7 continents and 5 oceans - naming the pieces of our shared planet

Greeting + Calendar Circle + share homework countries. Teacher: 'Today we learn the 7 CONTINENTS and 5 OCEANS - the biggest pieces of our shared planet.'

• Map out the continents on a chalk floor outline
• Place puzzle pieces in basket
• Sing the continent-chant once

Earth has 7 big landmasses called CONTINENTS: AFRICA, ANTARCTICA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA (also called OCEANIA), EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA. We live on ___ (home continent). Earth also has 5 OCEANS: PACIFIC (the biggest), ATLANTIC, INDIAN, ARCTIC (around the North Pole), and SOUTHERN (around Antarctica). Today we learn them all by chanting, pointing on the globe and flat map, and putting together a 7-piece continent puzzle.

• Songs help us remember.

  model Teacher leads: 'Africa, Antarctica, Asia too / Australia, Europe, two more for you / North America, South America too / Seven continents on Earth, that's true!'

  prompt Sing the 7-continents chant (to 'Twinkle Twinkle' melody or similar). Each child gets a chant card with all 7 continents.
• See how the pieces fit together? That's our PLANET.

  model Each child takes one piece; teacher leads the assembly on a giant floor outline. As each continent is placed, the class chants the name.

  prompt Assemble the 7-continent floor puzzle as a class.
• Notice - the PACIFIC is the BIGGEST ocean. It covers more than the rest combined.

  model Teacher points to each ocean on MG-7 with a pointer; children name aloud. Then each child colors a personal map with 5 different blue gradients.

  prompt Identify the 5 oceans on the world map. Color a printed map.
• Children live in neighborhoods on every continent.

  model Teacher: 'These are all NEIGHBORHOODS in different countries on different continents. Same idea (neighborhood), different places.'

  prompt Read excerpts from 'Be My Neighbor' (Ajmera 2004) - neighborhood photographs from Iraq, Vietnam, Peru, Ghana, Bhutan.

• Name 4 of the 7 continents.
• Name 3 of the 5 oceans.

M-1-S-GEO-11-B Chart

5x7 inch laminated chant card per child. Front: 7-continent chant lyrics ('Africa, Antarctica, Asia too / Australia, Europe, two more for you / North America, South America too / Seven continents on Earth, that's true!') in 18pt. Back: 5-ocean chant ('Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Southern').

M-1-S-GEO-11-D Photograph

4 photographed spreads from 'Be My Neighbor' showing neighborhoods in Iraq, Vietnam, Peru, Ghana, and Bhutan. Each spread captioned with country name. Mounted as 4-panel poster for whole-group viewing.

• In partners, assemble a smaller 7-piece continent puzzle together. Chant each continent as you place it.

  scaffold Color-coded pieces matching MG-7
• Color a 5-ocean blank world map.

  scaffold Color guide card

M-1-S-GEO-11-A Manipulative Physical / non-image

Set of 2 puzzles: 1 floor-size 6x4 foot 7-continent puzzle (one piece per continent + ocean baseboard); 1 set of table-size 11x17 inch puzzles (one per pair). Color-coded continents matching MG-7. Stored in labeled tray.

MG-7 Chart

Mounted on classroom wall at child-eye-height; Velcro spaces for adding world-neighbor flag/anthem/landmark thumbnails as those countries are studied. Multiple copies of just the FLAG section printed smaller for take-home flag-making templates.

M-1-S-GEO-11-C Map

11x17 inch outline world map per child (Robinson projection). 7 continents outlined; 5 oceans labeled. Color-by-name protocol on companion card. Each child completes during class for capstone portfolio.

• Name 5 of 7 continents AND 3 of 5 oceans. Point to home continent on MG-7.

• Display puzzle and colored maps
• Preview: tomorrow we meet our first World Neighbor - Mexico

• Tonight, ask a family member: 'Have you visited ANY of the 7 continents?' Mark which on a take-home outline map.