A Simple Way to Learn Geography
Monday, September 30, 2013 at 5:00AM
Too many people lack a basic understanding of geography.
A knowledge of geography helps us put historical events in place. It fosters awareness of different cultures and world events. It helps us know that we are but a SMALL part of this BIG world.
I've been wanting to share with you what my kids are doing for geography, because it can be done so easily.
*Grant now claims geography is his favorite subject. I love it!
Much of the Classical Conversations weekly memory work deals with geography. Grant (Foundations) is learning small bits of geography each week. Anna (Challenge A) is focusing on drawing parts of the world from memory and learning capitals, features, and geography terms.
Good, good stuff.
Sharpies and Tracing Paper
Grant loves tracing paper.
He told his Sunday School teacher,
"My mom bought me TWO pads, not just one!" I thought that was cute.
We keep a supply of Sharpies on hand - they really make the maps POP.
And, of course, the tracing paper is awesome. I had forgotten how much I loved tracing paper as a child.
I keep Grant's maps in a simple folder. The current map is always in the front, and he traces it each day. If he has extra time, he goes back and traces the older maps. When he is finished tracing he punches holes in the paper and puts it in his CC Memory Work binder under "Geography".
Quality Maps and Lots of Crayons
We download our maps from CC Connected. The user heathergwyn has uploaded the maps we use on a daily basis.
(If you are a CC person and want to know much more about geography, check out this great post from Melody. I've recently discovered her blog and LOVE it! Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood has some wonderful Continental Blog maps we use, too. )
Others places we have found maps:
A huge box of crayons is also helpful. Some days Grant feels like crayons, other days like Sharpies.
It's good to have lots of quality supplies on hand for you little Cartographers!
A Finished Product
This is a map Grant traced that shows European cities and rivers (part of our Cycle 2 memory work right now).
We save all of the finished products because they take a lot of time and it's great review to look back through them.
After several years of methodical tracing and labeling, one day he will be able to draw parts of the world from memory, which is what my oldest (7th grade) is doing right now.
Try to sit down and draw just the United States (all states defined), label all state capitals, and major features. Could you do it?
(The states colored in red are places she remembers visiting!)
I'm so thrilled that Anna can! By the end of the year she will be drawing the entire world.
She has already mastered North America, Central America, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
WOW.
Even if you don't decide to make map drawing an official part of your curriculum, it just might be a good idea to keep the supplies on hand for your child to trace in their free time. Work through the world, a continent at a time, to create a notebook of tracings.
If you're learning about the United States, trace each state and create a notebook.
You can be so creative with this!
I've found this is a wonderful activity for Grant to do when I am helping Anna with something. He's even started tracing LEGO figures and baseball players for fun.
I've created a geography Pinterest board - in an effort to catalog my resources!
Do you include geography as an official area of study in your homeschool? If you are in Classical Conversations, how do you reinforce the geography memory work at home each week?
Let's talk geography!
*Below are our favorite geography resources. We own all of these things (the DK Atlas is a staple in our homeschool), and I recommend them to make your study of geography simple and meaningful. We also have three wall maps in our school room, along with a globe. Simple EXPOSURE to maps builds understanding and awareness.
Reader Comments (10)
Yes, I agree that a traced map and then a map drawn free-hand is so much better than a printed out map in so many ways.
What a great idea! We just started an Africa geography study. I've been trying to think of a way to help remember the shapes of the countries, other than using Seterra (which is great too)! Thanks for the idea :)
Love it! I was just searching for my tracing paper that I used last year. This encourages me to either find it or go buy some more! Geography is so fun!
We're studying geography this year, too, and really enjoying it! I like the questions my older boys are researching with Around the World in 180 Days, and I have a Pinterest board, too: http://www.pinterest.com/genamayo/around-the-world-in-180-days/
--Gena
Wow! I'm impressed! We were just labeling maps today!
We have a unschool approach to geography. Every day when we watch CNN Student News we find the country that the report focuses on and label it on a world political map. We also are doing Mapping the World with Art, which I simply adore. It has taught us how to draw the Nile River, Mesopotamia and most recently Greece. The hints and tips she gives in her short videos help commit the map to memory and make it possible to do a decent job freehand from memory. We do this program with 4 other girls after our writing group and it has been a lot of fun.
Our whole curriculum is based on geography. We use the Trail Guide to Learning series from Geography Matters. I love their resources! And I love how effortlessly all subjects are woven together. The only thing I need to add is math. There is a lot of hands on learning which is great for my kids. We've also use Legos whenever we can fit them in. And thanks to you I'm figuring out many more ways to use Legos! Thanks for your great ideas!
My girls are quite young, but one of the ways we study geography is by watching The Amazing Race. It has been my husband and my favorite show for years. We have our map out when we watch it. We look up the countries, I point out the language they speak. We talk about any connections we may have to the area. (Missionaries we know, places our ancestors are from etc...). If I can I try to find some library books on that country during the week. Tracing the maps might be a great thing to add. Guess ill get some tracing paper tomorrow. :)
Not sure how I missed this post when it first came out. I really want to add map-tracing to our curriculum, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement you give to other homeschoolers. You are a blessing!
Im wondering if you know where I can find weeks 13-24 maps from heathergwyn on c3? Are they somewhere else on the internet if not there? Thanks! LOVE those maps too :)