Country/Geography book?

[OhElizabeth]

If I'm looking for a book or two to guide our budding country study (rising 4th grader), what am I looking for? Any suggestions? I thought we were just going to spend 6 weeks on this (one week per populated continent, a different country focus each day), but now dd wants to spend MORE time and really go into it! I have the geo puzzles, plenty of fiction (thanks to your incredible lists and some things I had stashed), a map, the Trip Around the World books, GtG, etc. I guess I'm saying that I don't want her to read generally and not learn specifics. Any ways to make sure she learns some specifics without having it turn into more than it should be? Can anyone read my mind here? :)

[vmsurbat]

A Trail Guide to World Geography?

It is set up to cover world geography in 27 weeks. (The remaining weeks are for a unit study based on 80 Days Around the World)

It is just a guide book--not a lot of content--you would need other books/atlases for that.

Each week has a theme (South East Asia, North America (Canada), Eastern Europe, etc.) and two pages associated with it:

The first page entitled "Geography Trails" is a list of questions to be answered by the students that relate generally to the theme. They are divided into 3 levels (1-3, 4-6,7-9th grade) and 2 questions are given for each of 4 days. Sample questions from one day (all three levels) on the Africa page: Level 1: What African country forms a peninsula in the Indian Ocean? What three African countries have a coastline on the Red Sea? Level 2: Where is the longest river in the world and what is its name? Name 2 striking physical features of Ethiopia. Level 3: What countries make up what is called the Horn of Africa? What territory in northwest Africa is occupied by Morocco?

You can see that this page of questions gets your child poking into atlases and other resources. There is a brief answer key in the back, so you can always give "suggestions" on what to look for.

The second page for each week is called Points of Interests and it lists mapping possibilities, research projects, reminders to add to add to a geography notebook, and other things to do.

You can do a lot with just this book, but it often references the author's other (bigger, more expensive) book "The Ultimate Guide to Geography" which contains forms, content, flash cards (things to learn), and such.

Don't know if this is what you want, but it may be worth checking out. I do believe there is a sample page or two on the publisher's website.

HTH,

[Heather in VA]

Doesn't Evan-Moor have continent books? I remember seeing a few of them and thinking they were pretty good.

Heather

[Stacia]

A Trail Guide to World Geography?

We really enjoy the Trail Guide too.

A couple of good resource books to go along...
the Children Just Like Me books
Geography of the World http://www.amazon.com/Geography-World-Jayne-Parsons/dp/0756619521/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I350ORR5I85M55&colid=3NB8RP1MZGKWT
Material World and Hungry Planet

[MelissaM]

They are pretty good and easy to pick and choose what you feel is necessary for her to learn.

[OhElizabeth]

Wow, those Evan Moor books look really good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, that's what I was looking for and didn't know it! :)

I've seen the Trail Guides, and I don't know, they just didn't call to me. If the EM books weren't so cool, the Trail Guides are probably what I'd do.

Thanks! :)