35-minute lesson
Year 2 Geography: Continents and oceans
Lesson objective
- Name the seven continents and five oceans.
- Locate Australia and the major oceans on a globe or world map.
Success criteria:
- I can name the seven continents.
- I can name the five oceans.
- I can point to Australia on a globe and name the oceans around it.
Materials
- A globe or world map (printed or in an atlas)
- Seven sticky notes
- Blue and green pencils
Introduction
4 minIntroduce today's words:
- continent: One of the seven very large areas of land on Earth.
- ocean: One of the five very large areas of salt water on Earth.
- globe: A round model of the Earth.
- world map: A flat drawing of the whole Earth's surface.
- equator: An imaginary line around the middle of the Earth, halfway between the North and South poles.
Ask your child what they already know about continents and oceans.
Explanation
7 minEarth is mostly covered by water. The very large areas of land are called continents and the very large areas of salt water are called oceans.
There are seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. Asia is the largest continent. Australia is the smallest; the continent of Australia and nearby Pacific islands is sometimes called Oceania.
There are five oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans. The Pacific is the largest and deepest.
Australia is surrounded by water. The Indian Ocean is to the west, the Pacific Ocean is to the east (including the Coral Sea and Tasman Sea), and the Southern Ocean is to the south.
A globe is a round model of Earth. A world map is flat, so shapes and sizes are stretched a little.
The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of Earth. Australia is south of the equator, in the Southern Hemisphere.
Worked examples
5 minFinding Australia's oceans
Which oceans are on each side of Australia?
Step 1: Find Australia on the globe.
Step 2: Look west (left on most maps): the Indian Ocean.
Step 3: Look east (right): the Pacific Ocean.
Step 4: Look south (down): the Southern Ocean.
Answer: Indian Ocean to the west, Pacific Ocean to the east, Southern Ocean to the south.
Counting continents
Place a sticky note on each continent. How many notes did you use?
Step 1: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia.
Step 2: Count: 7.
Answer: 7 sticky notes.
Guided practice (do together)
7 min1. Which is the largest continent?
(a) Africa (b) Australia (c) Asia (d) Europe
2. Which is the largest ocean?
(a) Pacific Ocean (b) Atlantic Ocean (c) Indian Ocean (d) Arctic Ocean
3. Which ocean is to the west of Australia?
(a) Pacific Ocean (b) Arctic Ocean (c) Atlantic Ocean (d) Indian Ocean
4. Which continent is covered in ice and has the South Pole?
(a) Europe (b) Antarctica (c) Asia (d) South America
Independent practice
9 min5. Is Australia north or south of the equator?
(a) South (b) North (c) On the equator (d) Both
6. How many continents are there?
7. How many oceans are there?
8. Which ocean is to the south of Australia?
Questions to check understanding
- Can you name the seven continents?
- Can you name the five oceans?
- Can you point to Australia on a globe and name the oceans around it?
- What was the trickiest part today?
Answer guide
1. Asia — Asia is the largest continent.
2. Pacific Ocean — The Pacific is the largest ocean.
3. Indian Ocean — The Indian Ocean is west of Australia.
4. Antarctica — Antarctica surrounds the South Pole.
5. South — Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere.
6. 7 — There are seven continents.
7. 5 — Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.
8. Southern — The Southern Ocean lies south of Australia.
Review
3 minRecap the success criteria together. Watch for these common misconceptions:
- Children may think Australia is a country only. It is both a country and a continent.
- Flat maps can make places like Greenland look much bigger than they are. Compare with a globe.
Extension activities
- Make a continents puzzle by cutting out a printed world map.
- Find one animal that lives on each continent.
- Make a salt-dough model of Australia and paint the oceans around it.
Suggested follow-up
- Revisit continents and oceans tomorrow with two or three quick questions from memory.
- Try the online practice check for this topic and look at any questions that need another go.
Tips for parents
- A globe is one of the most useful geography tools you can own; an inflatable one works well.
- Sing or chant the continents and oceans to help memory.
- Link to family: find countries where relatives live or where your family's heritage comes from.