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Dawn
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But before you answer that question, take a look at Alison's post: How Do We Study Geography in Our Family? It is a wealth of ideas!
So, how does your family study geograpy? What topics are you studying this year? And how do you plan to go about it? 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
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Dawn
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Oh! I was just at Donna Marie's blog and remembered her fabulous geography post: Hands-on Geography! More great ideas! 
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MaryM
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And Kim had this informative geography post.
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Karen T
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I just bought The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide by maggie hogan and Cindy Wiggers and have read almost all of it. It really looks like something I can use for all my kids (the front of the book says K-12) - it has suggestions on what to cover for each level but also how to combine for different ages, etc. It shows how you can tie geography into not only history but also science, even math.
Someone on another list I'm on looked at it primarily for the timeline figures and didn't like it. I have to agree; they're OK but not the greatest in either scope or appearance, but I didn't buy it for them (I usually get pics from Google Image) but the info on making a timeline (wall, book or card format) is good.
I'm really excited about geography this year; in the past I've just tried to have ds fill in some outline maps of whatever history period we were doing, but this goes so much further. It has lots of reproducible maps, forms, etc., suggestions for games for all levels, and even shows how to cover geography from a literature base, using Hans Brinker as a detailed example (chapter by chapter)
karen T
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Cay Gibson
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Funny this thread got revived today. 
What you do is start to throw away a first grade Abeka history workbook that you bought at a used book sale because it was full of lovely colored photographs of our country's history. Since you feel it has served its purpose for the past two years and is too juvenile for your third grader, you go to pitch it in the trash.
The third grader spies it in your hands and takes possession of it. Looking at it with new eyes, she begins asking questions:
"Mom, where's Niagara Falls? Where's Mount Rushmore? Where the Black Hills? Where's Williamsburg?"
Out comes the map of America, an atlas featuring each state, and Uncle Josh's map outline book. The third grader spends the next hour and a half with her nose in the atlas and history workbook, labeling the places on her map.
It was not in the plans (the book wasn't even in her curriculum basket or on the booklist), but I can guarantee that it was an hour well spent and a lesson learned.
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Cay Gibson
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lapazfarm
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Cay isn't it funny and wondeful how those things just happen! You just never know what little thing they will latch on to next!
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Theresa
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Dawn
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I saw these International Landmark flash cards in my Chinaberry catalog this morning. Kind of fun! Though I could probably make up a homemade version with some blank flash cards I bought at the teacher store recently ...
Our family is going to focus on European geography this year: landforms, climate, countries, cultures, wildlife, etc. We're using Geography of the World by Jayne Parsons as a starting point. I may divide the study up by looking at one European country in detail each month.
We're also going to do a rabbit trail in the late fall-early winter looking at the poles and polar exploration; we have some neat family history that ties into that.
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stacykay
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We will be studying the European continent, too! We went through Africa, then Asia (actually, we are still going over Japan and then we are done!)
This isn't very technical, but we start off with the outline maps and fill in the countries (Africa took a couple of days!) Then I ask them what countries sound interesting to them, and jot them down. Every other week, we would get a new book on a new country from the library. If there was a country I wanted them to learn a little something about, I would sandwich it between their choices.
I read a chapter a day (covering most of the book in two weeks, leaving out things not pertinent for them to know) and they narrate back. If it lends itself to illustration, they do that, too, while I am reading.
For some countries, like India, we did a rabbit trail on Mother Teresa, or ones on interesting animals from whatever country, etc.
This doesn't cover every country, but I try to get countries from all over the continents, so they get an idea of the different cultures, by region (like how different northern and southern Africa are, from each other.)
I have a binder divided by continents, and they put their pages in (in page protectors, because they can be kinda rough on them  ,) using alphabetical order.
I have all the continent dividers in, so when something comes up and they are taken to the opposite end of the earth we are studying, we can file those pages right away (otherwise, I would probably lose them  !)
This year, for Europe, we will include the countries that our family is from, and also countries family has visited. (When we studied Asia, I included the Philippines and Japan-where my dad was during ww2, and Korea-where my fil was during, uh, Korea .)
