GeographyThe world map25 min★★ difficulty

Europe and the Americas

From the fjords of Norway to the Andes of South America, this half of the world map shapes trade, migration and culture that reach the UK every day.

Part of your national curriculum

Locational knowledge: Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Europe and North and South America

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Europe and North and South America

Key learning points

• Europe's patchwork
• North America
• South America
• Connections

This lesson at a glance

25 minutes
17 parts to scroll through
3 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

extendlocationalknowledgedeepenspatial

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Part 1 of 17 · Discover6%

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Part 1 of 17

Visual introduction

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Europe and the Americas

From the fjords of Norway to the Andes of South America, this half of the world map shapes trade, migration and culture that reach the UK every day.

In a nutshell

Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Europe and North and South America

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 17

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Europe's patchwork

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 17

Learn

Europe's patchwork

Europe packs around 44 countries into a relatively small area. The Alps separate warmer Mediterranean states like Italy and Greece from cooler northern ones, while the North European Plain stretches from France to Russia, shaping historic trade and invasion routes.

Reset break

Part 4 of 17

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 4 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 17

Learn

North America

Canada, the USA and Mexico dominate North America. The Rocky Mountains run down the west, the Great Lakes sit on the Canada–USA border, and the Mississippi River drains the central plains into the Gulf of Mexico.

Quick check

Part 6 of 17

Quick check

Which mountain range runs the length of South America's west coast?

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 7 of 17

Quick check

Which canal links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through Central America?

Give me a hint

Reset break

Part 8 of 17

Pause

That's sitting 2 of 4 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Learning cycle

Part 9 of 17

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · South America

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 10 of 17

Learn

South America

The Andes, the world's longest mountain range, run the length of South America's west coast, while the Amazon Rainforest and River dominate the north, spreading across Brazil, Peru and several neighbouring countries.

Explore the idea

Part 11 of 17

Learn

Connections

The Panama Canal cuts through Central America linking the Pacific and Atlantic, while transatlantic trade and migration have long connected Europe with the Americas.

Reset break

Part 12 of 17

Pause

That's sitting 3 of 4 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Quick check

Part 13 of 17

Quick check

Which river dominates northern South America?

Give me a hint

Challenge round

Part 14 of 17

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 15 of 17

Game · Recall cards

Which mountain range runs the length of South America's west coast?

Card 1 of 3

Mastery quiz

Part 16 of 17

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Europe and the Americas

3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. Which mountain range runs the length of South America's west coast?
2. Which canal links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through Central America?
3. Which river dominates northern South America?

Lesson round-up

Part 17 of 17

Lesson round-up

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Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Europe and North and South America