Geography Manual: Early Childhood
CONTINENTS
GLOBE
Materials:
• Land and water globe
• Continent globe with a covering
Presentation 1: Introduction and Naming the Continents
1. Place the land and water globe in front of the children.
2. Ask, “Can you tell me what this is called?”
3. Say, “Yes, this is a globe. The globe has large land masses. Do you know
what these large land masses are called?”
4. Say, “Yes, the large land masses are called continents. And people have
given particular names to the continents.”
5. Set aside the land and water globe.
6. Place the continent globe with the covering in front of the children.
7. Uncover the globe.
8. Say, “This continent globe is the same size as the land and water globe.”
9. Ask, “How is the continent globe different from the land and water globe?”
10. Say, “Yes, the land areas are not brown, they are colored. Each continent
has its own color so we may more easily identify each one.”
11. Say, “The orange continent is named North America. North America is the
continent we live on.”
12. Affix a small drawing of a child on the North American continent where
you live.
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NOTE: If you live in South America, begin with the South American continent.
13. Say, “The pink continent is just below North America, and it is called South
America.”
14. Say, “And across from South America is Africa, which is painted green on
this globe.”
15. Say, “Raise your hand if you can point to Africa.”
16. Continue with the second period of the three period lesson in this manner.
17. Point to North America and ask, “What continent is this?”
18. Continue with South America and Africa, asking the children to identify
the continents.
Presentation 2: Continuation of Naming the Continents
1. Ask, “Do you know the name of the orange continent?”
2. Say, “Yes, this continent is North America.”
3. Ask, “Do you know the name of the pink continent?”
4. Say, “Yes, this continent is South America.”
5. Ask, “Do you know the name of the green continent?”
6. Say, “Yes, this continent is Africa.”
7. Say, “Just above Africa is a very large continent. Because the people that
live in one part of the continent have a very different culture and history
than the people that live in the other part of the continent, we have divided
this one large land mass into two sections. The red part we call Europe;
the yellow part we call Asia.”
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8. Say, “A little further over is a brown continent called Australia. Actually,
all the islands, large and small, in this area are now called ‘Oceania’, which
is the name of the continent. At the very bottom is the white continent
called Antarctica.”
9. Ask, “Who can point to Antarctica?”
10. Continue with the second period of the three period lesson in this manner
with Europe, Asia, and Australia or Oceania.
11. Point to Europe and ask, “What continent is this?”
12. Continue with Asia, Australia or Oceania, and Antarctica, asking the children to identify the continents.
Presentation 3:
1. Review the names of the continents with the children.
2. Ask, “Do you think that if you visited the continent of South America, it
would be pink?”
3. Say, “Well, what about the green of Africa, and the red of Europe, the yellow
of Asia, the brown of Australia or Oceania, and the white of Antarctica?”
4. Say, “Yes, the continents have land just like ours; the land is not the color
used on our globes.”
5. Ask, “Why are the continents on the globe different colors?”
6. Say, “Yes, so that we can easily see the seven different continents.”
7. If the children can read, distribute the labels for the continents: North
America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia or Oceania, and
Antarctica.
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8. Ask, “Who has the label that says North America?”
9. Allow the child with the ‘North America’ label to match the label to the
continent. The child can affix the label to the continent with plastic putty.
10. Continue to name each continent and have the children match their labels
to the appropriate continents.
11. Say, “The globe and labels will be on the geography shelf for you to choose.”
Presentation 4: Naming the Oceans
1. Ask, “What do we call these large areas of water?”
2. Say, “Yes, the large areas of water are called oceans. And people have
given particular names to the oceans.”
3. Say, “The different continents have different colors to make it easier for us to
identify them. The different oceans do not have different colors. The oceans
flow one into the other.”
4. Ask, “Can you point to the ocean that is between North and South America,
and Africa and Europe?”
5. Say, “Yes, that is the ocean between North and South America, and Africa
and Europe. It is called the Atlantic Ocean.”
6. Ask, ‘Can you point to the ocean that is between North and South America
and Asia?”
7. Say, “Yes, that is the ocean between North and South America and Asia.
It is called the Pacific Ocean.”
8. Ask, “Can you point to the ocean that is between Australia or Oceania,
and Africa?”
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9. Say, “Yes, that is the ocean between Australia or Oceania, and Africa. It is
called the Indian Ocean.”
10. Ask, “Can you point to the ocean that is above North America, Europe,
and Asia?”
11. Say, “Yes, that is the ocean above North America, Europe, and Asia. It is
called the Arctic Ocean.”
12. Continue with the second period of the three period lesson for the Atlantic
Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean.
13. Point to the Indian Ocean and ask, “What ocean is this?”
14. Continue with the Atlantic, Pacific, Southern Ocean and Arctic Oceans,
asking the children to identify the oceans.
Presentation 5: Labeling the Oceans
1. If the children can read, distribute the labels for the oceans: Atlantic Ocean,
Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean.
2. Ask, “Who has the label that says Atlantic Ocean?”
3. Allow the child with the ‘Atlantic Ocean’ label to match the label to the
ocean. The child can affix the label to the ocean with plastic putty.
4. Continue to name each ocean, and have the children match their labels to
the appropriate oceans.
5. Say, “The globe and labels will be on the geography shelf for you to choose.”
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Language:
North America
Atlantic Ocean
South America
Pacific Ocean
Africa
Indian Ocean
Europe
Southern Ocean
Asia
Arctic Ocean
Australia/Oceania
Antarctica
Aim:
Direct
An appreciation for the land and water masses that organize our earth.
Indirect
Knowledge of the names of the continents and oceans.
Control of Error:
Visual
The teacher
Age:
5 years
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