Four Little Penguins: Going Around the World at Our Kitchen Table

Welcome back to the 2016 Virtual Curriculum Fair! This week we are talking about Exploring Our World. For me, that means Geography.

It took me awhile to figure out how to teach Geography to my kids, mainly because it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted them to learn! Personally, I love Geography. I love maps, exploring different cultures, learning about what makes regions different and all the fun little quirks around the world. So I wanted to communicate that love of people and culture and the wonders of creation to my kids.

One of the things I have learned is that the best way for my kids to learn is for them to take ownership of the process. I have to offer the means, put a system in place, and then step back and let them run with it.

So this is what we are doing for Geography this year...

I have a lot of resources. I chose ones the kids could use independently and made a list. Every day, the kids pick one thing off the list and work on it. So they could be drawing a map, coloring a flag, doing a puzzle, playing a game, listening to a song, reading a book, watching a video, answering a quiz, etc. etc. etc. I try to keep track so they are doing a variety. And that's pretty much all there is to it.

First, we have tons of resources because I have been collecting them for a long time.

Galloping the Globe

Uncle Josh's Outline Map Book

Draw Europe

a couple of wall maps (one I don't know where it came from and one from Mardel)

a scrunch map

a globe (bought from Mardel)

a lot of different atlases (basically whenever I find one cheap, I pick it up)

Geography songs and the book that goes with it

Geo puzzles

The Global Puzzle

wall charts

Eat Your Way Around the World

Geography from A to Z

Children Just Like Me

Missionary Stories with the Millers

Around the World in 180 Days

A Child's Geography

Children Around the World

We also use a lot of online resources:

National Geographic for Kids (fun place to explore)

World Atlas

Youtube (a great place to find short documentaries about countries, animals, cultural items and national anthems)

Sporcle.com (they work on the country and flag quizzes)

Seterra.net (more quizzes and these are easier for younger kids)

We also use apps:

Stack the Countries

Jigsaw Puzzle (has a lot of jigsaw puzzles of flags)

TapQuiz Maps

We get most of our reading material from the library. I like the Count Your Way Through... the Colors of the World... the ABC books... and the If You Were Me and Lived In... best, but I generally just get whatever the library has.

And finally, here is the link to my Pinterest board:

Geography