Map Skills: Continents and Oceans Our Earth is made up of continents and oceans. A continent is an enormous mass of land. There are seven continents on our planet. The continents include North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, and Oceana. The largest country in Ocean is Australia, so sometimes the continent is known by that name. Oceans are large bodies of saltwater. There are five oceans on our planet. The oceans include the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Indian, Southern, and the Pacific. Be careful when yon look at the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest one. This is easy to see when you look at it on a globe. On a map, it looks like there are two Pacific oceans. There are not. Why do you think it might look that way? In the space below, create a tree map with the title Our Globe. List our globes continents and oceans in order. You choose what the order should be. Map Skills: Continents and Oceans Our Earth is made up of continents and oceans. A continent is an enormous mass of land. There are seven continents on our planet. The continents include North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, and Oceana. The largest country in Ocean is Australia, so sometimes the continent is known by that name. Oceans are large bodies of saltwater. There are five oceans on our planet. The oceans include the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Indian, Southern, and the Pacific. Be careful when yon look at the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest one. This is easy to see when you look at it on a globe. On a map, it looks like there are two Pacific oceans. There are not. Why do you think it might look that way? In the space below, create a tree map with the title Our Globe. List our globes continents and oceans in order. You choose what the order should be.
Map Skills: Ocean Fast Facts The Ancient Greeks believed in powerful, godlike people who they called Titans. The titans were enormous, and each one had a super power. Of all of the titans, the strongest one was named Atlas. As punishment, Atlas was forced to hold up the world on his back. A book of maps is now called an Atlas. Also, when you sail away from Greece, the first ocean you come to is the Atlantic Ocean. It was name after Atlas! A Spanish explorer named Magellan sailed south all the way around South America. He was the first person to make this dangerous trip. When he finally made it, he described the ocean he saw as large, beautiful, and peaceful. The word pacify means to make peaceful, and that s how the Pacific Ocean got its name. When you look at the Indian Ocean, you will notice that it touches Asia. The country in Asia as sticks out the farthest into the water is India. The Indian Ocean is named after that continent. The Arctic is the region at the top of the globe. It s the coldest place on Earth. The Arctic Ocean surrounds the arctic. On the bottom of the globe, we find the Antarctic. Antarctic, just means opposite of the arctic. It s the antonym! This is how the Southern Ocean got its name. It s sometimes called the Antarctic Ocean! Map Skills: Ocean Fast Facts The Ancient Greeks believed in powerful, godlike people who they called Titans. The titans were enormous, and each one had a super power. Of all of the titans, the strongest one was named Atlas. As punishment, Atlas was forced to hold up the world on his back. A book of maps is now called an Atlas. Also, when you sail away from Greece, the first ocean you come to is the Atlantic Ocean. It was name after Atlas! A Spanish explorer named Magellan sailed south all the way around South America. He was the first person to make this dangerous trip. When he finally made it, he described the ocean he saw as large, beautiful, and peaceful. The word pacify means to make peaceful, and that s how the Pacific Ocean got its name. When you look at the Indian Ocean, you will notice that it touches Asia. The country in Asia as sticks out the farthest into the water is India. The Indian Ocean is named after that continent. The Arctic is the region at the top of the globe. It s the coldest place on Earth. The Arctic Ocean surrounds the arctic. On the bottom of the globe, we find the Antarctic. Antarctic, just means opposite of the arctic. It s the antonym! This is how the Southern Ocean got its name. It s sometimes called the Antarctic Ocean!
