About Globes ~ A Geography Inspired Picture Study

The Geography Lesson – Monsieur Gaudry And His Daughter by Louis-Leopold Boilly

Here are some picture studies that you can do with your children to give them a taste of geography and art at the same time. This is such a fun and harmless way to teach these subjects! Perhaps you would like to choose one painting to view and one geography concept per week to study?

Below are some questions and activities for the children to coordinate with each piece that share basic information about globes.

On Top of the World by Henriette Ronner-Knip

• Share the name of the painting and artist and ask the following questions:
• Do you like this artwork? What are your thoughts on it?
• How many kittens can you find in the painting above?
• Do you think the owner of these items will be pleased when they see this mischief?
• Have you ever spent any time analyzing a globe?
• Did you realize it is more accurate than a map because the shape of the globe mimics the shape of the earth? How can you flatten something round (like a map) and expect it to be perfect when placed on a flat surface? (Try this with an orange for a fun experiment.)
• Did you know that the earth is really 30 to 40 million times bigger than a globe?
• Can you point out where you live on the globe?

Portrait of Doctor Trioson Giving his Son a Geography Lesson by Anne Louis Girodet

• Share the name of the painting and artist and ask the following questions:
• Do you like this artwork? What are your thoughts on it?
• Do you know what Geography is? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is "a science that deals with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the earth's surface." What does your dictionary say?
• That means geography is more than maps and globes, it is about the kind of animals that live in certain areas, the culture of the people and knowing what kind of food they eat! Yes, that would be considered geography too! Famous places (such as the Grand Canyon) would be a part of geography as well. What geographical areas by your home do you enjoy visiting?

Geographer by Jan Vermeer

• Share the name of the painting and artist and ask the following questions:
•  Do you like this artwork? What are your thoughts on it?
• The man in the picture above is a geographer. The artist of this painting has a love for globes and maps since about 6 of his paintings feature one or the other in the background. Next time you view a Vermeer painting, see if you can find one. Here are a few to visit: Soldier and the Laughing Girl, Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, Young Woman with a Water Pitcher and The Astronomer.
• Do you know what a geographer is? (A geographer is a scientist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's physical environment and human habitat.) Christopher Columbus was one. Do you know of any others?
• Print out a picture of a globe on a piece of paper and have the children label in "north, south, east and west". Younger children can just point it out on the globe with your help.
• Did you know that the line going across the the globe (east to west) is called the "equator" and is just an imaginary line that divides the earth in half? Older children can label the "equator" on their globe print out.

Where Papa Is by Davidson Knowles

• Share the name of the painting and artist and ask the following questions:
• Do you like this artwork? What are your thoughts on it?
• Did you know that the northern hemisphere is the top part (north) of the globe while the southern hemisphere is the bottom (south) part? Which hemisphere do you live on? Older children can label both hemispheres on their globe print out while the younger ones may try and point them out.
• Did you know there is another line called the "prime meridian" which divides the earth another way (going north and south)? It runs up and down starting at the North Pole and ending at the South Pole. Can you find the North Pole? Can you find the South Pole? Older children may label these on their globe print out while the younger ones can point them out.
• This "Prime Meridian" is technically dividing the globe into two halves which are called the eastern hemisphere and the western hemisphere. Which side do you live on? You can also have the older children label the eastern and western hemispheres on their globe while the younger children may just point them out.

Inquisitive Boy by Eduard Swoboda

• Share the name of the painting and artist and ask the following questions:
• Do you like this artwork? What are your thoughts on it?
• Do you think the boy above likes to learn?
• Do you think that the globe in the picture is for him to find all the unusual places he reads about? I do!
• Did you know that the globe is divided into more sections using imaginary lines? These lines are called latitude and longitude.
• The latitude lines are horizontal meaning they are the lines that go across the globe (east to west). Can you find these man made lines on your globe? Label them on your globe print out.
• The longitude lines are vertical lines that go up and down the globe (north to south). Can you find these man made lines on your globe? Label them on your globe print out.
• Looking at both sets of lines on the globe, you will see that the checkerboard type look is called the "global grid". This grid helps us to locate places on the globe.

The Geography Lesson by Pietro Longhi

Challenge for older students:

• Older students can be given some coordinates and see if they can find the places you designated for them.
• Now, have them choose three places on the globe that they would love to visit and see if they can create the coordinates for you!

Geography Inspired Book List

Geography Poems and Play

Enriching Family Field Trips and Vacations

Columbus the Cartographer

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