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Exciting, easy to use, worthwhile High School (or close!) Geography curriculum


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I would like to hear from those of you who taught/used a high school world geography curric that was fun or above average interesting, easy to use, not exclusively computer based, and extremely worthwhile.

 

Criteria:

1) Easy to use

2) Above average interesting

3) High School level

4) Price (like to keep it $50ish per student; I have 2 students)

 

I am most interested in physical geography emphasis but some cultural geography as well.

 

My children and I actually like maps and are good memorizers, so that part won't be the drudgery that some people find it to be.

 

Thanks for sharing curriculum info, etc.

 

Lisa J

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ACE School of Tomorrow Geography!! Using a 2nd time with ds, after dd did it, and LOVE it! Very thorough and covers each country/region/continent in quite a bit of depth compared to any other curriculum I looked at.

:iagree: We used this one year and I found it to be very good.

 

Also the Around the World in 180 is good. Used this with my oldest and he enjoyed it.

 

If you can get your hands on an Eastern Hemisphere Explorer pack from SL, they have it included in the IG now, but the stand alone pack, it is great. I used the EHE with youngest son. He was required to fill it in completely and the project work was increased. Even though the core this is associated with from SL is said to be Middle School the amount of research needed to fill the EHE pages completely is appropriate for a HS student.

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HollyDay, the 180 Days sounds really good. However, I bought something (Trail Guide?) a few years ago and I hated it because we didn't have the "exact" sources the author got the info from. (i.e. they would ask how many lentils the nation produces annually (I thought at least 20% of questions were obscure) - and then we would spend 30min (stress-filled) finding a different answer than the Answ Key gave).

 

Are there recommended sources you use (which I would want to buy due to TG experience).

Do you use the internet a lot? That doesn't work for us very well due to slow kids' computer processor.

 

The research part sounds great! Such an important skill!

 

Lisa J

===

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HollyDay, the 180 Days sounds really good. However, I bought something (Trail Guide?) a few years ago and I hated it because we didn't have the "exact" sources the author got the info from. (i.e. they would ask how many lentils the nation produces annually (I thought at least 20% of questions were obscure) - and then we would spend 30min (stress-filled) finding a different answer than the Answ Key gave).

 

Are there recommended sources you use (which I would want to buy due to TG experience).

Do you use the internet a lot? That doesn't work for us very well due to slow kids' computer processor.

 

The research part sounds great! Such an important skill!

 

Lisa J

===

 

We did not at all like Trail Guides but we loved Around the World. We used whatever resources we had at home. I think youngest dd used an Usborne Atlas the most (http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=ILB&subcat=ILG&id=1094). Oldest used whatever she found first on the shelf. Each continent has a "search and find" of rivers, towns, mountains, etc. This link:http://www.christianbook.com/around-world-180-days-2nd-edition/sherrie-payne/9781935495574/pd/495642?item_code=WW&netp_id=950909&event=ESRCQ&view=details has a sample of the teacher's guide. We rarely used the net for this book. I can think of twice when I did use it to find additional info but that is about it. You will need a good Atlas. But, you don't want a "roadmap" type Atlas that is just overwhelming with info.

 

I just saw that LampPost has some great samples of Around the World as well: http://www.lamppostpublishing.com/geographyaroundworld180days.htm

 

Another thought would be Runkles. http://www.christianbook.com/welcome-world-geography-student-activity-book/brenda-runkle/9780970111227/pd/44896?event=CF We looked at this one, but dc preferred Around the World (and now PAC).

 

HTH!

Edited by HollyDay
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Wildcard here...We like the UK Geography books which to me have more 'human' in them....

 

This is GCSE level (16-17 yo)...The New Wider World. You can look inside at the TC to see what is covered...

 

For the A level (18 yo)...the books I have (picked up at the local international school) are now older - maybe someone from the UK could make recommendations..

 

You could also research IB Geography books...but when I look online it seems that they have various books for the same level (covering different topics so maybe you have to buy more than one)....maybe someone else knows more?

 

For others reading this thread - If you want to do a 'bilingual approach' (studying a subject in a foreign language to increase vocabulary) you could use French Geography books such as this (they come together with History)...by Hachette....

(3e actually is 9th grade - their numbering is the opposite of ours...6e is 6th grade, 5e is 7th grade, etc. and their last year is called 'terminale')...for a 'fuller' course, you would have to use several years of books as they allot less time but do Geography each year....

 

Joan

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