Writing a Continents Story

Lesson Author

Michelle Horn

Grades: 2-3

Lesson Summary

This activity combines learning the continents with writing. After reading the descriptions of Earth in the story If the Moon Could Talk, students will use Google Earth to find, explore, and describe the continents. They will use their descriptions of images and natural features in the continents to write their own bedtime story. 

Literature Connection

If the Moon Could Talk by Kate Banks

If the Moon Could Talk includes descriptions of different places around the world as seen by the moon.

National Geography Standard

  • The location of the Earth's continents and oceans in relation to each other and to principle parallels and meridians

  • The physical characteristics of places

  • The human characteristics of places

Concepts and Skills

continents, human and physical features, descriptive writing

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Locate each continents on a variety of representations of Earth, including maps, Google Earth, and globes.

  2. Write a description of something on each continent.

Google Skills Needed

  • navigate with the side bar

  • zoom in and out

  • use layers

Step-by-Step Teaching Procedures (PDF document)