Recognizing Continents and Oceans

1. Recognizing Continents and Oceans

2. Earth’s Surface • Complete knowledge of the features of Earth’s surface is only a few hundred years old. • As recently as the 1300s, the Atlantic Ocean was a mysterious “Sea of Darkness” on a flat surface.

3. Oceans • The regions of the Arctic, Pacific, and Antarctic oceans were unknown to Europeans. • There were also great misconceptions about the world. For example, Europeans had some knowledge of the Indian Ocean but thought it was a great salt lake surrounded by land. • They assumed Asia could be reached from the west only by land.

4. 5 Major Oceans

5. Continents • Today Earth is completely mapped.The largest units of Earth’s land are called continents. Except for the division between Europe and Asia, they are generally well defined. • Two continents are islands, and isthmuses—narrow necks of land—clearly separate others. • The oceans are merely names given to the largest sections of the body of salt water that covers 71 percent of the globe.

7. Warm-Up: Oceans and Continents • What are the seven continents? • What appears to divide Asia from Europe? • Where is most of Earth’s landmass-north or south of the equator? • A trip from Australia to Africa would involve crossing which ocean?

8. Answers • 1. North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, and Antarctica. • 2. Equator • 3. North of the Equator • 4. Indian Ocean

9. Continents and Oceans Map Pages A5-A6 30 Points 4. Label the following Oceans:(5 Points) Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Southern Ocean Arctic Ocean 5. Color Map-Ocean Blue (5 points) 6. Continents Different Colors (5 Points) 7. Neat and legible writing (3 Points) 1. Heading: Name, Date, Period (3 Points) 2. Title: Continents and Oceans Map (2 Point) 3. Label the following Continents: (7 Points) • North America • South America • Africa • Asia • Australia • Europe • Antarctica