Mixed Impressions: Cultural Extensions in Geography

Sandpaper Globe
Materials A world globe about 5” – 6” in diameter; the land areas are covered
with sandpaper and the water surfaces are painted blue.

Purposes Preparation for later study of physical geography

Preparations Rough and Smooth Board 1

Age 3.5 and up

Presentation 1. Invite an individual child.

 Mixed Impressions: Cultural Extensions in Geography
Sandpaper Globe

2. Show child where the materials are kept and how to carry them.
“The top comes off so we need to carry it by the base.”
3. Invite child to bring the globe to the table and the adult brings tray.
4. Sensitize fingers.
5. Introduce the sandpaper globe. “This represents our world. It looks
like our earth. If we went very far up, the earth would look this size.”
6. Put the home continent in front. Trace it. Ask the child to trace it.
7. Close your eyes or use blindfold and trace outline and feel surface.
8. Invite child to feel, saying “land” or “water” as child touches each.
9. Rotate the globe and repeat. Invite the child to repeat.
10. Give commands such as tracing land, where is the water, point to
land, trace water, feel land. Show child how to take globe off stand.
11. Point to the land and ask, “What’s this?” Invite the child to trace.
12. Point to the water and ask, “What’s this?” Invite the child to trace.

Control of Error None

Following None
Exercises

Language Land, water

Sensorial Games None

Pedagogical  Our planet is not something the child can take in through their
Notes senses. However, children have seen images of the globe as well
as heard language related to it, such as “going around the globe”.
We have to appeal to the child’s developing imagination when
presenting this material.

 For classification of our earth, this is the first material. Further

subdivisions of the land and water will follow.