Curricula and Learning Links - Geography
Easy Ideas for Studying Geography
Can study of geography be fun and easy? Yes, it can! Our HomeschoolChristian.com message board participants share some ideas below.
Martha R.: Every time we come upon a location in our other studies, somebody grabs the globe or atlas to look up where it is. It doesn't get easier than that!
SoCalPam: For girls... Why not start them on a "fashionable trip around the world" studying the local ethnic clothing in different places and why they are created the way they are. Would an Irish colleen wear a sari? Not in that cold rainy climate!
I'd "back" into geography starting with something the girls like (food? pastry? music?) and then go area by area and check out those things. It's a great way to start (or continue) report work, which would work well for language arts, spelling, and handwriting in case any of the subjects you're having issues with include those.
Cathe: Here are my suggestions.
- You might start with one to help you make an outline of what you want to cover. When my DH was traveling in Central America frequently, we just studied the places he was going.
- Do keep a bibliography. Lately, I record everything my boys read, even for recreational reading. It sounds like some colleges are interested in lists of books.
- Decide what is important for you to learn. You might keep a big binder, divided into continents or regions, and put a page or more into the appropriate section for the country you study.
- I had a worksheet that my boys filled out, and then they wrote a short report as well. The "Geography Notes for Reports" worksheet included
Country name
Capital
Population
Primary religion
Language spoken
Government
Location - Bordering Countries and bodies of water
Major Cities
Physical geography
Major landmarks, waters, and mountains
Economy (major sources of income)
Unit of currency
Value of currency compared to US $
Other interesting information
Sources of information: (include name of book, publication, or webpage, date, and publisher)
Patricia: Spend about 15-20 minutes a week working on map skills. Take the locations out of books that you are using, the children are reading, or countries that are in the news. Have them find out five new facts about at least one country, state, or city each week. I print out outline maps without labels and have them color and label them.
I have a small laminated world map and a USA map on the wall where it is at eye level with the preschoolers. My kindergartner can now pick out many places on the map and knows all his continents just by us pointing out places to him. We also use a geography coloring book that is excellent and a geography curriculum in itself!! Dover Publications has bunches of paper dolls featuring girls from around the world.
