvania
40°N, 80°W
San Diego Chargers
California
32°N, 117°W
San Francisco 49ers
California
37°N, 122°W
Seattle Seahawks
Washington
47°N, 122°W
St. Louis Rams
Missouri
47°N, 92°W
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Florida
27°N, 82°W
Tennessee Titans
Can you name the city where they play instead?
Nashville
36°N, 86°W
Washington Redskins
District of Columbia
38°N, 77°W
An Idea for an Extension Assignment: In previous years, I have extended this assignment by asking students to label these cities onto a blank map of the USA. Doing so gives them an opportunity to see where professional football teams are located within geographic regions of the United States. It also gives them a perspective of how large these cities are and how closely some of them are located to one another. You might do this as an enrichment assignment, or you might consider pulling down a wall map or opening a file on your SMART Board and turning it into a full-class activity. There are MANY possibilities for extending this assignment. I’d love to hear about how you use it.
