The Importance of Globes in the Classroom

Globes and maps are a crucial learning tool in a myriad of classes - social studies, geography, and science class, to name a few. Globes help children understand where they live, where other places in the world are located, as well as learning the unique shape of the Earth. Although globes have been used as teaching aids for quite some time, interactive globes have become a mainstay in many elementary classrooms. These interactive globes can electronically identify certain regions and provide relational understanding to many locations. Interactive globes incorporate technology to answer questions and provide information, allowing for an immersive experience for teacher and student alike.

Globes Allow For the Understanding of Relevance and Perspective

When children have access to schools, it will be one of the few times in their young educational careers that they will see their world from a different perspective. Globe maps provide much more than just the simple locations of habitats, forests, and unique topography; but allows students to sense that they are part of something much larger and vast than their home, neighborhood, or school. They will be able to see that they are part of a larger world, which will instill desire to learn more about their planet, the star that it orbits, and other terrestrial bodies in the solar system.

Globes Helps With Comprehension and Problem Solving

Reading the maps on a globe allow students to forge their reasoning and problem-solving skills. The right map will allow students to track distances. Children can also use globes to formulate routes and travel destinations. This helps constructs self-sufficiency and confidence when formulating solutions.

Globes Help Children Grasp Geography

Depending on the grade, a globe is their first lesson in geography. Globes are versatile - they can be used in any grade, and are relevant in many fields of learning. A globe will allow students to learn about different countries, including the formation of bodies of water, mountain ranges, natural resources, and the effect that the climate has on different locations. Geography is more than just the physical formation on Earth, it also familiarizes students to the workings of a compass rose, keys and titles that help with directions.

Bridging Culture With Globes

A globe can conceptualize the different locations of students and learners. You can underline the importance of diversity by allowing children to point to their place of heritage on the classroom globe, fostering a sense of commonality between students. Students can also reinforce writing skills by comparing features of different land masses, average temperatures and average rainfalls of different locations. Because there is a myriad of maps, students can organize and classify information, which is a useful skill set for all academic topics and subjects.

Maps have been redrawn many times throughout the course of human history, so students can obtain a strong sense of history by delving into antiquated globes, and comparing them to more recent models. Political unrest, results from wars, extinction, and internal conflict are just a few reasons maps found on globes are updated. By studying the information from old and new maps, students can see how information has transformed and influenced the globe. Students can tap into how the United States changed from the colonial period to the Civil War era. Students can also see how Europe and other regions have changed during the last couple of centuries.


Contact us to learn more about how we are bringing the world into the classroom. A globe is the only accurate way to study the whole world in such a small 3D format. The advantage of a globe is that it promotes education, visual accuracy, and an accurate mental picture of our surroundings.

Ultimate Globes works with thousands of schools every year to bring these educational tools to the classroom and home learning.