This year my girls are earning high school credit for their geography studies. As I was contemplating how to fulfill their credit requirement, I knew that I didn't want to overwhelm them--I mean there are so many countries to study and places to learn about! The world it huge! How can we do it all? Well, the truth is, we can't do it all. There is not enough time to study and learn about every single country in the world plus all the other information that needs to be addressed in a high school geography curriculum. We also knew that we didn't want to just memorize facts and then forget them after the test. We wanted something fun and engaging but still manageable to complete without taking up our entire day OR encroaching into the other activities and subjects that we have. There are many excellent geography programs to choose from. Trust me when I say that I feel like I researched them all. At times I was really overwhelmed. There really are so many good ones. But which one to choose? Which one would suit my kids and their learning styles? I finally settled on North Star Geography (affiliate) as a spine for our geography studies. This book is a true treasure in disguise. At first glance the text looks deceptively simple. BUT once you really start investigating all of the extras included on the CD located in the book, you will realize that this has the potential to be a full curriculum. Of course I quickly realized that we wouldn't be able to complete every activity. And that's OK! I sat down with the girls and we chose which activities we wanted to complete for each chapter. We spend about 2 weeks on each chapter in the book. On the first day or two of the week they read the chapter. On subsequent days of the week they complete the chosen activities: note taking pages, maps, country fact files, hands on projects, and outside reading. This curriculum (affiliate) has wonderful suggestions for hands on projects, but we have chosen not to complete any of the hands on activity suggestions. In place of the hands-on activity suggestions, my girls are making their own travel jouranl. Each girl chooses a city that they would like to learn more about. Occasionally they choose a city that corresponds with the current continent we are learning about in North Star Geography, but more often than not, they just choose a city that sounds interesting. They research the city and learn all kinds of interesting facts about it--things to see when visiting, food to eat, something to do while there, traditional dress, and much more--then they record what they have learned in their Travel Dreams Journal (affiliate). This journal has many pages just waiting to be filled and decorated with the tidbits that the girls find while researching that city. I have purposefully not given them any guidelines to follow regarding their travel journal. They are welcome to fill the journal with as much or as little information as they wish. I really thought ok they might fill out a page or two, but I have been pleasantly surprised. At first they struggled with the idea of not knowing what I was expecting, but they have honestly exceeded my expectations! It is amazing how much they have learned about all these different cities around the world. I am also very impressed with the level of work that they have put into researching and learning. It seems like once the hard and fast rules were lifted, rules like you have to complete so many pages per day, or you have to write a certain number of paragraphs, they were free. And that freedom has allowed them to learn and grow independently. They have exceeded any expectations that I would have put on them. AND they have learned so much more than if I had sat and dictated what they needed to do. Every time we study a new country, I choose a read aloud to read to the entire family based in that country. Most of these are missionary type novels that have us riveted to our seats begging to read just one more chapter. In fact I'll admit to being tempted to cancel all other subjects that day just to read and find out more about the lives of these people we are reading about! The majority of each of these read aloud novels are from the International Adventures series from YWAM publishing. Each girl is also keeping a prayer journal. They read about a country in the 10/40 window and make notes on what to pray for during their personal quiet time with God. This alone has opened their eyes to the plight of children around the world. One more really neat and fun addition to our studies is the art lessons from ArtAchieve. There are several levels of art lessons available. We started out with level 2 because we had previously finished a series of art projects that gave my girls some wonderful art skills and knowledge. Also we were interested to learn more about the countries that are in the level 2 lessons. Each art lesson is based on art works from various foreign countries and come with links to learn more about the history and geography of each country as well as read literature and learn about the art styles from that country. You can read my complete review that I wrote last year if you would like to learn more. At the end of the year, these girls are going to each have an amazing notebook, personalized with their own learning adventure from the year. It sounds so simple, yet this method is certainly so powerful. Already we have had fabulous discussions about how other people survive in other countries. And I have heard the comment more than once that they wish they could actually go to the cities they are learning about in their Travel Dreams Journal (affiliate). Who knows? Someday we may actually be able to visit those places. But for now, visiting them virtually is the next best thing! Connect with me here: Twitter // Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook // Google+
Start your social studies class off with a daily Bell Ringer. Each day your students will research and learn about a different country, territory, or special collective. This bell ringer includes 40 weeks, which means that your entire year or entry task are done!
Where in the World? was inspired by my teen's North Star Geography studies. It can be fun to find out where places are in the world! FREE Printable cards.
High School World Geography projects for homeschoolers offer a unique and immersive way for teens to engage and understand world geography.
