The Sandpaper Globe and the Colored Globe introduce geography through land, water, and continents. They are an early part of a sequence that can lead to puzzle maps, individual countries, and more specific geographical language.
The Sandpaper Globe
On the Sandpaper Globe, tan sandpaper represents land and a smooth blue surface represents water. The contrast lets the child explore the same distinction by looking and by touch.
In a presentation, the guide feels an area of land and names it. The child may then feel that area and other land portions of the globe. The guide and child repeat the exploration with water. A three-period lesson may be used to practice identifying and naming land and water.
The Colored Globe
The Colored Globe follows work with the Sandpaper Globe. It is the same size, but there is no sandpaper: each continent is painted a different color, while the oceans remain blue.
The emphasis now shifts from distinguishing land and water to identifying continents. The guide may use a three-period lesson for this vocabulary and the distinction between continents and oceans.
A connection to puzzle maps
The sequence continues with puzzle-map work, beginning with the World Map. The continents on that map use the same colors as the Colored Globe, providing a visual connection between the two materials.
