The world is a huge and exciting place with lots of different plants and animals. It’s fun to think about traveling and exploring all the amazing places on Earth. But how is our big world organized? Is it just one big piece of land, or are there smaller parts? And what about all the water we see on maps and globes?
The world is divided into big pieces of land called continents. There are seven continents in total. Let’s learn about each one!
Asia is the largest continent. It has the most people living on it. Big countries like China and India are in Asia. You can find cool animals like pandas and pangolins here.
Africa is the second largest continent. It includes countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa. Africa is famous for its amazing animals like elephants, lions, zebras, and giraffes.
North America is the third largest continent. It has countries like the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The monarch butterfly, which travels in big groups to find warm places, lives here.
South America is below North America and is the fourth largest continent. It has the famous Amazon rainforest in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. The giant anaconda snake lives here!
Antarctica is the fifth largest continent and is covered in snow and ice all year. No one lives here all the time, but visitors and animals like killer whales, penguins, seabirds, and seals can be found.
Europe is the sixth largest continent and has the second largest population. Countries like the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Greece are in Europe. It’s known more for its buildings than its wildlife.
Australia is the smallest continent. It’s both a country and an island. Interesting animals like koalas, kangaroos, platypuses, and echidnas live here.
Surrounding these continents are large bodies of water called oceans. There are five oceans in the world:
Oceans are full of amazing sea creatures living under the water, making them just as busy as the continents above.
The world is a big place, but it’s easier to understand when we think about it in smaller parts like continents and oceans. Now you might know which continent you live on and which oceans are nearby!
Continents and Animals Match-Up: Create a fun matching game using cards. On one set of cards, write the names of the seven continents. On another set, draw or paste pictures of animals that are unique to each continent, like pandas for Asia or kangaroos for Australia. Mix them up and challenge yourself to match each animal with its correct continent. This will help you remember where different animals live around the world!
Ocean Exploration Adventure: Pretend you are an ocean explorer! Fill a small tub with water and add toy sea creatures or draw pictures of them. Label the tub as one of the five oceans. Discuss with a friend or family member what kinds of creatures might live in each ocean and why they are important. You can even create a simple story about an adventure in that ocean!
World Map Observation: Find a world map or globe and locate the continent you live on. Then, find the nearest ocean. Talk about what you might see if you traveled from your continent to that ocean. What kind of transportation would you use? What animals might you see along the way? This activity helps you connect your everyday life to the larger world.
[Music] The world is a very large place, filled with millions of unique plants and animals, making it an exciting place to travel and explore. With so many different locations that make up our world, how is it all organized? Is the world one giant landmass, or are there smaller sections? And what about all the water on the Earth’s surface?
The world is divided into a number of land masses, which we see on maps and globes. These land masses are called continents. [Music] There are seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Asia is the largest continent [Music] and has the largest population among all the continents. Huge countries such as China and India are located on this continent, which is home to unique animals like the panda and the pangolin.
Africa is the second largest continent, including countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa. It has an amazing variety of wildlife, such as elephants, lions, zebras, and giraffes. North America is the third largest continent, containing countries such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico. North America is home to the monarch butterfly, which travels across the continent in large groups during the colder months to find warmer places.
South America is situated below North America and is the fourth largest continent. It is home to the famous Amazon rainforest, found in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Did you know that the anaconda, one of the largest snakes in the world, is found in South America? [Music]
Antarctica is the fifth largest continent and is covered in snow and ice all year round. It is the only continent without permanent human residents, only visitors and various wildlife such as killer whales, penguins, seabirds, and seals. Europe is the sixth largest continent but has the second largest population. Countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Greece are part of Europe. [Music] These places are more known for their buildings than their wildlife.
Australia is the smallest continent in the world; it is both a country and an island. It is home to some of the most interesting animals, such as koalas, kangaroos, platypuses, and echidnas. Surrounding these seven continents are vast bodies of water called oceans. There are five oceans in the world: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. Each ocean is teeming with an amazing range of marine life that lives below the water’s surface, making them just as busy as the continents above water.
The world is indeed a very large place, but it’s much easier to understand when we divide it into smaller sections, such as continents and oceans. Perhaps now you know which continent you live on and which oceans surround it.
