Geography??

[Mommamia]

I'm feeling a bit confused about geography. We will be doing 2nd grade/3rd grade work next year. Thus far, we have worked through 2 Scholastic Success for Maps books. We also have Down to Earth Geography. I like DTEG,but I'm not sure if it's the way to go for next year. Will someone give me permission to put it on the shelf?:001_smile:

 

Do I need a geography curriculum/workbook? Could I just read Robert McCloskey books and talk about geography? What grade should I make sure to cover geography in detail, or is it an ongoing thing? Sense my confusion?:tongue_smilie:

 

What do you use...if anything??

 

Thanks!

[Mommamia]

anyone:bigear:?

[Aurelia]

We don't use any specific curriculum, just a map and some library books, so it's definitely not necessary. We are planning to do an in depth geography study around 7th or 8th grade. I really like the looks of Mapping the World with Art by Ellen McHenry, which is designed for 9-14 year-olds.

[ProudGrandma]

I am going to be using Evan Moor's Daily geography books with my kids.

[Chris in VA]

We use SOTW, which includes maps and has lots of map work--but, I will say the maps aren't modern maps, so sometimes it's a little confusing. I wanted to supplement a bit.

 

I have a giant map of Africa on our wall, made up of 64 sheets of copy paper. It allows us to study a lot of the countries in Africa, filling in rivers, capitals, and country names. We haven't completed very much of it this year, but it has been fun--so you can choose a continent and take an hour on Fridays like we did, doing something like a craft or cooking activity and looking up facts and capitals and stuff.

[abrightmom]

IMHO geography can be a blast! We use the maps correlated to Story of the World. My boys like those a lot! Veritas Press history has a map coordinated with each year of history study. We'll use Greece and Rome this year. They are fantastic and the map matches the time period (i.e. shows ancient Egypt as it was then versus where Egypt's borders are today).

 

We completed Evan-Moor's Beginning Geography. Here: http://www.evan-moor.com/Title.aspx?CurriculumID=7&ClassID=158&SeriesID=206&TitleID=727&EmcID=2847 I think it's ideal for a sharp K'er or a first grader (it was a little over my K'ers head but he's a bit slower than his brother who would have handled it fine in K). They continue the series with Daily Geography keyed to grade levels.

 

We are moving on to Legends and Leagues this year (Here: http://veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1010 ) in tandem with Audio Memory Geography Songs (Here: http://veritaspress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=050025). I plan to use L&L just one day a week and to use the Audio Memory Geography Songs the other days. We will also do any map work corresponding to history lessons (these are pretty fun with SOTW and the wall map we make for the Greece & Rome study with Veritas).

 

We used Sonlight this past year and my kids really liked the markable map (I found it tedious to unfold every day but once it was on the floor we had a good time with it :001_smile:). We'd find and label the places we read about in our books. Honestly, it was an easy to do geography and they learned with it.

 

GeoPuzzles and GeoCards are another FUN way to practice geography. You can start the puzzles in Pre-K and K. You can also assign the puzzles to older kids. I have a friend who assigned her middle elementary aged girls certain puzzles, requiring them to be completed a certain number of times during the quarter or semester. I like that idea! Here's a link: http://www.timberdoodle.com/SearchResults.asp?mfg=Geotoys

 

There are more fun ways to enjoy geography and fold it in to your studies without taking up much time at all! Knowledge Quest Maps and GeoMatters (I think) are two sites to look at as well.

[Mommamia]

Thank you everyone! It was helpful reading how others are teaching geography!

[EmeraldGirl]

We are using and will continue to use Galloping the Globe as a guide to studying geography around the world with my young elementary kids. I have found it to be a good springboard to keep me on track, though I don't follow it to a T by any means.

 

HTH!

[Mom-2-7]

My 1st and 2nd grader play an online geography game. Right now they are just doing the U.S. My 2nd grader (after a week) can correctly identify all the states. My 1st grader is still working on the western half but they are thoroughly enjoying the game.

This site also has games for all the continents, identifying presidents and so much more!

Here's the link: http://www.purposegames.com/games

[momteaches2]

We are using and will continue to use Galloping the Globe as a guide to studying geography around the world with my young elementary kids. I have found it to be a good springboard to keep me on track, though I don't follow it to a T by any means.

 

HTH!

:iagree: This is my favorite lower elementary geography program. I plan to use it this year (my third and last cycle through it) with my upcoming 2nd grader. She is excited about it. She remembers it a bit from the last time we did it.

[mcconnellboys]

I've used a variety of things with littles.

 

I have lists of picture books (mostly) for both a U.S. study and a world study that I've used in past. When I used these, we'd read about the place in a good picture atlas and then read the books written about that place (or sometimes by authors from that country, etc.)....

 

I've used Trip Around the World and Another Trip Around the World.

 

I've used the Beautiful Feet guide that goes along with the Holling books (and their lovely maps, as well).

 

I've used Which Way, USA? books, but only because they were a gift (I think they're too expensive).

 

I've used Geography from A to Z to learn land forms:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Picture-Glossary-Trophy-Books/dp/0064460991

 

(I've also used the maps and globes book and Me on the Map that I see listed on that page with it.....)

 

I've used printables from Enchanted Learning for geography worksheets. And I've used workbooks as you mention (of several varieties).

 

McGraw Hill's Complete Book of Maps and Geography can be used over the course of several years if you want map practice pages....

[ProudGrandma]

I am actually now considering something else...the gal who writes this blog has done some neat things on geography that I think I am going to try...

Homeschool Creations

[krisandpaula]

We have loved MCP's Maps, Charts, & Graphs series. We are continuing with these, along with Galloping the Globe for the upcoming year.

[dovrar]

My 1st and 2nd grader play an online geography game. Right now they are just doing the U.S. My 2nd grader (after a week) can correctly identify all the states. My 1st grader is still working on the western half but they are thoroughly enjoying the game.

This site also has games for all the continents, identifying presidents and so much more!

Here's the link: http://www.purposegames.com/games

 

Thanks for the link. I'll definitely use it. :001_smile:

[birchbark]

Some more fun, free games:

 

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/

[Ellie]

You have my permission. :D

 

I think geography should be on-going.

 

We really enjoyed the geography songs by Kathy Troxel.

[EmeraldGirl]

I am actually now considering something else...the gal who writes this blog has done some neat things on geography that I think I am going to try...

Homeschool Creations

 

She actually uses Galloping the Globe and created her blog from what she does with that. I really enjoy her site and use her "freebies" quite often w/ GTG.

[Stacy in NJ]

I'm feeling a bit confused about geography. We will be doing 2nd grade/3rd grade work next year. Thus far, we have worked through 2 Scholastic Success for Maps books. We also have Down to Earth Geography. I like DTEG,but I'm not sure if it's the way to go for next year. Will someone give me permission to put it on the shelf?:001_smile:

 

Do I need a geography curriculum/workbook? Could I just read Robert McCloskey books and talk about geography? What grade should I make sure to cover geography in detail, or is it an ongoing thing? Sense my confusion?:tongue_smilie:

 

What do you use...if anything??

 

Thanks!

 

At that age I didn't do a formal geography program. We used the map work from SOTW and used a wall map and globe for reference. Whenever we talked about another country/city/region/mountain/river/ocean, we'd pull out the globe and locate the area. I also incoporated geography into our memory work time. We made up simple poems to remember the names of continents, oceans, countries.

 

I would approach geography rather casually at the age.