After the writing, the spelling, the flash cards, the fact sheets, and any and everything in between, trying to squeeze in a little world geography as well might be a little tricky. There’s so much great subject matter to pack into each homeschool day, sometimes geography gets overlooked.
I think I’ve figured out the secret to studying world geography every day though. Are you ready?
Sneak it in. And, like everything else I do, keep it simple.
Here are five simple ways to study geography:
1. Charlotte Mason Map Work
This is something I came across recently. The concept is super simple and it’s something that we do during our Morning Meetings.
Basically, you give your child a blank map of an area. (We’re going continent by continent.) Ask them to fill in any countries that they know. Then give them a labeled map of the same area and have them copy two more countries onto their map.
Every time you pull out your map work, have them add two more countries onto the blank map. Within a couple of weeks, the repetition will help your child (and you!) recognize the countries and their placement. I’m amazed at how simple and efficient this task has been for us!
2. Picture Books
Don’t underestimate the power of a little thing like a picture book. We have learned tons from so many great picture books. Just yesterday we read about the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Although this book was about her life and ballet, it covered Russia’s climate, some of its history, and the culture of Russia.
A quick Google search “picture books about France” will give you lots of great book ideas. Read them on the couch in the afternoon or before bed. Or just set them by a pile of blankets and they’ll get read.
3. Dinnertime
Eating foods of the geographical area you are studying is a great way to explore different cultures. Search your city for restaurants that feature different foods. Be brave and try something new!
If you’d rather stay home, create a feast at home and make your own pad Thai, Swedish meatballs, or sauerkraut. There are some great cookbooks out there with plenty of recipe ideas too.
4. Add-on to Other Subjects
When I feel like we haven’t touched on geography for a while, I just add it on to another subject we’re already doing well at the moment. Adding geography to history is really easy. Just have your kids study maps of the areas you’re studying.
Add geography into your unit studies or writing by having your kids write about different places around the world. Hanging up maps in your schoolroom or other frequently trafficked areas will help your kids become more familiar with the world around them too.
5. Background Music
I love listening to music from other countries. While you’re doing copywork or making dinner with your kids or eating breakfast, have some music playing in the background.
We love the Putumayo collection of music because they have songs from places like Latin America, France, Africa, India and more. I am also in love with Pandora and will create a station for whatever country or area we are studying at the time.
Music creates a feeling about a culture more than just reading about it or looking at a book. Have some great music playing in your house and talk about it while you go about your day.
These are just five quick and simple ways you can add a little more geography into your days, but if your kids are like mine, the more you do with them the more they’ll want to do, so you might want to create some more room in your lesson planner for geography.
What are some ways that you sneak geography into your homeschool day?
I don’t teach geography separately. Usually, depending on what we’re learning about or what book we’re reading, I’ll say, “Hey, let’s go look at the map and see how far away it is from us.” After that, I’ll move to the globe and we’ll do the same thing. Easy!
We keep a large wall map in the hallway that we mark on with dry erase markers. We love the show The Amazing Race, and after every episode we plot the racers path on the big world map. The kids absolutely love it! It is our favorite TV show and they learn so much geography.