Topic: Continents on Earth

Supplementary material for use in lessons in the group of natural sciences (nature, biology, chemistry, geography, physics), additional classes, science clubs. It can serve as a resource for expanding knowledge, preparing students for science competitions.

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

Grade V – geography

III. Lands and oceans on Earth: the distribution of lands and oceans, the first geographical expeditions.

Pupil:

2) lists the names of continents and oceans and indicates their location on the globe and the map of the world, and determines their position relative to the equator and the prime meridian.

General aim of education

Students exchange the names of continents and indicate their location.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to list the names of continents and locate them on the map;

• to determine the size of the continents;

• to list the highest mountain peaks of individual continents.

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• exposing

  • film.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers;

• world map;

• sheets of gray paper;

• crayons;

• glue;

• plasticine;

• paper plate;

• toothpick;

• a small piece of paper.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

Introduction

• The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

Realization

• The teacher gives the students sheets of white paper and displays the first part of the film. According to the instruction included in it, students make an educational toy „Hell - Heaven”.

• Students read the fragment „Continents”.

• The teacher presents the second part of the film and asks his pupils to draw or lay out the contours of the continents on their toys, in the right places, and each of them signed.

• The lecturer displays the third part of the film. Students on toys „Hell - Heaven” write information about the size of the continents.

• The teacher asks students to carry out the recommended interactive exercise themselves.

• Each person draws a chosen continent. On a paper plate, it sticks out its shape. On the map, it checks which mountain ranges exist on the area of a given continent and maps them on its model. Marks the highest elevation, sticking in the right place a toothpick with a sticky note stuck to it. On one side of the note should be the name of the peak, on the other - the height of the hill.

• The students consolidate the acquired information, discussing it with their nearest neighbors („tell your neighbor” method).

Summary

• The teacher asks the pupils to finish the sentence: „In today's lesson, I liked it the most ...”.

Homework

• Develop a lap book containing issues learned during the lesson and bring your work to the next class.

• Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Continents on Earth

Any part of the globe that is not covered by the waters of the seas and oceans, we call land. Among the lands, we distinguish large areas with an area of many million square kilometers, calling them continents, and small fragments of lands called islands.

• Asia is the largest continent with an area of approximately 44.6 million kmIndeks górny 2². It lies almost entirely in the northern and eastern hemisphere. Many researchers believe that together with Europe can be classed as one continent called Eurasia (with an area of over 55 million kmIndeks górny 2²).

• Africa is the second largest continent in terms of space. Its area is over 30 million kmIndeks górny 2². It lies north and south of the equator, and east and west of the meridian 0⁰, i.e. in all hemispheres. Africa has the most countries of all continents.

• North America has an area of over 24 million kmIndeks górny 2²and is located entirely in the northern and western hemispheres.

• South America is slightly less than 18 million kmIndeks górny 2², and lies on both sides of the equator, but only in the Western Hemisphere. Some researchers regard both Americas as one continent.

• Antarctica has an area of only 13 million kmIndeks górny 2² and it lies around the South Pole. It is the only continent in the world in which there is no state and belongs to no state.

• Europe has an area of about 10.5 million kmIndeks górny 2²and it lies with Asia in the northern and eastern hemisphere, but its western extremities reach the western hemisphere.

• Australasia is the smallest continent with an area of just 7.5 million kmIndeks górny 2²without coastal islands (with all of Australasia is 8.5 million kmIndeks górny 2²). It lies in the southern and eastern hemisphere. It is entirely occupied by one country bearing the same name.

On the surface of the lands, there are forming or formed mountains. The highest mountain chain in the world is the Himalayas, and their highest peak is Mount Everest, it is the highest mountain in the world and in Asia. It measures 8848 m above sea level. The highest mountain ranges in Europe are the Alps who’s highest mountain is Mount Blanc (4807 m above sea level), the Pyrenees and the Carpathians. Near the border with Asia there are also mountains of the Caucasus, sometimes included in Europe, and their highest peak is Elbrus (5642 m above sea level). On the western side of the Americas there are the Cordilleras in North America (with the highest peak of McKinley – 6194 m above sea level) and Andes in South America, with Aconcagua the highest point (6961 m above sea level). In Africa, the highest peak is Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m above sea level), Antarctica – Vinson massif (4892 m above sea level), and in Australia – Mount Kosciuszko (2230 m above sea level). It is worth noting that it is lower than the highest mountain in Poland – Rysów (2499 m).

Continents are not the main lands. Smaller areas of land are called islands. The largest island in the world is Greenland located in the North Atlantic. Many islands are grouped in clusters called archipelagos. Numerous archipelagos surround North America, Europe and Asia. Relatively fewer islands are located near South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.

• A part of the globe, which is not flooded with the waters of the seas and oceans, we call land.

• Seven continents stand out for the most part. They are: Africa, South America, North America, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Europe.

• The largest continent is Asia.

• The highest mountains in the world are the Himalayas.