Map Skills: Hemispheres We ve learned that the Earth is divided into seven continents and five oceans. Our Earth is also divided into four hemispheres. A hemisphere is half of a globe. Two imaginary lines are used to create these hemispheres. These imaginary lines are the equator and the prime meridian. The equator is a line around the middle of the Earth. It s sort of like Earth s middle, or belt. The equator is the hottest place on Earth. It divides the globe into the northern and southern hemispheres. The prime meridian is another imaginary line around the middle of the earth. It runs in the other direction, from top to bottom. The prime meridian divides the globe into the eastern and western hemispheres. Did you know that there is one continent that is in all four hemispheres at the same time? Can you find it? Look at the different hemisphere models below and on the next page. Map Skills: Hemispheres We ve learned that the Earth is divided into seven continents and five oceans. Our Earth is also divided into four hemispheres. A hemisphere is half of a globe. Two imaginary lines are used to create these hemispheres. These imaginary lines are the equator and the prime meridian. The equator is a line around the middle of the Earth. It s sort of like Earth s middle, or belt. The equator is the hottest place on Earth. It divides the globe into the northern and southern hemispheres. The prime meridian is another imaginary line around the middle of the earth. It runs in the other direction, from top to bottom. The prime meridian divides the globe into the eastern and western hemispheres. Did you know that there is one continent that is in all four hemispheres at the same time? Can you find it? Look at the different hemisphere models below and on the next page.
Find the equator on this map. Remember, it is smack dab in the center of the globe. It s acts as a belt. We call the equator 0 latitude. Use a red marker to carefully trace the equator. After that, cut the globe in half on the equator. When you glue it into your notebook, label the equator and the northern and southern hemispheres. Find the prime meridian on this map. It s smack dab in the center of the globe and runs up and down. We call the prime meridian 0 longitude. Use a blue marker to carefully trace the prime meridian. After that, cut the globe in half on the equator. When you glue it into your notebook, label the prime meridian and the eastern and western hemispheres. Find the equator on this map. Remember, it is smack dab in the center of the globe. It s acts as a belt. We call the equator 0 latitude. Use a red marker to carefully trace the equator. After that, cut the globe in half on the equator. When you glue it into your notebook, label the equator and the northern and southern hemispheres. Find the prime meridian on this map. It s smack dab in the center of the globe and runs up and down. We call the prime meridian 0 longitude. Use a blue marker to carefully trace the prime meridian. After that, cut the globe in half on the equator. When you glue it into your notebook, label the prime meridian and the eastern and western hemispheres.
Map Skills: Parts of a Map There are certain parts that all maps are supposed to have. The purpose of these parts is to help a person read and understand a map. The parts are the title, map key (also called a legend), and the compass rose. Let s look more at these parts. The title let s you know what the map is all about. Pay careful attention because the title of a map is not always at the top. Sometimes it is on the side or at the bottom. You should also pay attention because a map will usually show you more than what the title says. The map key, or legend, is usually made of pictures that are called symbols. The map key will help you figure out what symbols and colors on a map mean. A map key can usually be found in a box somewhere on the side of a map. Finally, there is the compass rose. It can look like a cross or a star, and it helps you figure out the directions on a map. Some compass roses list all of the directions, and some only list north. North, south, east, and west are called cardinal directions. Combinations like northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest are called intermediate directions. Don t confuse a compass rose with a compass. A compass rose is on a map or globe, and a compass is something that you hold in your hand or have on your smartphone. Map Skills: Parts of a Map There are certain parts that all maps are supposed to have. The purpose of these parts is to help a person read and understand a map. The parts are the title, map key (also called a legend), and the compass rose. Let s look more at these parts. The title let s you know what the map is all about. Pay careful attention because the title of a map is not always at the top. Sometimes it is on the side or at the bottom. You should also pay attention because a map will usually show you more than what the title says. The map key, or legend, is usually made of pictures that are called symbols. The map key will help you figure out what symbols and colors on a map mean. A map key can usually be found in a box somewhere on the side of a map. Finally, there is the compass rose. It can look like a cross or a star, and it helps you figure out the directions on a map. Some compass roses list all of the directions, and some only list north. North, south, east, and west are called cardinal directions. Combinations like northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest are called intermediate directions. Don t confuse a compass rose with a compass. A compass rose is on a map or globe, and a compass is something that you hold in your hand or have on your smartphone.