lgliser Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 This is our first year (we are in 3rd grade) of doing any formal geography and we chose Legends and Leagues from Veritas Press since we were doing their self paced history too. I like it a lot and I especially like the geography CD that goes along with it. You really do remember what you sing! So the kids have the songs all memorized but even though the workbook has them labeling countries and capitals, etc, they sure couldn't do it from memory. Is that ok?? In another thread I had started, someone mentioned the Simply Charlotte Mason "Visits to...." series and after looking at those a little, I'm thinking about doing that next year! We'll be doing New Testament and Greece and Rome and Veritas Press recommends doing Legends and Leagues East, which is Asia and Australia. I see that the "Visits to" doesn't have an Asia book out yet. So should I just stick with Legends and Leagues another year, and then maybe to go the Visits to when we are doing Europe ? Am I thinking about this too much and should I just stick with what's working? And is it just fine that they're not really memorizing anything more than the names of the countries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 (edited) My oldest did continent blobs in second grade (drawing and labeling continents, oceans, great circles). In third, she's doing Brookdale House's Drawing Around the World US. For a nine-year-old, she does a pretty reasonable freehand of a world map. Her US map is coming along, about 2/3 of the way through. We will probably move onto Brookdale House's Drawing around the World Europe for fourth. It only takes 20 minutes and my kid can do it independently. I hope to start my second child on continent blobs in first grade, but we'll see how his handwriting is coming along. Edited February 24, 2016 by MrsWeasley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF612 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Errr we do virtually none. At least in that we don't have a set curriculum for it. We've dabbled here and there when it comes up in other things. Off to research geography curriculum for next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSinNS Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 We did no geography up to this point (other than looking at maps when people were interested.) ds 11 is doing Ellen McHenrys Mapping the world through art and he's reading Marco Polo and we have a big, beautiful atlas to look at. We will see how that goes. So far so good but it will take some time to see what sinks in. The biggest thing, though, is just looking at maps when kids have questions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 We did the Google Earth book one year -- very basic world geography and some map/Google Earth skills. Our history incorporates mapwork, so they learn the geography in context. This year, we are also using Trail Guide to US Geography and 50 States and Where to Find Them, with an emphasis on learning the US state capitals and abbreviations, plus geographical terms. We are taking a cursory look at interesting facts, symbols, and mottoes for each state, plus a map page for each state, and we look at the occasional noteworthy landmark for certain states. We are also reading the Holling C. holling books. Next year, we are planning a similar approach but for world geography, and that will encompass art, music, and monuments from around the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raifta Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 We have done some Canadian geography and we did continents/oceans at one point but I assure you that none of that has stuck (to the point where DS did not know what country we lived in when I asked him today). We have done lots of work on mapping and reading maps but not so much on where in the world things are. Part of my problem is that I have nowhere to hang up our pretty world and country maps. Our walls are completely covered in bookshelves or windows it seems with a bit of artwork thrown in the small spaces. But no wide open spaces for maps. This year we seem to be focusing more on History and I'm trying to show them where things are happening on our little blow up world globe but it's pretty hard to get a good feeling for things from that. Signed, another person who is off to research Geography curriculum for next year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 We do a ton of geography here, but it is not the type of geography most modern educators focus on. It is the geography in vintage geographies that overlaps with earth science, astronomy, nature study, and the ability to understand literature and cultures. The stuff that doesn't change. It has been a very long time since we have filled out the countries on a black line map. We do more geography than history. We do more natural science instead of rushing into topics that are not daily relevant to students' lives. I really like Payne's Geographical Nature Studies, C.C. Long's Home Geography, and Charlotte Mason's Geographical Reader 1. In the past, and still today among the Amish, geography and health were the sciences prioritized. But geography was different. It focused on what didn't change, not ever-shifting political boundaries. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Part of my problem is that I have nowhere to hang up our pretty world and country maps. Our walls are completely covered in bookshelves or windows it seems with a bit of artwork thrown in the small spaces. But no wide open spaces for maps. Years ago we had a world map shower curtain. I don't recall where it was from (too long ago to matter anyway), but if you Google for it you might be able to find one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 We do a ton of geography here, but it is not the type of geography most modern educators focus on. It is the geography in vintage geographies that overlaps with earth science, astronomy, nature study, and the ability to understand literature and cultures. The stuff that doesn't change. It has been a very long time since we have filled out the countries on a black line map. . This description is what we call 'Geography'. We do it for 1-2 hours per week during grade 2-12 Besides that students learn Topography for 1/2-1 hour per week during grade 4-8/9 Words are sometimes so confusing... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 This description is what we call 'Geography'. We do it for 1-2 hours per week during grade 2-12 Besides that students learn Topography for 1/2-1 hour per week during grade 4-8/9 Words are sometimes so confusing... Are you outside the USA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Are you outside the USA?Yes,I'm Dutch living in Belgium. Above is a Description of the Dutch sequence. Belgium starts to Topography in grade 4, your description of Geography in grade 7. Our examtopics for grade 12 Geography are Space and Earth Science... (In Belgium Geography belongs to the sciences, and not social studies during grade 11/12 so the science track has more hours 'Geography' then a languages track) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 We did physical geography while hiking and on road trips. My boys played stack the states and stack the countries. They learn to read an old atlas which we got for free and plot a trip using Google maps. We did not do human geography since none of my boys were keen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) We actually never did it as a separate subject, but always had the maps out in the context of world or US history. When we studied US history, we focused on things like the routes explorers took (and drew those on our world map), where the original colonies were and things like the Louisiana Purchase and the Mason Dixon line, and then the states etc... With world history, we talked about continents and oceans, located countries, important mountains or rivers, capital cities or other large cities, and so on. My goal was always familiarity, so we didn't major on memorization though we did spend some time working on it. Edited February 26, 2016 by MerryAtHope 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 One semester with WTMA. And then life and travel, you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Geography where I live seems to be a mix between geography and earth science. My daughter in 3rd grade has been doing geography through Story of the World with a world map and also with a discussion of current world news. We are emigrating in a few weeks time so we have also been doing the differences between where we are now and where we are going, studying time zones and biomes. We do geography daily as it is part of life, but we also do about an hour of more formal work a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 We do about an hour a week for about 34 weeks. Also about 10 min/week of map skills (maybe 22 weeks). We did Trail Guide to World Geo over two years (one year physical, one year cultural/animals, etc.). We are doing Trail Guide to U.S. Geo this year. IMO one hour per week is MORE than enough. Next year I plan on just doing geography games and songs. I am frankly a bit burned out with geography. =P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 One semester with WTMA. And then life and travel, you know.How was that class? Worth the time/money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamoose Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Also looking at geography, for next year--anyone find anything they liked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 How was that class? Worth the time/money?It's not DS's favorite subject but I think the class is fine. they are certainly covering a lot more than I would have at home, so in that respect yes it is worth the $. But I have a heavy outsourcing bias, and if I can outsource it, I will.The class has weekly quizzes and as a parent I appreciate that. We have classes DS loves but I basically have no idea what goes on ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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