Anyone ever created their own World Geography??

[StaceyinLA]

I need to get dd doing a WGeog and would like to do a semester of it starting now so we'll be done by June. Anyone have ideas on something I could do without buying anything? Anything online?

[Nan in Mass]

Check out the National Geographic site. A geographer here said that their curriculum (well, not really curriculum - list of projects is more like it) was fantastic. It is all on-line and free. We made our own: travel, The Geography Colouring Book, and a set of TC anthropology tapes. HTH

[mcconnellboys]

Use Around the World in 80 Days, along with blackline maps for the various continents/countries covered and some additional research, via internet, etc., on items of interest mentioned in each country visited.

Regena

[yinne]

I've never created my own World Geography course, but I did come across this on the Apologia website the other day.

In geography, she looked in the paper once a week and found a new locality. She then did a one-page essay on where the locality was, what its significance to the world was, what the economic base was, and what kind of government there was.

This came off the handout that goes with Jay Wile's talk on homeschooling through high school. He stated that he stayed away from textbooks for history and geography courses and the above is how he taught geography. At least it wouldn't be expensive!

Yvonne in NE

[StaceyinLA]

I think they only home schooled their daughter in high school. I know she was adopted as an older child/teen. It would be interesting to know what he did. Was this information on the site as well?

The Geography aspect sounds cool. My kids did something similar for US Geography. We just had a R&S State Coloring book, I printed off fact sheets that were blank and they filled them in from info in the encyclopedia, and then they wrote a short report on each state.

I guess I could start with continents and go from there...

If you know about his history technique, let me know. My 15yodd was just complaining about Notgrass and how it doesn't keep her attention. I'd love an alternative for her.

[RebeccaC]

It is not a formal course but I am giving a high school credit for it. I will try and explain what we are doing :rolleyes: This past fall we read the book Kon Tiki and mapped all the countries, surrounding countries and islands mentioned in the book. We do this with just about every book we read. I also require research on each country which means answering these questions;

1. capital of the country and placing it on the map

2. mapping and listing other major cities

3. how many people per square mile in country

4. total population

5. square miles in the country

6. the highest point is

7. mapping and listing the major rivers or bodies of water are

8. listing major religion

9. list annual income

10. agriculture

11. main exports listed

12. what the currency is

13. what the official language is

14. what the form of government is

15. what the climate is

16. list and map all mountain chains, deserts, ect....

This is not a one semester or even one year course but on going with all maps and research answers kept in a geography notebook. I have several atlases and the cd of Uncle Josh's Outline Map Collection that are used plus the Internet and on line encyclopedias. I type out what is to be done that week and give it to them with the maps to be labeled.

They also map any journeys made in a book that is read. With Kon Tiki ocean currents and winds were mapped and longitude and latitude were listed for each Island and country capital. Before Kon Tiki my sons read a bio on William Cary and they mapped the route taken from England to India, ocean currents and winds, labeled capes, oceans, bays, channels, each country and port lised, ect.....

My boys are in 9th grade this year and I figure that if we do this all four years of high school they will pretty much cover the planet and earn a full credit for high school in geography.

Hope this helps,
Rebecca

[mcconnellboys]

Oooooh, I love your ideas, thanks!

Regena

[StaceyinLA]

I'm not sure if my kids read enough stuff to make it work, but I'll surely try it and see how it goes!

[yinne]

http://www.apologiaonline.com/conf/

Click on The Handout for "Teaching High School at Home" video. You can see his ideas on this handout.

Yvonne

[StaceyinLA]

That makes a lot of sense, an seems pretty thorough. I mean how many kids really remember all the dreaded pages of reading they do for history anyway? I'm thinking I like this idea a LOT!!

Now to find me a good timeline, and start picking out pieces!