Sandpaper Globe
What is the Sandpaper Globe?
The Sandpaper Globe is a small world globe found in the Geography area in a Montessori classroom. The land on the globe is covered in sandpaper and the water surfaces are painted blue.
The Geography area in a Montessori classroom is very exciting and appealing to children. We first introduce the child to the Sandpaper Globe to help them recognise land and water, as well as the shape of the earth.
Montessori Sandpaper Globe
How is the Sandpaper Globe presented?
The directress invites the child to work with her and shows him how to carry the globe carefully to the table, by supporting the base of the globe with his one hand, and holding the top of the globe firmly with his other hand.
The directress introduces the Sandpaper globe to the child. She tells him “this is what the earth looks like from outer space”. She then explains to him that the earth is divided into land and water, and land and water are easy to distinguish on the globe.
Feeling the rough sandpaper on the Sandpaper Globe
The directress begins to feel a continent on the globe (sandpaper) and asks the child feel it, while he is feeling it she says, “this is land’’. She then feels another continent and invites the child to do the same, she tells the child, “this is also land”. The directress then begins to feel one of the oceans on the globe (smooth blue surface) and asks the child once again to feel it, when the child is feeling the smooth blue surface she tells him, “this is water”.
The directress does a three-period lesson with the child for ‘land and water’, and helps him to pack away.
If the child has not grasped the concept in the second period, the directress should not continue and should pack the work away. She can tell the child that they can try another day.
Looking for more Montessori activities?
Here is a list of all the Montessori Cultural activities. These include: Nature table, Nature walk, Blindfold trail, Silence game, Living and non-living things, Importance of the sun, Sandpaper globe, Continent globe, Plant classified cards, The tree, The leaf, The flower, and the seed.
Botany
Plant classification cards
Loosely grouped plant classification cards: three-period lesson
Loosely grouped plant classification cards: for the reading child