Pass out a lyric sheet or display the words to a continent song on a poster. Sing the song as a memory aid to introduce the names of the regions. Have students point to the corresponding continent on a globe or world map as they sing the name. Mrs. Jones' Room Web site offers nine versions, including this one to the tune of "99 Bottles."
"To learn the seven continents
Think of the letter A.
And when you're down to only one
An E will save the day.
There's Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, too.
The oceans run between them with their waters deep and blue.
There's also two Americas, North and South, you see.
Now we're coming to the end.
Europe starts with E!"
Cut out continent outlines from construction paper. Color the continents each a different color or use different colors of construction paper. Label the continents and tape or glue them to a rubber ball, arranging them as they appear on the globe.
Trace the continents on blue rubber ball with a permanent marker. Ask students to form a large circle. Toss the ball back and forth between players. Every time someone catches the ball, he must look under his right thumb and name the continent or ocean that it is touching.
Research information on the Internet, in books or in magazines about what makes the people and the culture of each continent distinctive. Find out about the natural environment such as weather, wildlife and landforms. Have students assemble the research into a hard-copy picture scrapbook using writing paper, and use a stapler to bind it in a construction-paper cover.