Geography -- The Continents

Introduction

The seven continents of the world will allow Elementary students to form a global perspective. Many of them are taught the city they live in, their state, and possibly country, but many do not know North America is the continent in which they reside. However, it is important for them to understand that where they live is a small fraction of the entire world, and learning about the other countries that make up their continent, as well as the other six continents, can be a fun-filled experience!

Within this unit, students will learn how the continents came to be, the name of each continent, be able to identify the continents on a map, know at least three countries within each continent (when applicable), and know some fun facts about each continent.

Essential Question(s):

1. How did the continents come to be (ie. Where did they come from?)

2. What are the continents, where is each located on a map, and what are some basic/fun facts about each continent?

Task

Vocabulary

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1. Pangaea - The "Supercontinent"; large land mass that was comprised of all the continents

2. Continental Drift - The separation of the continents due to the movement of tectonic plates

3. Tectonic plates - Plates beneath the earth's surface that causes land to move

4. Arctic Treaty - Twelve countries agreed to use Antartica as a land for research

These are the major vocab words essentially needed. The seven continents will be discussed in depth throughout the week.

The continents will be broken down into two a day (MWF), and then one on Thursday, with a review on Friday.

Day 1:

Day 1 will be introduction of continents. Before delving into each individual continent, I will explain where they came from (pangaea). Then, I will move into how they got where they are now (continental drift). This will be brief as I will reference pangaea and continental drift throughout the entire week. I will then talk about Antartica and Australia first, since some of the class period was taken up by the intro of the continents, and these two countries don't actually have countries within them. I will show students where Antartica is on the map, and then begin to talk briefly about the country. Some talking points to guide the lesson are:

- The South Pole is where Antartica is located, and it is the southern most continent, so it is VERY cold there

- Antartica does not have countries within it -- Discuss The Arctic Treaty

* I will allow students to ask questions about Antartica before moving to Australia

When talking about Australia I will show the students where it is on a map. Then, similar to Antartica, I will discuss some facts about Australia

- Australia is the smallest continent, but the largest island (Australia is both -- I'm sure the question will come up)

- Australia is unique in that it is also considered a country

- The Kangaroo and Kaola Bear are native to this country

* Students will be allowed to ask questons on Australia, and then any overall questions on the two conteninents. At the end of each class, they will be asked to take home their map and review the continents taught in that particular class.

Day 2

The first 5-15 minutes of class will be a brief review, and then I will address any new questions that students may have from the previous day.

The next two continents to be discussed will be Europe and Asia. Students will be shown where Europe is on a map. Some talking points for Europe will be:

- Europe is the second largest continent (behind Asia)

- Some major countries within Europe are England, Germany, and France

-  A Few Fun Facts: The Euro is the main currency, and the only continent with no desert

*Students will be allowed time to ask questions

Students will then be shown Asia on a map. Some talking points are:

- Asia is the largest continent

- Major countries within Asia are China (largest population in the world), India (second largest population in the world), Japan

- A Few Fun Facts: More than half the world's population is concentrated in Asia (60%), Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity began in Asia, and the Tiger and Panda are Native to Asia

Day 3:

The first 5-15 minutes of class will be a brief review, and then I will address any new questions that students may have from the previous day.

Day 3 we will discuss only Africa. This is because Day 4 will be reserved for the Americas (North and South America), and with the leftover time in class we will do a review on the first five continents discussed.

Students will be shown where Africa is on a map, and some talking points are:

- Africa is the second largest continent

- Major countries within Africa are South Africa, Nigeria, and Algeria

- A few fun facts: Place where humans first lived, Home of the Nile River (longest river in the world) and Sahara Desert (largest desert in the world), The Elephant, Cheetah, and Lion are native to Africa

After going in depth, Africa should take about the half class period, and the rest will be dedicated to me asking questions from the students' map, notes, and fact sheet as a review

Day 4

The first 5-15 minutes of class will be a brief review, and then I will address any new questions that students may have from the previous day.

As previously mentioned Day 4 will be dedicated to the Americas.

Students will be shown where South America is on the map and some talking points are: 

- South America is home to the Andes (second largest mountain range behind himayalas which is in Asia)

- Spanish and Portuguese are the dominant languages

- Brazil, Chile, Argentina are major countries

- A Few Fun Facts: Home to the anaconda (one of the largest snakes in the world), Home to the Amazon River (largest river in the world by water volume)

*Allow time for questions

I will conclude with North America since it is the continent we live in.

I will tell the students to fill in the last continent without a name on their map, and label it as North America.

Some talking points for N. America will be:

- It is the continent in which you reside

- Known as the "New World" due to its late discovery in comparison to the other continents

- 3 countries: U.S, Canada, and Mexico

- A Few Fun Facts: World's largest producer of Maize (corn), wheat, and soybean, Cuba is the world's largest exporter in sugar in the world, Home of Google, Apple, and FaceBook (USA)

Day 5

Day 5 will be a review before the test on Monday. A jeopardy game will be put together with some of the questions that may be on the test, and the class will be split into two teams. The questions in the game will come from the students' notes, map, and fact sheet. Concluding the game the students will be asked if they have any last minute questions before the weekend, and then they will be instructed to study their materials for Monday's test.

Process

- A PowerPoint for each Day

- Blank maps of the continents

- A fact sheet with roughly seven facts from each continent

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Evaluation

The evaluation for this unit will be the test on Monday. This will allow me to not only evaluate the students and how receptive they were to the lessons, but me as well in how I presented the information.

Conclusion

By the conclusion of this unit, students should be able to hold a general conversation about all seven continents. They will possess the ability to identify all continents on a map, list countries within each continent (when applicable), and be able to rattle off at least five facts about each continent. Again, the purpose of this is to give the students a global perspective and make them knowledgeable about the world around them.

Credits