Using Informational Text as a Vehicle for Adventure Don't you wish we could take class field trips across the globe?! Well, today, I am going to talk about how to make your students world travelers by
If you've ever wondered how to make geography more interactive, this list of 100 hands-on geography activities for middle school is perfect for you.
Start your social studies class off with a daily Bell Ringer. Each day your students will research and learn about a different country, territory, or special collective. This bell ringer includes 40 weeks, which means that your entire year or entry task are done!
Teaching Geography is one of the best Social Studies gigs to get! There are so many amazing resources for teaching the course, and fun strategies for teaching Geography are also unlimited. Follow this Quick Tips for Teaching Geography Series to learn those strategies for your classroom! Quick Tips #1: Quick Start Ideas Starting class in […]
Where in the World? was inspired by my teen's North Star Geography studies. It can be fun to find out where places are in the world! FREE Printable cards.
Discover the best apps for learning geography, from countries and capitals to human geography concepts. Whether you're an adult or a high school student, these apps will help you perfect your knowledge of the world.
Easily teach your middle or high school class with this world geography scope and sequence that breaks down each week into topics and standards.
Have you clicked to street view in Google Maps, then accidentally found yourself 20 minutes later strolling down the street, caught up in exploring? GeoGuessr is a site that turns street view into a game, perfect for the foreign language classroom! Here's how to use Geoguessr in your classes!
Brand: Creative Teaching PressFeatures: Engage and inspire students with this 5 Themes of Geography 5-Poster Set. The 5 posters in this set cover core geography contentPerfect for elementary school GATE programs, plus middle school and high school classrooms.Poster set also includes an instructional guide with lesson ideas, classroom activities, and a reproducible.Each poster measures 17 1/2" x 24"Set contains 5 postersDetails: Engage and inspire students with this 5 Themes of Geography 5-Poster Set. The 5 posters in this set cover core geography content: - Location—definition of location, absolute location, relative location - Regions—definition of region, formal regions, functional regions, vernacular regions - Place—definition of place, physical characteristics of a place, human characteristics of a place - Movement—definition of movement, movement of people, movement of goods, movement of information and ideas - Human-Environment Interaction—definition of human-environment interaction, facts and examples (dig mines, irrigate fields, build homes) The posters feature vivid, engaging photography alongside easy-to-read text to capture students' attention, reinforce instruction, and foster learning. They help bring geography content to life and create a stimulating, standards-based classroom environment. Hang these bright, insightful charts to inspire students to learn about geography and encourage them to apply their knowledge outside the classroom. Display on a bulletin board, on a doorway, in a hallway, or in the library. A must-have for geography classrooms! Perfect for elementary school GATE programs, plus middle school and high school classrooms. Set contains 5 posters Each poster measures 17 1/2" x 24" Poster set also includes an instructional guide with lesson ideas, classroom activities, and a reproducible. Teacher Tip: Laminate posters for durability.Release Date: 05-08-2020Package Dimensions: 13x610x386UPC: 030554101502
Whether you're studying the United States or the World and its countries, these Geography Notebooking
Learn 14 different ways to make geography class fun, relevant and engaging for teachers and students.
Creating a differentiated and scaffolded World Geography Curriculum for special education and ELL students can be stressful! Here's my story.
The world geography homeschool curriculum from Paradigm Accelerated Press is a great open-and-go high school geography course. Perfect for independent learners!
Brand: Creative Teaching PressFeatures: Engage and inspire students with this 5 Themes of Geography 5-Poster Set. The 5 posters in this set cover core geography contentPerfect for elementary school GATE programs, plus middle school and high school classrooms.Poster set also includes an instructional guide with lesson ideas, classroom activities, and a reproducible.Each poster measures 17 1/2" x 24"Set contains 5 postersDetails: Engage and inspire students with this 5 Themes of Geography 5-Poster Set. The 5 posters in this set cover core geography content: - Location—definition of location, absolute location, relative location - Regions—definition of region, formal regions, functional regions, vernacular regions - Place—definition of place, physical characteristics of a place, human characteristics of a place - Movement—definition of movement, movement of people, movement of goods, movement of information and ideas - Human-Environment Interaction—definition of human-environment interaction, facts and examples (dig mines, irrigate fields, build homes) The posters feature vivid, engaging photography alongside easy-to-read text to capture students' attention, reinforce instruction, and foster learning. They help bring geography content to life and create a stimulating, standards-based classroom environment. Hang these bright, insightful charts to inspire students to learn about geography and encourage them to apply their knowledge outside the classroom. Display on a bulletin board, on a doorway, in a hallway, or in the library. A must-have for geography classrooms! Perfect for elementary school GATE programs, plus middle school and high school classrooms. Set contains 5 posters Each poster measures 17 1/2" x 24" Poster set also includes an instructional guide with lesson ideas, classroom activities, and a reproducible. Teacher Tip: Laminate posters for durability.Release Date: 05-08-2020Package Dimensions: 13x610x386UPC: 030554101502
The different futures that lie ahead (2021) These different temperatures present vastly different scenarios for our future. Scenarios our students need to know about in order to act. Factfulness (2…
Teaching Geography is one of the best Social Studies gigs to get! There are so many amazing resources for teaching the course, and fun strategies for teaching Geography are also unlimited. Follow this Quick Tips for Teaching Geography Series to learn those strategies for your classroom! Quick Tips #2: Name Games Learning the names of […]
These engaging and free geography websites your students to learn about the world in a fun and interactive way! Click for more information!
