This week I expand upon the Land and Water Globe introducing the second Globe known as the Colored or Painted Globe. For the young child, this is the first introduction to the naming the Continents of the World. The colors of the colors of the Continent give placement and order to the globe. Next, when ready, the children receive a very special presentation to introduce the Hemisphere Map. The Hemisphere Map is the first experience looking at a flat map. The color coded Cultural Folders compliment the colored globe thus giving the child a deeper view into the Continents culture, region, animals habitats, people, food, climate and landscape.
The Extended Day children explore a bit deeper. First, to begin I show many images of Earth taken from space. Then, I use the Continent Globe and a small flashlight (to represent the Sun) to demonstrate night and day with the rotation of the Earth. The children enjoy repeating this work. In addition, we discuss the poles, the Earth’s tilt and the Seasons, time of the one year orbit, and the Temperate Zones of the Earth. This glimmering insight into the beautiful World that God made ignites an interest that sparks their great imagination and research for more knowledge. I support their interest with more stories, research, real pictures, flat maps and further exploration of the Earth. The introduction of telling time will shortly follow as a direct extension of this preliminary work.