Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: Geography help, map skills

This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 11 months ago by Linabean.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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May 23, 2011 at 5:00 am
Linabean
Participant
Hello all,
I was just wondering how people teach these aspects of geography and when. I think I have a handle on teaching places, cultures and peoples with the hist/geog/bible modules but don’t really know how or when to teach a lot of these other types of topics. I will confess, I was not taught map skills very thoroughly and so I would not feel confidant just looking at maps with my kids and teaching them how to properly read a map myself.
So, would anyone be able to help me out here? I feel somewhat at a loss (and a little embarassed)because I’m not sure even what I should be looking for exactly!
My kids will be 9, 7 and 5.
Thank you to anyone who can help out,
Miranda
May 23, 2011 at 5:06 am
suzukimom
Participant
If you can find an orienteering club locally, you can learn a LOT about map reading! Where I used to live had an orienteering club that would meet weekly and would have various map&compass routes worked out at different levels. A lot of them were “city meets” which would be following maps in various city neighbourhoods… but a lot where in provincial parks etc. At the top levels, it is a huge competition sport… but the meets went all the way to beginners and they would have classes in map reading etc. It was great. Unfortunately, where I live now doesn’t seem to have a very active club.
Another resource I might suggest (assuming you are in the US, which I’m not) is picking up the Merit Badge Book for Orienteering from Boy Scouts. I know the US has lots of good info in the Merit Badge Books.
hth a bit!
May 23, 2011 at 5:23 am
Linabean
Participant
Thanks, I will see what my area has for orienteering clubs.
Also, just as a sidenote ; ), I am in Canada, but we have Scouts here too. I have thought about it for my kids, just never for this purpose!
Thanks again,
Miranda
May 23, 2011 at 11:02 am
Lesley Letson
Participant
We are using the Beginning Geography books by Evan Moore (I have an older version that is 3 separate books, but now they’ve combined them). I also have Legends and Leagues (a book and workbook) that we’ll go through next. These cover basic map skills and landforms, etc. So far my son is really enjoying them. I can also tell that he has a better understanding of maps in general since we’ve done this. At first we were just doing the map drills of Africa with our history, but now he seems to understand where it fits into the bigger picture.
May 23, 2011 at 1:02 pm
missceegee
Participant
My kids enjoyed these simple books to help with these topics.
Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary by Jack Knowlton
Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
May 23, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Linabean
Participant
Thank you for these suggestions!
Did you just fit them in here and there? Or did you plan these out to use a certain amount of times in a week or to cover certain topics at particular ages? I guess I am wondering if this was planned out with some sort of a scope and sequence in mind or if these were just read informally throughout the year and the knowledge was just sort of “picked up”.
Sorry for all the questions, you can probably tell how unsure I am in this area!
Thanks again,
Miranda
May 24, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
Right now we are doing our “geography” in between terms of history (we use the SCM guide) for a little break. Our normal schedule is a 4 day week with a “Fun Friday” (lighter things, field trips, etc.) – I am thinking of continuing some of these on Friday when we start the next history term since we are really enjoying it. The activities in what we are doing are very short and simple, so I think you could make it work ever how you wanted. My cousin who also homeschools is using Trail Guide to World Geography if you wanted to look at something else. HTH
May 24, 2011 at 12:49 pm
chocodog
Participant
Someone gave me the idea to go by continent. So we first studied Anartica, then Austrailia and now Africa. I was feeling a little stuck because there was so much info and most of the stuff I found was on ancient Egypt. Which we already covered. With Austrailia I came across a travel guide book. Put out by travel agencies at my local thrift shop. But this seemed a little more challenging. So I purchased “Around the world in 180 days on line for 3.99 you can look on Ebay at the goodwill stores. I found it was very helpful because it had Christian books for their ages. It also went over questions to ask your kids and where to find the answers. It was very helpful for the study of all the things that I needed. It filled in those grey areas I was missing. Then a friend told me to have them pick 3 states in Africa and put them on a blank map. Each lesson have them write in what they remember and add 3 more. continue this until they know them all. The book also has rivers and mountains to look up. It also tells you what type of new words to use/learn with the Geography of the continent. It also tells you what people to study (ex; Jonathon Livingston.) My children are the same ages as yours. I think this will cover your History, geography, social studies,ecinomics. 🙂 In the end the book ends with America. That is where I will start with teaching/learning the 52 states, and presidents for the curriculm 1 a week each for and indepth study. Hope this helped.
May 24, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Wings2fly
Participant
I second those missceegee recommended. After reading Me on the Map, my kids drew maps. Four year old drew map of bedroom and six year old drew map of our house and yard. All three of those books were at our library. Then they drew maps of the world with 7 continents on large floor pad of paper.
Also, I am hoping to add the 10 days in… games that I read about on this forum.
For scheduling, we focus on history for a few weeks and then geography for a week or two. We spend about 2/3 on history and 1/3 on geography/cultures. When we get to American history, I think I will do 3 days history and 2 days geography every week. For us now, our history is chronolgical ancients and the geography is European countries with a little on each country’s history, but mostly the culture there now.
June 9, 2011 at 5:01 am
Linabean
Participant
I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the ladies who helped me out with this. I feel that I have an idea of how I am going to go about this now and it is mostly due to all your advice, links and suggestions! Just wanted you all to know how much you have helped!
Ya know…this forum (and website in general) has been such a help to me the past couple of years, I’m not sure what I would do without it. I don’t think I could replace it! So thanks again for being willing to share your knowledge!
-Miranda