Easiest Geography Ever

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  • the9clarks
    Participant

    I used to be really concerned about geography. It was an important subject to me as I didn’t retain much that I learned in school.

    Here’s what I do: When we’re reading a book about artist John Singer Sargent, and it says he was born in Florence. I tell them that’s in Italy and have one of the kids point out Italy on the map, telling them it’s shaped like a boot and north of Africa (which they know since half of my kids are African).

    When we’re reading Marco Polo and I say that he traveled to the area of China just north of India, I have a kid point out India on the map and another to point out that area of China.

    Easy shmeasy! And even the 3 yo’s can now point out: the US, Africa, England, India, China, and Australia. (and several others, but didn’t want to bore you.) lol

    Shanna
    Participant

    That is wonderful!!! Great job!!

    christina
    Member

    That’s Great! Such a gentle way!

    For geography, we have what we call a living map…since we’re focusing on Canada this year, as we read biographies of people, we make the map come alive…we tracked Terry Fox’s route through Canada, where our family lives, the praries, etc. There are little stickers and pictures all over the map, and I found everyone, including the 4yo is catching on nicely! Fresh water bodies have diff fish stickers and salt water have salt water animals on them.

    Does anyone else want to share their geography ideas?

    Tanya
    Participant

    Over the summer when we were outside playing one day, I spontaneously asked my daughter to ride her bike over to Australia (and pointed to a patio chair). When she got there I asked her to name an animal from there. My son (5 years) wanted to join in so I asked him to run to Antarctica (picnic table), and asked him to name an animal. We did this over and over for all of the continents and they had a lot of fun. We hadn’t really studied the continents and the animals prior, I just was curious to see what they knew from different stories, conversations, etc. Amazing how much they knew!

    Esby
    Member

    That is wonderful!

    I discovered a couple of easy ways to incorporate geography into our days, too. One is to get those laminated placemats with maps on them and use them during lunchtime. Another is to simply hang maps up in the home. DD has a world map next to her bed and she amazes me sometimes with her geography knowledge – she sure didn’t learn it from me, lol. When I ask her how she knows something, she says that she looks at the map every day when she wakes up in the morning. I rely on these easy-access maps. If a map is tucked away somewhere, I’m less likely to use it.

    Doug Smith
    Keymaster

    @Esby, Having those things around for daily exposure sure helps. We always have maps and a globe around. And we also encourage the kids to explore on their own through Google Earth on the computer.

    Lisalu70
    Member

    I love these ideas! I know having a map and globes around sure does help. We also have those interactive lap electronic toys, where if you press the state or country it will give you info about it, etc.

    Something we used to do when the kids were younger, our church supported a lot of missionaries, and so I took home prayer cards for each of the missionaries and we would write to the missionary, and pray for that missionary, and at the same time learn a little about their country and culture…it was part of our morning excercise. I would pin up the prayer card right by the country on the map. It was really neat, because many of the missionaries would write us a letter back and include some artifacts from their country, maps, stamps, money, one missionary from Thailand even sent us worksheets of the Thai alphabet, coloring pictures of some cultural things. It was so much fun and informative. I think we learned the most during those years!

    mommix3
    Member

    Lisalou,

    I LOVE that idea. I think we are going to borrow it.. Thanks

    Angela

    thepinkballerina
    Participant

    I LOVE the missionary writing idea!!

    We have those map placemats from walmart too with US and World and my 6 yr old loves to look at it during meals and ask me who lives there, do they worship God, etc. She’ll say on her own this distance would be longer to travel then this one (points from IL to CA then down to TX vs IL to TX where her grandpa lives). They seem to absorb simply by looking at their leisure!

    Tara

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