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Mod 4 Geography, too many countries for 1 year?
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Had a Q. for Mod 4 Geography, it lists Europe And Asia. In the guide, we would be using Fritz’ Around the World in 100 yrs, and Christopher Columbers (Sowers book) for this and map work. Then got caught up looking at Visits to… series 🙂 which is very different and lists different books. I will be doing this year with my 6 and 8 yr old boys. Last year we utilized the globe for locations we came across in books, played geopuzzles, and made a salt dough map of S. and C. America with flags/labels on toothpicks for labeling practice (since they were so young and just starting to write).
My concern is, there are so many countries in Asia and Europe combined. Do I split the year in half and just see what we can do as far as map work/making and labeling a new salt dough map? (the kids liked this alot and want to do the whole world!) Or pick one to focus on more?
And… what ages would the Visits books be best for since they are still at beg. reading/writing? Doing geography once a week, just this would take the whole year and we’d never get to Asia.
One of the changes we’re making as we write the Visits To notebooks is to split up Europe and Asia. You’re right, that is a lot of countries for one year. So feel free to focus on only one of the two regions if you would like to.
Ok. Thanks for the reply. One more Q.
What would fit 6 and 8 yr old boys better for geography:
Reading aloud Around the World in 100 Years and Christopher Columbus, map work as listed in guide
OR Visits to Europe with selected books, map work (the workbook and books needed would be more expensive this way, but library should have some of them)
Getting ready to choose and order…
That’s a tough question since I don’t know your boys. My inclination would be to emphasize living books and de-emphasize the map work. Locate the places read about, definitely, but I’m not sure I would require them to learn all the countries this time around.
Be aware that Around the World in 100 Years has a couple of uncomplimentary remarks about Christians during that time period. You could easily edit orally as you read aloud or you could use them as discussion starters. The Christopher Columbus biography gives the other side and emphasizes Christianity. Both books would pair well with a world map and tracing the routes of the various adventures — something I think boys would like. This approach would be more historical geography, but they would learn about explorers and parts of the world as well.
On the other hand, you could linger over one region with a Visits To book, add in a salt dough map of the region since they like that activity, and see modern-day people in those countries and imagine what it would be like to live there yourself — something boys would probably like too.
Do those descriptions and ideas help with the decision at all?
Thank you. That does help. Going to do the Visits To book with dough map and material world/hungry planet. Saving the others for a later date when we come back around to it.
Heather, my children (now 8 and 9) successfully completed map studies of Asia and the Mediterranean (2 years ago and last year, respectively). We did not find it too much to handle. We actually move much quicker than the SCM Family handbooks in terms of geography, because my children LOVE map study/drill. I guess they will already have a slight head start next year, as we are also doing Module 4!
Lyndsey, thanks. We too love maps, globe, stories of travel, other places. Really can’t go “wrong” here, just struggling to decide what to do. For this year. We did Central and S. America, and Australia last year and that worked well, labeling salt dough map, globe use, picture books on natural wonders, animals, people there. It was enough at 5 and 7.
However, there are over 100 countries between all of Asia and all of Europe combined. I’m just about sure I will start in with Europe to go with Mod 4 history stories, using Material World, Hungry Planet to look up places/how people live and eat, as we add flags/labels to a salt dough map each week. If we are into it and want to do it more often, and finish Europe, then I will move on into Asia. I am just feeling that while they’re still young to enjoy more of the visual and hands on resources (and save the book work, more writing and reading for the next go thru the modules enjoying the Christopher Columbus book and Trip to Europe workbook then). Wish I wasn’t an auditory processer. Thanks all for feedback! 🙂 Setting down the “boat” now.
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