Make a Globe

Making a globe is a fun challenge and the best way to see how the curvature of the Earth is difficult to reproduce on a flat piece of paper. This activity makes you realise how distorted maps of the world become when they are transferred to a flat piece of paper. This wonderful model comes from the Netherlands and if you click on the photo, you can visit their website or you can follow the link and download the template.

Excellent

globe template

If you want to create a globe, this great globe template which is free to download comes in three sizes on the same template. Click on the picture to download the template.

This colourful globe template uses images from NASA to show the earth as it is viewed from space. If you want to know how to make a globe at  home, this template is a little tricky to make as the template does not include tabs for sticking the different gores (segments) together but with a little care, this should be a fun model to make. 

Colour globe template

Make a globe - a

pyramid shaped one!

These wonderful globes make a great geography activity. These globes come in a range of shapes and sizes. You can choose whether you print off the template in black and white or in colour and they offer great cross-curricular opportunities with Mathematics. Click on the image for more information.

Geography activities - Make 3D Cubic globes

There are lots of different versions to choose from and clicking on the picture will take you to the website where you can choose which globe suits you. The website also comes with a handy guide on how to make them.

Make a football shaped globe

Here you can make a globe that is like a football when it is made. There are two footballs to make here from this excellent free teaching resource produced by the Japanese space agency. 

Make an orange peel globe.

This has to be the best way we can think of to demonstrate the difficulty map makers face in displaying the curved surface of the earth in the shape of square map that you would find in an atlas. You could set yourself a challenge of trying to peel the orange in the shape of a square. And we would like to thank the blog where these images came from, a great learning idea.

This model globe comes complete with moon.

This model comes complete with moon and a cross section of the inside of the earth. It is from the very clever folks at Canon and their template can be downloaded below or by clicking on the link. A tricky one to make here but we are sure the effort produced gives great results. 

Make this 3D paper model of a globe.

The globes are increasing in complexity here and well you get the idea. If you click on the photo, it will take you through to the website where this wonderful geography activity idea came from. There you will find paper templates to make globes and you could even find a template to make a dodecahedral globe should you so wish. 

Feeling gifted and talented? How about these challenges?

This shape has 26 sides, some of which are triangles, some are squares. This shape is called a rhombicuboctahedron although we are pretty sure you will never have to learn this word. For best results, print the template on to 170g/m2 thick paper or card. 

The person who made this is a lego master of the highest order and we salute you!! We love model making here at 3D Geography and this has to be one of the most popular models we have ever come across. For more info, see the website it came from.

Or how about this globe complete with stand?

This template comes from the Australian Geological Survey Organisation and it makes a wonderful model globe that is designed to be stuck to the outside of a tennis ball to keep its shape.