Like most homeschool parents, I have a much better grasp on geography now than BH (before homeschooling). While we can’t take trips year-round, we do enjoy endless exploration with geography. Below are some of my favorite resources.
Geography comes up when we study history, art, current events, and different cultures. When we read nonfiction and fiction books. And, when we search for information on people, animals, plants, and all the wonderfully diverse parts of our planet.
I don’t feel like my children need to memorize all the countries and their capitals. But I do want them to have a sense of place – both locally and globally.
Learning World Geography
Colorado schools teach a semester of geography in high school, but homeschoolers tend to focus on it more throughout the K-12 journey. I believe that our homeschooling approach is the best way to learn geography. It’s integrated into our curriculum every year. We read or talk about a place and we look it up online. We use our globe and wall maps. And we supplement with other resources.
Two great resources for world geography:
Seterra.com is a free on-line resource with over 400 geography map quizzes. We use this regularly, but not frequently. Maybe a few times each semester. It’s a great way to get us oriented to the area of the world we’re studying. There’s a lot to explore on the website and we’ve really only skimmed the surface of this resource. Whether you’re looking for a quick overview or grooming the next Geography Bee National Champion, Seterra is worth a visit.
The second resource I love is a simple one I created. When my children were younger, they looked up the weather and time in different locations around the world every morning. It helped them (and me) gain an appreciation for the magic of our planet – a snowy winter morning here was the middle of the next night in Australia. And it was also summer there! How crazy is that? If you’d like to learn more about how I did this, I’ve included a link at the bottom of this post.
Learning Local Geography
An excellent way for all ages to learn local geography is through geocaching. Check out a free membership on geocaching.com. You’ll get general locations for geocaches and then follow clues on how to find them. It’s an excellent way to explore where you live, and also something you can do all over the world.
Paper v. Mobile Data
Having grown up in a paper world, I still gravitate towards printed maps. They make sense to me. North is always at the top of the page. Sure, it’s helpful to have someone tell you to turn right in 500 feet but it’s also worth learning navigation skills that aren’t dependent on mobile data.
Our library has a lot of maps for trails in Colorado and surrounding states. Take advantage of this free resource and check one out for a local (or not so local) hike. You can often also find free maps at trailheads. Live in a more urban area? Check out bus, train, subway, or light rail maps.
Ultimately, our children truly learn the local layout when they start to drive. You know how it goes – when you have a chauffeur, why pay attention to directions? When teens do start to drive, they’ll become a lot more aware of their location.
Whimsical Geography
If you’ve read books like Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and the Earthsea Trilogy, you’ve come across maps of fantasy lands. Over the years, I’ve had my children make maps for mythical lands of their own creation. They’ve even written about the political systems, economics, domestic products, trade, and international relations for the countries they create. It’s a fun break from reality with some good learning tucked in there.
I hope you and your children enjoy endless exploration with geography. It’s amazing how far we can travel without ever leaving our home!
Resources:
Seterra (online geography quizzes)
We are the World (this blog post includes directions to make daily geography time and weather sheets)
Geocaching (free, premium membership available for a fee)
And, don’t forget your local library.