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Geography for 2nd grade
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I have two sons entering 2nd grade and we’ll be studying early American history this year (no world history). For geography it makes sense to me to focus on North, Central and South America but I’m not sure what to expect of my sons. Initially I had thought we’d work to learn all the countries and possibly all the states. Then I worried if they were too young and decided they would need to learn only the countries and states that were significant to us in some way. I figured they could learn the rest as other places later on. Now I’m not sure at all. What can I expect of 7-8 yos? Does it make sense to teach them all of the countries/states or just a subset? My planned method for teaching is very CM, actually quiet similar to the new geography book SCM just released. I just need advice on how much to expect.
I somewhat related, I had a book last year called Daily Geography Practice for Grade 1. We only completed 9 lesson and I had thought we’d finish it up this year but as I looked through it I can see they already know the material in this book. I’ve tried to find other geography/mapping curriculum to see if I can find something I like but I’m turning up empty handed. This is what I’ve looked at:
Mapping the World with Art – but it is geared towards older children and I don’t know how easy it is to adjust for a younger student
Mapping the World by Heart – but I really can’t get a good feel of it based on the website/samples
The Little Man in the Map (for US states only)
Visualize World Geography
I haven’t found anything in the ‘just reading maps’ category. What are some good options for that? Or is it best to just do your own planning: ask you child to draw a map of their room or road, etc, and learn though doing it on your own?
Thanks!!
As far as memorization – my son memorized all the states and capitals when he was 6 by playing the games on Sheppard Software. (It’s free).
When my son was about that age (end of 1st through middle of 3rd), we studied US geography. Each time we studied a new state, I showed him on the map. I also showed him the border states. We did regular review. He didn’t have perfect retention, but he learned a lot of them. (It took a year and a half b/c I sometimes spent more than one week per state depending on the books I found).
As for the map, I used a basic map I found at eduplace.com
We like Sheppard Software, too.
Do your sons still know a majority of the states now? How long has it been? I wonder if learning them now does implant them in the brain so you know them or at least have a general idea of where they are…or if you learn them at a young age, do the ones you don’t really have a connection to (say the mid-west for us) get forgotten about.
My sons are just learning to read and write so we’d do the work orally, if that makes a difference.
I just wanted my son to have a general idea of where they were. He’ll be beginning 4th grade in the fall, so it hasn’t been long.
He’s made connections with some that are in our region and some that weren’t (we’re MidSouth). How/why he made the connections he did are still a mystery to me.
He’s also enjoyed the Wilson and Ditch videos on pbskidsgo. They don’t cover all the states, though.
My dd will be 8 next month, so I’ll share what we have done in the past for geography. I try to keep our map studies within the area of the world we are studying. The one year I didn’t do this was in Mod 1, and rather than learning the African countries, I chose a map of the continents and oceans instead. Testing the waters, if you will. Now, two years later, she has far surpassed my expectations and knows all of Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean. We are about halfway through the United States. Map study is her favorite thing, and she never ceases to amaze me by what she can commit to memory.
My method differs somewhat from what SCM recommends in the modules. Actually, we make it through a study more quickly so I have to revise or skip the geography lessons in the modules. But it’s no big deal and doesn’t change the scope of our year at all. I make a “master map” at the beginning of a new study. Both kids use this map for the duration of the study to learn new countries/states. On Mondays, I write down the names of the countries or states and they study my map. Then I give them a blank map and call out the names of the countries while they point to them. Then we put it away. Takes maybe 5 minutes. On Thursdays, I give them each a blank map, write the countries/states down again, and they label their blank maps. I check them (one child has missed one country in the last 3 years of using this method). If all is correct, we pull out the master map again, choose 2-3 new countries/states to add, label them, then color the parts of the map we know.
How much does dd remember of Asia, which we studied over a year ago? I’m not sure, but I’m interested to know. I don’t make a big deal of it because we plan on using the SCM modules again and repeating all these studies in 4-6 years anyway, so I know she’s going to get it again.
My opinion, as Charlotte’s was, is not to underestimate our children. They may not remember all the Asian countries at 6 years old, but I’m 30 and if I were to look at a blank Asian map today, I’m not sure if be 100% accurate either!
I hope this somewhat answers your question!
Lindsey
Please forgive typos; I typed this from my phone, sitting in a coffee shop, all by myself. Just had to brag for a second! 😉
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