Do you know WHY we have times zones and WHAT invention demanded their creation? Have you ever seen a globe made? Can you name all 7 continents and 5 oceans? These questions and more were the focus of our first week studying world geography. What we learned about understanding maps was so fun and engaging we decided to share our resources with you!
We began by understanding the basics of maps, passports, time zones, seasons, and continent placement. Below is a list of resources we used to build our elementary world geography foundation. May you have fun embarking on your own world adventure!
Building a world geography foundation has never been more fun, easy, or cheap!Click To TweetEngaging Resources for Understanding Maps and World Travel
YouTube Videos
Understanding Maps and World Travel Books
- Little Kids First Big Book of the World by Elizabeth Carney
- Children Around the World by Donata Montanari
- If the World Were a Village by David J. Smith
- This is My Continent by Lisa Bullard
- Follow That Map!: A First Book of Mapping Skills by Scot Ritchie
- Where Do I Live? by Neil Chesanow
- Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton
- All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka
- Off to Class by Susan Hughes
- There’s a Map on My Lap! All About Maps by Tish Rabe
- Me on a Map by Joan Sweeney
- Wonderful Houses Around the World by Yoshio Komatsu
- What the World Eats by Faith D’Aluisio
- Mapping Penny’s World by Leedy
- House is a House for Me by Hoberman
- One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley
- What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World by Maya Ajmera, et. all.
- Time Zones by David Adler
Understanding Maps and World Travel Activities
- Learn about using a compass with Geocaching
- Map plotting online deduction game from BBC
- Practice compass skills with this BBC online compass game
- Map Skills Worksheet from Education World
- Find the Continents online game
- Sheppard’s Software Continent and Ocean online identification game
- Free Continents and Oceans Worksheets
- Quia Rags to Riches Time Zones online game
- Harcourt School Interactive Read a Time Zone Map
- Soft School’s Time Zone Quiz
Other Tips and Resources
- Need help memorizing those continents and oceans? Try these mnemonic phrases:
Continents = Aunt Alice Always Eats Nasty Apple Soup.
A=Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica
E=Europe
N=North America
S=South America
Oceans = Apple Picking Is Awesome Sometimes.
A=Arctic Ocean
P=Pacific Ocean
I=Indian Ocean
A=Atlantic Ocean
S=Southern Ocean
