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Grid references and the world map

Find a place with a letter and a number, and know the continents and oceans of the world. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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What is a grid?

A grid is lines that divide a map into blocks. Letters are along the bottom and numbers up the side. That way every block gets its own name, like B3.

ABCDE4321
The school is in block B3, the tree in D1 and the house in E4.
  1. Move your finger along the letters to the right column.
  2. Then go up to the right number (row).
  3. Where the column and the row cross is your block.
Rule

Always write the letter first and then the number: B3, not 3B.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

The seven continents

A continent is a very large piece of land. The Earth has seven: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica.

EquatorAustraliaAfricaNorth AmericaAsiaSouth AmericaEuropeAntarcticaAtlantic OceanIndian OceanPacific Ocean
The seven continents and the big oceans.
  • Asia is the largest continent.
  • Antarctica is the coldest; it is covered in ice.
  • We live in Africa.
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

The five oceans

An ocean is a huge body of salt water. There are five: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans. Water covers most of the Earth’s surface.

Atlantic OceanIndian OceanN
Two oceans meet at South Africa.
Meerkat tip

West of South Africa is the Atlantic Ocean, and east is the Indian Ocean.

Rule

The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Globe or map?

  • The Earth is round like a ball. A globe is a round model of the Earth.
  • A world map is flat, so you can see the whole world at once.
  • South Africa is a country on the continent of Africa, right in the south.
  • Find your own town or city on a map of South Africa: which province is it in?
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • A grid divides a map into blocks. Each block has a letter and a number, like B3.
  • Always write the letter first, then the number.
  • The world has seven continents and five oceans. Water covers most of the Earth.
  • Asia is the largest continent; Antarctica is the coldest.
  • South Africa is in Africa, between the Atlantic (west) and the Indian (east) Ocean.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Along the corridor, then up the stairs: first the letter, then the number. And: 7 continents like the days of the week, 5 oceans like the fingers of one hand.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

    Now the real quiz!

    The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.

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    For parents
    • Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
    • The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.

    Follows CAPS for Grade 4 Social Sciences (Geography). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.

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