You will learn
- Say what a globe is.
- Compare a globe and a map.
- Find land and water.
- Find the equator and poles.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A globe is a model of Earth.
- A globe shows Earth’s true shape.
- A flat map is easier to carry but can distort.
- The equator is halfway between the poles.
Words to know
a model of Earth shaped like a ball
an imaginary line round the middle of Earth
one of the two ends of Earth
half of the Earth
1. Discover: The spinning globe
Mr Cole puts a globe on a stand and spins it. “This is a model of our planet,” he says. “Most of its surface is blue, which is water. The green and brown parts are land.” Kofi puts a finger on Sierra Leone. “We are near the equator,” he says. “The equator is the line round the middle.”
Think: Why is a globe a good model of Earth?
2. Understand: Globe
Idea 1: The globe
A globe is a model of Earth shaped like a ball. It shows the true shape of Earth and where land and water are. Most of Earth’s surface is water, shown in blue. The land is divided into continents and countries.
Idea 2: Lines on a globe
The equator is an imaginary line round the middle of Earth. The North and South Poles are the two ends of Earth. The equator divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Sierra Leone is just north of the equator.
Idea 3: Globe and map
A flat map is easy to carry and can show detail, but flattening a ball shape changes sizes and shapes. A globe shows sizes and shapes more truthfully but is bulky and shows only half of Earth at a time.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Land or water
Find on the globe.
- Spin.
- Look.
- Say.
Answer: Blue is water; green is land.
Example 2 (We do it together): Find the equator
Trace it.
- Find middle.
- Trace.
- Name.
Answer: The equator.
Example 3 (You try): Compare
Globe and map.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- List.
- Say.
Answer: A map is flat; a globe is round.
Did you know?
Earth is not a perfect sphere, but is slightly wider at the equator than between the poles, so it is a little flattened.
Why this matters
A globe helps us picture the real shape of Earth and the places on it.
4. Explore: Globe tour
In groups, explore a globe or a globe picture. Find the equator, the poles, our country and one place far away. Record each on a sheet.
- Pass the globe.
- Find the lines.
- Find places.
- Record.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Most of Earth is water.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A globe is ___.
- The equator is ___.
- A pole is ___.
- A hemisphere is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a globe?
A model of Earth.
Question 2. What is the equator?
A line round the middle.
Question 3. What are the poles?
The two ends of Earth.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a globe?
- What is the equator?
- What are the poles?
- What is a hemisphere?
- Which is most of Earth’s surface?
Level 2: Grow
- Why use a globe?
- Why use a map?
- Why does a map distort?
Level 3: Stretch
- Trace the equator.
- Find our country.
- Compare globe and map.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name two differences between a globe and a map.
Show a sample answer
Shape and portability.
Another one. Find our country on a globe or world map with an adult.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Earth is a ball-like shape.
Fix: Most is water.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a globe is.
- I can compare a globe and a map.
- I can find land and water.
- I can find the equator and poles.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- A globe is a model of Earth.
- A globe shows Earth’s true shape.
- A flat map is easier to carry but can distort.
- The equator is halfway between the poles.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Map symbols. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Say what a globe is. [2 marks]
- Say what the equator and poles are. [3 marks]
- Compare a globe and a flat map. [3 marks]
- Say how to find land and water. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; shape [1]
- Equator [1]; poles [1]; hemispheres [1]
- Globe [1]; map [1]; compare [1]
- Colours [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a globe?
- What is the equator?
- What are the poles?
- What is a hemisphere?
- Which is most of Earth’s surface?
- Why use a globe?
- Why use a map?
- Why does a map distort?
- Trace the equator.
- Find our country.
Homework
Find Sierra Leone and the equator on a world map and draw them.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a globe? | A model of Earth. | 1 |
| 2. What is the equator? | A line round the middle. | 1 |
| 3. What are the poles? | The two ends of Earth. | 1 |
| 4. What is a hemisphere? | Half of Earth. | 1 |
| 5. Which is most of Earth’s surface? | Water. | 1 |
| 6. Why use a globe? | True shape. | 1 |
| 7. Why use a map? | Easy to carry. | 1 |
| 8. Why does a map distort? | Flattening a ball. | 1 |
| 9. Trace the equator. | Trace. | 1 |
| 10. Find our country. | Find. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 A model of Earth.; 2 A line round the middle.; 3 The two ends of Earth.; 4 Half of Earth.; 5 Water.. Level 2: 1 True shape.; 2 Easy to carry.; 3 Flattening a ball.. Level 3: 1 Trace.; 2 Find.; 3 Compare..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what a globe is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Compare a globe and a map | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Find land and water | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Find the equator and poles | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Earth is flat.” Earth is a ball-like shape.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw a ball-shaped Earth with the equator.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about globes. Please look at a globe together if you have one. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Find places on a globe.
- Talk about land and water.
- Use maps on trips.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a globe is; compare a globe and a map; find land and water; find the equator and poles.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: simple maps, symbols, directions and routes.
Materials. Globe, world map, paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Borrow a globe.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Spin the globe.
Explanation (10 min). Teach globe.
Guided activity (10 min). Globe tour.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is a globe? How is it different from a map?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Earth is flat.” Earth is a ball-like shape.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Draw a ball-shaped Earth with the equator. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 4, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, geographic representations and spatial views; Cambridge Primary Humanities, places and maps; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.