Geography Needle in Haystack?

[Maria/ME]

Hello:

I'm looking for a secular Geography Curriculum(or workbooks would be okay too if nothing) that isn't Galloping the Globe or Trail Guide. Neither has worked well for us.

Any ideas?

[BizyPenguin]

We're using and loving The Star-Spangled State Book and workbook from KnowledgeQuestMaps.com. We're also using some notebooking pages from HoldThatThought.com's US geography CDRom. There are several good geography products offered at Knowledge Quest and GeoMatters.com. Good luck! HTH!

[Elinor Everywhere]

Hello:

I'm looking for a secular Geography Curriculum(or workbooks would be okay too if nothing) that isn't Galloping the Globe or Trail Guide. Neither has worked well for us.

Any ideas?

We like Evan Moor for K-6. Simple, direct, no fluff; just geography.

http://www.evan-moor.com/Catalog.aspx?CurriculumID=7

We also like this free online geography game:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm

[Grace]

Evan Moor has a book on each continent. I have not used them but am considering them for next year.
http://www.evan-moor.com/Series.aspx?CurriculumID=7&SeriesID=54

This is another one someone recommended from Teacher Created Materials:
http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Second-Teacher-Created-Materials/dp/0743937996

I am not sure of what ages you are looking for but Calvert uses a textbook from Silver Burdett Ginn. I have seen it many times on ebay but it is for 6th or 7th grade.

Another one that I have heard about but not used is The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide but Maggie Hogan and it is adaptable for k-12.

Again, I have not used any of these but have seen them all mentioned, and will research some more when my time comes. HTH

[Grace]

If you are looking for the younger grades, how about
A Trip Around the World by Carson-Dellosa?
http://www.amazon.com/Trip-Around-World-Activities-Curriculum/dp/0788152661/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202305650&sr=1-2

The teacher made a "passport" book" and they got a sticker after each country. They did map work, cooked food from the country, crafts, etc.

[Linda in NM]

We enjoyed Evan-Moor; this year, we're using what's in Trisms, along with Mapping the World by Heart (kind of fun)...we also enjoyed the state and country puzzle books from Highlights.

[Maria/ME]

Thanks to all for their input! I will probably use Evan Moor to some degree and put together our own world study's, thanks again!

[Trivium Academy]

THere's Hillyer's A Child's Geography which is secular, I have an old copy which all you can find these days. Amy Voskamp created a new curriculum but made it Christian by the same name. Here's a review there the Hillyer book is mentioned

http://www.eclectichomeschool.org/reviews/individual_review2.asp?revid=2082

It could serve as an excellent spine. I intended to use it as a read aloud with both of my children when my son is old enough to sit and listen, he's 3 now. Lol.

For landforms and other type of world geography, The Geography Book by Caroline Arnold is a HIT here, we've been using it as an add-on for Earth Science this year.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Hello:

I'm looking for a secular Geography Curriculum(or workbooks would be okay too if nothing) that isn't Galloping the Globe or Trail Guide. Neither has worked well for us.

Any ideas?

I have gotten nice lesson plans (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/)from National Geographic. They also have My Wonderful World (http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/) which is a pro geography campaign.

I also have some nice children's atlases and geography activity books that are from Rand McNally (http://store.randmcnally.com/category/kid+stuff.do). The atlases come in at least three different levels. The activity guide that we have is probably upper elementary school level. It is fundamental but well done.

FWIW, I had an older version of the Hillyer Child's Geography book and had to get rid of it. The ways that peoples of other countries were referred to (appropriate to the era in which is was published) just grated on me.