Part I, physical ; part II, descriptive.
This year my girls are earning high school credit for their geography studies. As I was contemplating how to fulfill their credit requirement, I knew that I didn't want to overwhelm them--I mean there are so many countries to study and places to learn about! The world it huge! How can we do it all? Well, the truth is, we can't do it all. There is not enough time to study and learn about every single country in the world plus all the other information that needs to be addressed in a high school geography curriculum. We also knew that we didn't want to just memorize facts and then forget them after the test. We wanted something fun and engaging but still manageable to complete without taking up our entire day OR encroaching into the other activities and subjects that we have. There are many excellent geography programs to choose from. Trust me when I say that I feel like I researched them all. At times I was really overwhelmed. There really are so many good ones. But which one to choose? Which one would suit my kids and their learning styles? I finally settled on North Star Geography (affiliate) as a spine for our geography studies. This book is a true treasure in disguise. At first glance the text looks deceptively simple. BUT once you really start investigating all of the extras included on the CD located in the book, you will realize that this has the potential to be a full curriculum. Of course I quickly realized that we wouldn't be able to complete every activity. And that's OK! I sat down with the girls and we chose which activities we wanted to complete for each chapter. We spend about 2 weeks on each chapter in the book. On the first day or two of the week they read the chapter. On subsequent days of the week they complete the chosen activities: note taking pages, maps, country fact files, hands on projects, and outside reading. This curriculum (affiliate) has wonderful suggestions for hands on projects, but we have chosen not to complete any of the hands on activity suggestions. In place of the hands-on activity suggestions, my girls are making their own travel jouranl. Each girl chooses a city that they would like to learn more about. Occasionally they choose a city that corresponds with the current continent we are learning about in North Star Geography, but more often than not, they just choose a city that sounds interesting. They research the city and learn all kinds of interesting facts about it--things to see when visiting, food to eat, something to do while there, traditional dress, and much more--then they record what they have learned in their Travel Dreams Journal (affiliate). This journal has many pages just waiting to be filled and decorated with the tidbits that the girls find while researching that city. I have purposefully not given them any guidelines to follow regarding their travel journal. They are welcome to fill the journal with as much or as little information as they wish. I really thought ok they might fill out a page or two, but I have been pleasantly surprised. At first they struggled with the idea of not knowing what I was expecting, but they have honestly exceeded my expectations! It is amazing how much they have learned about all these different cities around the world. I am also very impressed with the level of work that they have put into researching and learning. It seems like once the hard and fast rules were lifted, rules like you have to complete so many pages per day, or you have to write a certain number of paragraphs, they were free. And that freedom has allowed them to learn and grow independently. They have exceeded any expectations that I would have put on them. AND they have learned so much more than if I had sat and dictated what they needed to do. Every time we study a new country, I choose a read aloud to read to the entire family based in that country. Most of these are missionary type novels that have us riveted to our seats begging to read just one more chapter. In fact I'll admit to being tempted to cancel all other subjects that day just to read and find out more about the lives of these people we are reading about! The majority of each of these read aloud novels are from the International Adventures series from YWAM publishing. Each girl is also keeping a prayer journal. They read about a country in the 10/40 window and make notes on what to pray for during their personal quiet time with God. This alone has opened their eyes to the plight of children around the world. One more really neat and fun addition to our studies is the art lessons from ArtAchieve. There are several levels of art lessons available. We started out with level 2 because we had previously finished a series of art projects that gave my girls some wonderful art skills and knowledge. Also we were interested to learn more about the countries that are in the level 2 lessons. Each art lesson is based on art works from various foreign countries and come with links to learn more about the history and geography of each country as well as read literature and learn about the art styles from that country. You can read my complete review that I wrote last year if you would like to learn more. At the end of the year, these girls are going to each have an amazing notebook, personalized with their own learning adventure from the year. It sounds so simple, yet this method is certainly so powerful. Already we have had fabulous discussions about how other people survive in other countries. And I have heard the comment more than once that they wish they could actually go to the cities they are learning about in their Travel Dreams Journal (affiliate). Who knows? Someday we may actually be able to visit those places. But for now, visiting them virtually is the next best thing! Connect with me here: Twitter // Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook // Google+
Most world geography curricula are a compilation of boring maps & dry textbooks causing homeschoolers to eye-roll their teachers (you!) at the thought of doing more boring geography homework.
