Geography Made Interesting

 Geography seems to be one of those subjects that I don't spend a lot of time on.  Not because I don't think it's important but because I don't always know how to teach geography.  Looking at a map over and over can get a little boring.
My kids and I came up with a fun way to learn the states,  I pull out my large laminated map and geography flash cards. Without them seeing what state is on the card I tell them a state.  Each kid as a little toy, usually a lego guy, the first one to locate the state and put their piece on the map gets the flash card. The one with the most flashcards wins. I mix it up and tell them the capital or a few facts about the state and they have to guess what state it is. They are loving this way of learning their states and I am loving seeing how fast they are learning the states and can locate them on a map. Next, we will move onto the world map.

I'm using the flashcards from the Good and Beautiful here,
You can also find geography flashcards on Amazon

Geography is so much more than just learning where to find a state on a map or where to find a country on a map.  It is the study of the physical features of the earth,  such as the layers of the earth, composition, land, rivers, animals, and human life.

There are 5 main themes to consider when studying geography:

Location involves finding a reference to describe where a place is located on the earth. 

Place is the description of the human and physical characteristics of a location being studied. 

Human-environment interaction is the study of how the environment affects humans and how humans affect the environment. 

Movement is studying and describing anything that moves across the earth.  This could include migration of animals or humans. 

Regions is the classifying parts of the earth.  

Once you have discussed the 5 themes of geography with your little learners, Google Earth is an amazing application to use to actually see what you are talking about when you mention a location.  When you are studying a location, you can take a virtual tour using google earth.  We have visited the deepest part of the ocean, our backyard, Rome, the Grand Canyon and more. Using Google Earth brings to life the places we have studied about. We talk about the people there, rivers, animals, mountains, landmarks and where it is located on earth.  If you have an iPad, you can use the google earth app.  I prefer to use my laptop because the screen is bigger and my kids can gather around it a little bit easier. 

If you're looking for a little more hands-on with geography, head to the kitchen and make an edible map using sugar cookie dough.  Then enjoy eating your creations.

If your kids love games on the tablet check out Stack the States.

Be sure and check out the geography resources on Educents. If you're a first-time buyer on Educents, get your $10 off Coupon here.

For more hands-on Geography, check out Little Passports. My kids love the World Explorer subscription.

Leave a comment below...what is your favorite way to study geography? 

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