Continents and Oceans — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Read each name. Sort it into the correct group: continent or ocean.
Continent
AustraliaAntarcticaAsia Ocean
SouthernAtlanticArctic Australia, Antarctica, and Asia are huge pieces of land where people can stand, so they belong in the continent group. Southern, Atlantic, and Arctic are wide bodies of salty water, so they belong in the ocean group.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The equator divides Earth into two hemispheres.
The equator is an imaginary line that runs around the middle of Earth and splits it into a top half and a bottom half. Each half is called a hemisphere, meaning half of a sphere.
2. The smallest ocean on Earth is the Arctic.
Of the five oceans, the Arctic Ocean covers the least space and is mostly frozen ice. It sits at the very top of the globe around the North Pole.
3. South America is connected to North America by a thin strip of land.
A narrow piece of land called an isthmus joins South America to North America at the country of Panama. You can walk from one continent to the other across this land bridge.
4. Australia is the smallest continent on Earth.
Out of all seven continents, Australia takes up the least space on a map. It is also the only continent that is one single country.
5. The Indian Ocean is between Africa and Australia.
If you put a finger on Africa and slide east across the blue water, you will reach Australia, and that blue water is the Indian Ocean. It is the third largest ocean.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. There are five oceans on Earth.
True False
Earth has exactly five named oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. Together they cover most of the planet.
2. Europe is the largest continent.
True False
Asia is the largest continent, not Europe. Europe is actually one of the smaller continents and is connected to Asia.
3. A globe is shaped like a ball.
True False
A globe is round like a ball, or sphere, because it is a tiny model of Earth. Earth itself is nearly ball-shaped too.
4. The Southern Ocean is near the North Pole.
True False
The Southern Ocean is found at the bottom of the globe around Antarctica and the South Pole. The ocean near the North Pole is the Arctic Ocean.