Jump to content

Menu

What do you use for geography for grade 2nd & 4th?


Mommee & Baba
 Share

Recommended Posts

This year, we're studying US history with our 1st and 4th graders. When we get to the point at which each state was added to the union, we color the state on a blank map and read the book from Sleeping Bear Press about that state (B is for Bluegrass, about Kentucky, and so on). We're also looking up a few places each week from my list of "should know" US geography features (from this thread:http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290598 I have them all written on cards, so we can review the ones we've previously looked up. Also, my kids like the games from sheppardsoftware.com a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are going to continue to use The Complete Book of Maps and Geography. Of the geography things I have bought, this is one of my favorites.

 

I also plan to utilize the method from the geography chapter of The Core (Bortins). It is basically learning to draw maps freehand.

 

Another resource I have really liked is Hillyer's A Child's Geography of the World. The downfall of this one is that it was published in 1954. It needs a lot of editing on the fly, but I think it is a gem of a book anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have been using Cantering the Country and Galloping the Globe. We are 2 years into the study and have loved it. We pick and choose what resources it lists we want to use. I usually don't use the science and bible portion as we cover those with other curriculum. We love the literature lists. It does take a little planning on your part looking for the books at the library. We do a map, state flower, state flag, and sometimes a state animal page we get from Enchanted Learning. We do this in a notebooking style with a "notes" page. My 4th grader (started in 3rd) will finish CTC this year but will continue doing GTG. My 1st grader started this and is now in 2nd. I will probably go back over some of the states with her so she most likely won't complete CTC until the end of next year.... that being said, you can span this across any age I think up til 4th grade by increasing or decreasing the amount of information you ask them to write about the state.

 

The curriculum is affordable and the books they list are not too difficult to find at the library or at least good supplemental other ones. You can do "in depth" as much as you want to. We have a map of the wall that we put a removable type sticker on to see where we've been along with a scrapbooking stick horse die cut to show where we are at! Another something worth noting about this curriculum is to go in order of statehood. They list them in the back of the book. We did this to follow along US History time wise. We've been able to learn the history of the 13 colonies, Revolutionary War, Civil War, and other important time periods along with the states.

 

HTH

Lisa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

World mapping via the Core. We are starting our American map with Holling's Minn of the Mississippi, we'll basically learn to draw the middle portion of the United States from memory. I'll have DC continue to draw the world map weekly for practice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have just started the Intellego Unit study Maps. I tried doing different things based on a geography encyclopedia as a spine but I couldn't keep the momentum going with having to find so many resources on top of everything else and with quite a bad local library. I might try again some day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I never heard of Road Trip USA. It looks really nice. How many pages would you need to print out for one student to have all the activity pages??

 

ALOT! :( This is the DOWNfall to alot of her curriculums. They are very INK and PAPER heavy!

 

That's the main reason why I'm not using the K4 curriculum of hers I purchased last year for ds this coming year. WAY too much ink and too much paper! I was also at one point recently debating on her other geography curriculum, but again it's super ink and paper heavy! If she offered to have these printed for a little bit more money I'd purchase her stuff and use it without any hesitation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never heard of Road Trip USA. It looks really nice. How many pages would you need to print out for one student to have all the activity pages??

 

We take it to Staples to have it printed for co-op. But I have only the state pages printed out so that is 50.

 

Also I had Staples print the colored pages for the flags.

 

We have a laser printer and I've never really thought about the amount of ink. This program is pretty. She did a great job with the layouts of each state. We then put them in a binder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We take it to Staples to have it printed for co-op. But I have only the state pages printed out so that is 50.

 

Also I had Staples print the colored pages for the flags.

 

We have a laser printer and I've never really thought about the amount of ink. This program is pretty. She did a great job with the layouts of each state. We then put them in a binder.

 

Yes it is!

 

I printed the state pages for both of my dc. I also printed the flags in color for each of my kids. I also put them into binders. I also printed out each of the mini books in color for my kids.

 

I don't think the program is bad at all! BUT it does require you to print and then file it and even then you have to put together the craft activities like most programs. She has books that are good to throw into the program but most are readily available at libraries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a variety of things going on with geography, but mostly the Complete Book of Maps and Geography serves as the base. Lots of living books, a few iPad apps (stack the states, stack the countries, etc.) and when we travel DS maps out the routes, mileage, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...