Notgrass Exploring World Geography: A Curriculum Review
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Notgrass Exploring World Geography
A Curriculum Review by Jennifer Smeltser
Since using Notgrass’ history curriculum, my children have been around the world, stopped in America, learned about their country, and explored the workings of its government, economics, and now we are learning more about the topography of those places using Notgrass Exploring World Geography. Not only are we revisiting many of the places we have already learned about, but we are also delving deeper and studying the landscape of the Earth, the environment, and places, as well as the people who live there.
Introducing Notgrass Exploring World Geography
Notgrass Exploring World Geography is the newest history curriculum in the high school series from Notgrass, and was first published in 2020. Although the curriculum, along with the other books in the history series can be used in any order, it is the perfect ending for a journey that has taken us full circle around the world.
The purpose of Notgrass Exploring World Geography is simple – to help students gain a better understanding of the world and answer two questions:
- How has the physical world made a difference in what people have done, how they have lived, and how they live today, and
- How have people made a difference in the physical world, and how they are making a difference in it today?
Geography, the “lay of the land” (also lie of the land), was created by God. Geography affects everything we do from planting seeds for food to sending soldiers to battle fighting in a war.
Notgrass Exploring World Geography is a one-year course in which a student may earn 1.0 credit each of World Geography, English, and Worldview/Bible. Assuming you are using the course for the World Geography credit, the course is still complete even if you do not use the English and Bible portions. We typically do not complete the Bible portions in the studies but do spend time reading the Bible verses and on occasion discussing them.
The curriculum package for Notgrass Exploring World Geography includes three textbooks. There are two main books, Part 1 and Part 2, that contain the lesson plan with daily assignments, course lesson content, and unit projects.
Part 1 – Some of the places we visit are Africa (Central, East, North, Southern, and West); Europe (Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western); Russia, and the Arctic and the Antarctic (Units 1 – 15)
Part 2 – Some of the places we visit are Asia (Central, East, South, and Southeast); China; Australia and New Zealand; the Pacific Ocean and its Islands; America (Central, North, and South); the Caribbean; the People of the World; and World Geography and You. (Units 16 – Unit 30)
The layout of the books is the same as in the other Notgrass curriculum studies. There are 15 Units that cover the previously mentioned sections in Parts 1 and 2, which each have five lessons delving deeper into the focus of the Unit.
Each Unit has a memory verse for the Bible credit, Books used, and at least three project assignments from which a student may choose to enhance the learning. Students can choose from about three projects to complete that complement what they are learning. An example of the projects are the following:
- Writing and presenting a newscast discussing the change in geography of a region.
- Drawing a picture of a special place the student would like to visit.
- Writing a five-minute drama about life in a refugee camp.
If you are new to the Notgrass curriculum, there is a section in Part 1 that walks the student (and parent) through how to use the curriculum, especially if a student is using it to earn all three credits.
Also included in Part 1 are sections about how to write research papers, and most importantly, an explanation of why geography should be studied. The physical world around us – mountains, farmland, forest – and how people respond affects history.
The Student Review Book includes lesson and literature review questions, Bible commentary, and literary analysis assignments.
The Quiz and Exam Book has weekly unit quizzes, and exams for the Bible, English, and History components. Students complete quizzes after each unit and the exams are done every five units. There are exams for Worldview/Bible, English, and World Geography after every five units.
The Guide for Parents and Answer Key includes the answers for all of the unit and lesson questions, quizzes, and exams for the Bible, English, and History studies.
Although the review pack is optional, we have found with all of the Notgrass history studies we have done that it is a great resource for reviewing and reinforcing what we learn in each study. Your student could complete the History portion of the course without the review pack, but we find all pieces of the pack quite helpful with completing the course.
If you plan to do the English and or Bible components, the review pack is a must. The literature comprehension questions promote critical thinking and also good conversation.
Diving into Notgrass Exploring World Geography
Throughout the study, vibrant color pictures of locations around the world cover the pages and entice students with places they can one day visit; if they have not already seen these places in person. Ray and Charlene Notgrass have visited and seen a lot of the places that appear in the history series they publish. They take the students as close as they can to wherever the history takes them in what they read.
For many of us who have not visited the places we read about in the curriculum, the pictures give us the feeling that we are there experiencing what we are reading about.
The Gazetteer is a hardcover book and a wonderful collection of maps. It provides students with a visual layout of the places they read about in Notgrass Exploring World Geography. Each map mentions the area’s population, government, major religions (if available), a geography highlight, and a fun fact. We have never been to Albania or Switzerland, but learned some fun facts about both.
Albania Fun Fact: “When an Albanians agree with you, he shakes his head from side to side. When he disagrees, he nods his head up and down”.
Switzerland Major Religions: Christianity (Roman Catholic) and Islam
Switzerland Fun Fact: “Switzerland has the highest per capita consumption of chocolate in the world.”
Hill Top, the home of children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, was the backdrop for the Peter Rabbit series she wrote.
As I have noted in other Notgrass curriculum reviews, the Notgrass family is unapologetically Christian, and that comes through in every lesson. As the student “travels around the world” while reading through the lessons, they learn a bit about other religions like Islam and Judaism, but everything that is written on the pages of the study brings the student back to Christianity and the Biblical principles of God.
I am sure it is a challenge choosing the literature books to include in the study. There are 12 books:
Know Why You Believe
Blood Brothers
Patricia St. John Tells Her Own Story
A Long Walk to Water
The Day the World Stopped Turning
Kidnapped
Lost in the Barrens
Boys Without Names
Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma
The Country of the Pointed Firs
Tales from Silver Lands
Each book is well-paired with the units they are going to read.
Notgrass Exploring World Geography is well laid out. Students are to complete one Unit each week, and one lesson daily for five days. The Student Review can be completed after each lesson either written or orally. I allowed my son to do oral responses for ease (and a time-saver) that allowed me to connect with him and to keep up with what he was learning.
The Guide for Parents and Answer Key made it easy for me to keep up without having to read every lesson.
The format for Notgrass Exploring World Geography is consistent with all of the history books Notgrass publishes. There is no learning curve from the elementary series to the high school series, so a student can move from year to year and onto a new study with ease. Once a student becomes a proficient reader, they could very well work through independently any one of the history studies.
Ray and Charlene Notgrass make learning history fun. They introduce students to people and events from the past and teach us the connection we have with both, and how much it all affects our lives today. History matters and is made every day, and the presence of God has been there all along the way.
Is Notgrass Exploring World Geography right for your family? Answer five quick questions to find out! You can then enter your email to download the first three units from any Notgrass History curriculum. Take the survey now.
Read Our Other Notgrass Curriculum Reviews:
- Exploring World History
- Exploring America
- Exploring Government
- Notgrass Exploring Economics
- Notgrass History — An Inspiring Elementary Curriculum
Bonita Jewel visited India when she was 16 and stayed for 12 years. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked as a freelance writer and editor for 13 years. Now settled in California with her husband and three children, Bonita's writing explores faith, family, belonging, and of course, the joys of writing, reading, and finding oneself part of a Greater Story. Find her at bonitajewel.com and bonitajewel.substack.com