Map Tracing Tips and Tricks
Monday, March 3, 2014 at 5:00AM
If you follow me on Instagram, you will know we are HUGE map tracers!
Earlier this school year I posted about a simple way to learn geography - which detailed our use of Sharpies, tracing paper, crayons, and quality maps.
Since that time I've received so many questions.
SO.... it's time for a post to give you more ideas for tracing maps, good maps to trace, and more.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Why Drawing/Tracing?
We have been inspired to learn much more about geography because of Classical Conversations.
I love Globetrotting: the Core of Geography - this is a good article to read that details an approach for drawing the world.
I encourage my son to trace for the following reasons:
- It develops a habit of attention.
- It allows for a great looking finished product we can save and put in a notebook.
- It reinforces our geography memory work.
- It forces you to look at the SPECIFICS on a map (rivers, mountains, etc...).
For some reason, map tracing is just a HIT in our homeschool.
Maps to Use
While you can use any maps you choose, I believe it is important that you consistently use the SAME maps and make sure they are clear and simple. Good maps aren't always easy to find. If you Google "maps for tracing" you will come up with all kinds of things.
One thing that is a must have is a GOOD atlas. We like this atlas from DK Books. It can really be fun to sit down with an atlas and just look through it with your children. There is something to be learned each time we sit down, and I think looking things up in an atlas is a dying art!
Tracing from a book can sometimes be hard. I've found that having a map on a single piece of paper is easiest to trace.
Some printable online map resources:
- For CC Connected Users: I love the maps by user lelwalker. These are the maps we use on a daily basis.
- Super Teacher Worksheets -- some maps available here for free
- Education Place - loads of outline maps
- WonderMaps - hundreds of downloadable maps from Bright Ideas Press (We have these maps and if we did not use the CC maps, these would be our maps of choice! They are done beautifully and are a great investment.
Supplies
The supplies are very simple. Just be sure to keep them all in one place and easily accessible.
- Folder - to keep all of your maps and tracings
- Sharpies - make tons of colors and sizes available - this will encourage your child to outline, add mountain ranges and rivers, and more details. My son LOVES customizing his maps!
- Tracing Paper
My son likes to be elaborate with his maps, including keys and all different colors. The sky is the limit!
How We Schedule Map Tracing into our Homeschool Day
Maps get traced DAILY.
This is an activity that doesn't need mom, so my child is free to trace when I am busy with his sister.
He gets his maps folder and tin of supplies and traces the map for the week (I make sure the maps are numbered by the week of CC we are in).
If he finishes the map for the week he is free to go back and trace a map from a previous week. Most times I have to tell him to STOP tracing because we need to move on to something else!
As I mentioned, we use the Classical Conversations geography memory work as our guide, but you could trace based on an area you are studying in history, or with your own geography curriculum.
Enjoy the following video - it's such a great reinforcement of what my kids are learning, plus it's just pretty cool to see someone draw the entire world freehand!
Do you have a formal geography curriculum? Do your children trace maps?
This post is part of a new series... Homeschool Tips and Tricks. Each Monday I will try and offer a new tip or trick that will be helpful for your homeschool!
Reader Comments (9)
We are using Mapping the World with Art and love it. Grace also uses her Color Yourself Smart Geography book for fun. The key is finding what your child loves to do and then making the time to let them do it! I love your IG photos of his map work.
I love it! Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Is there ever any problem with the sharpies bleeding through the tracing paper onto the maps?
I pinned that Tour the World for the girls! They loved (and memorized for fun:) Tour the USA:)
Anytime we are reading about or exploring anything, we get out the map or globe...that's how do geography anyway:)
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this great post. I appreciate the practicality of it! I'm printing all of the maps off of Connected right now. :)
One idea I saw on the CC Facebook page is to pray for the people in each location you're memorizing (or tracing) each week. I love that idea and thought I'd pass it along.
@Terah -- we don't have any trouble with the Sharpies bleeding through. Using a good tracing paper like I recommended in the post (we love the Studio 71 by Darice) insures it won't bleed through.
Thank you for this! I'm pinning it for next year! :)
Thanks for this, we are going to try it this week. Also, I have tried unsuccessfully to follow you on instagram, for some reason it just won't work. Any ideas. I clicked your instagram link above and you came up. The I clicked the follow button. It says following but nothing shows up and when I go to my instagram it does not list you as one I am following.
I am a CC Connected (challenge) user but can not find lelwalker. What level are those maps on? Foundations?
I'm loving the map tracing idea. We homeschool on the road, so I want my little ones (6 & 2) to know where we are, where we've been, and maybe where we are going. I just posted an handout that helps with the traveling geography, but I think that your map tracing idea will be a big hit here. Although, I'm leery of handing over permanent markers (called "adult markers" in our house...). But you've inspired me! I'll pick up some tracing paper next time I'm out. Thanks!
Darci the STEM MOM