Latitude and longitude are an important part of middle school geography and with this scavenger hunt, your older kids will have no trouble mastering it.
Simple and Fun Homeschool Geography Ideas for High School. If you're looking for some simple and fun homeschool geography ideas for high school, I have a few resources.
Geography art projects for homeschooling high school! Salt dough world maps teach topography, continents, & oceans. Lots of homeschool geography ideas in this series!
Try our free AP Human Geography practice tests. A total of 7 tests which cover all of the topics in this course. Our AP Geography multiple choice questions are great for your exam review. More than a hundred online practice questions with answers and detailed explanations.
Brand: Creative Teaching PressFeatures: Engage and inspire students with this 5 Themes of Geography 5-Poster Set. The 5 posters in this set cover core geography contentPerfect for elementary school GATE programs, plus middle school and high school classrooms.Poster set also includes an instructional guide with lesson ideas, classroom activities, and a reproducible.Each poster measures 17 1/2" x 24"Set contains 5 postersDetails: Engage and inspire students with this 5 Themes of Geography 5-Poster Set. The 5 posters in this set cover core geography content: - Location—definition of location, absolute location, relative location - Regions—definition of region, formal regions, functional regions, vernacular regions - Place—definition of place, physical characteristics of a place, human characteristics of a place - Movement—definition of movement, movement of people, movement of goods, movement of information and ideas - Human-Environment Interaction—definition of human-environment interaction, facts and examples (dig mines, irrigate fields, build homes) The posters feature vivid, engaging photography alongside easy-to-read text to capture students' attention, reinforce instruction, and foster learning. They help bring geography content to life and create a stimulating, standards-based classroom environment. Hang these bright, insightful charts to inspire students to learn about geography and encourage them to apply their knowledge outside the classroom. Display on a bulletin board, on a doorway, in a hallway, or in the library. A must-have for geography classrooms! Perfect for elementary school GATE programs, plus middle school and high school classrooms. Set contains 5 posters Each poster measures 17 1/2" x 24" Poster set also includes an instructional guide with lesson ideas, classroom activities, and a reproducible. Teacher Tip: Laminate posters for durability.Release Date: 05-08-2020Package Dimensions: 13x610x386UPC: 030554101502
Many people mistakenly grow up thinking that geography is solely about knowing where places are on a map or the capitals of states and countries. When a famous person, or say a Miss America contestant, flubs a geographical location, his or her knowledge of geography will be called into question around the internet for ... Read More about What to Look for in a High School Geography Curriculum
Most world geography curricula are a compilation of boring maps & dry textbooks causing homeschoolers to eye-roll their teachers (you!) at the thought of doing more boring geography homework.
Latitude and longitude are an important part of middle school geography and with this scavenger hunt, your older kids will have no trouble mastering it.
Online homeschool classes. Students work in their own time BUT there are deadlines and all work is graded. Both full-year classes and electives are offered.
The World Geography: Maps of Europe Activity is a fun and interactive way for students to explore the geography of Europe. This activity includes a series of maps that allow students to examine the physical features, political boundaries, and cultural regions of Europe. Students will also learn about the history, climate, and natural resources of this diverse and fascinating continent. This activity is perfect for middle and high school students who are studying world geography or European history. It can be used as a standalone lesson or as part of a larger unit on Europe. Through this activity, students will develop important skills in map reading, critical thinking, and analysis. They will gain a deeper understanding of the geography of Europe, its importance in world affairs, and its unique cultural heritage. In addition to exploring the physical and political geography of Europe, students will also investigate the impact of historical events, such as the World Wars and the Cold War, on the continent's geography. This activity will help students appreciate the ways in which geography has shaped the history and culture of Europe. Overall, the World Geography: Maps of Europe Activity is an excellent resource for educators looking to engage their students in meaningful and interactive learning experiences. It will help students develop important skills and gain a deeper understanding of the geography and history of Europe.
Are you a history teacher looking for a new way to teach geography? In this blog post, we cover a new method for teaching geography: Geo-Power.
When Kathryne- my oldest- wanted to take geography this year as an elective in her senior year, I thought it was a good idea. But I wasn’t exactly sure what a high school geography course would consist of. To be honest, I didn’t learn much about geography in high school- or at any time throughout
