Map of the World
A map of the world is a flat image of the round earth. Earth is shaped like a ball and it is made up of land and water. Different colors are used to show the land. Blue is often used to color the water.
Large land masses are called continents. There are seven continents, North America and South America are in the west. Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia are in the east. Antarctica is in the south at the bottom of the earth. The blue water represents four oceans, the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans.
Maps have four cardinal directions, north, south, west, and east. Maps are usually made with north at the top and south at the bottom. If that is the case west and east spell out the word WE. Sometimes maps are drawn differently with south, west, or east at the top of the page.
The continents and oceans were not always where they are now. Long, long ago the continents were connected to each other. That massive continent is called Pangaea. Squint your eyes while you are looking at the map to figure out how the continents fit together.
Using tracing paper make an outline of North America. Continue to trace the other continents but leave out the water so that the continents come together.