I look forward to checking out all your great suggestions!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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lapazfarm
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Dawn, I like the flashcards. I can think of lots of ways to use them, but 14.95 does seem a bit "spendy" for me. If you decide to make them yourself, how do you think you will go about it? Google the landmarks and then paste them onto the cards? How will you decide which landmarks to include? Will you do them all ahead, or make them as you study each country?
Inquiring minds want to know!
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Dawn
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lapazfarm wrote:
Dawn, I like the flashcards. I can think of lots of ways to use them, but 14.95 does seem a bit "spendy" for me. If you decide to make them yourself, how do you think you will go about it? Google the landmarks and then paste them onto the cards? How will you decide which landmarks to include? Will you do them all ahead, or make them as you study each country?
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Well, Theresa, I'm not completely sure! But I bought these Make-Your-Own Pocket Flash Cards the other day and thought I'd start with those.
I think we'll focus on European landmarks (perhaps those notable from the Middle ages). I'll look in books and do google searches. Photocopy and/or print out full-color images to fit the cards on front and then type up information boxes to fit on the back. After adhering the printed information to the cards, I'll laminate them for sturdiness.
It would be fun to fill an index card box with landmark cards from each continent eventually! (I'm getting ahead of myself though - I do that a lot! )
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Diane
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For anyone studying Europe this year, I'd be happy to send your dc a little package of goodies from Belgium.
If I can, I'll also send your family a postcard from the countries we hope to visit this year---Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and the Netherlands. I wish I had thought of this sooner---we could've added a few more countries to the list. Alas, no trips to Italy this year. Sigh.
Just pm me with your name and address. I'm happy to do it.
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Diane
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aussieannie
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Dawn,
We bought this second hand recently: Mapping the World by Heart It looks to be alot of fun, very hands on and we have just started, my son is loving it!
God Bless, Anne
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Karen T
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In The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide, they talk about how no single atlas will have everything you need to look up and it's best to have several. I'd like to know if any of you have good ones to recommend. We have the Rand-McNally historical atlas that was pretty good for ancient history but I need a good modern one (or two preferably)
Karen
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Dawn
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Diane wrote:
| For anyone studying Europe this year, I'd be happy to send your dc a little package of goodies from Belgium. |
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Diane, thank you so much! I will send you a pm straight away!
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rivendellmom
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I would have never thought of it but my boys learned a ton from our US road atlas. When we were on the road I had to sit in the back of the van with our youngest and DH had no navigator. So, the three boys took turns with the atlas. My DH couldn't believe that they had no idea how to use one:( But they all picked it up in a few minutes and had a great time finding alternate routes and watching for rest stops. They loved turning the page into another state. Even if you aren't actually on the road, I thought it would be great fun to have the kids plan different trips from home. They could map out the routes and tell why they chose one route over another etc.
We will be practicing more hands on travel this year- DH just got word that we will be going to Calcutta in January! The company will pay for all of us to go for 3 months! I'm excited and nervous. That will be some real life geography!
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lapazfarm
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Wow,Jen! Calcutta! What an opprotunity!
We use our US road atlas alot, too. Our World Atlas is great, but for more detailed, local stuff, you can't beat good old Rand McNally!
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Karen E.
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Diane wrote:
| For anyone studying Europe this year, I'd be happy to send your dc a little package of goodies from Belgium. |
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I'll be pm'ing too ... Geography Club details have yet to be worked out, but it's a priority this year~
Thanks, all, for all the great tips!
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Karen E.
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Karen E.
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rivendellmom wrote:
DH just got word that we will be going to Calcutta in January! The company will pay for all of us to go for 3 months! I'm excited and nervous. That will be some real life geography! |
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Wow -- no kidding! How cool ... keep us updated?
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Karen E.
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rivendellmom
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Karen,
Sure thing. We go to get the kids passports next week. I'm more than a little nervous due to the world situation. But, I can't think of any other time that we'll get a free trip for 7 of us around the world! We'll got from chicago to Frankfurt to India, then on the way back we go from India to Hong Kong to Chicago. Actually around the world!
Jen
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lapazfarm
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rivendellmom wrote:
We'll got from chicago to Frankfurt to India, then on the way back we go from India to Hong Kong to Chicago. Actually around the world!
Jen |
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That is amazing!I am so jealous!LOL!
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Theresa
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: How do you study geography?
