Do you do geography? What books/curric. do you use? m...

[Stacey in MA]

I have done a maps workbook with DS8 last year. It taught basic maps essentials. He enjoyed it, and I find the topic valuable, so I'd like to continue with a another maps/geography workbook. I would ideally like the United States to be the center of this study - perhaps a study of each state.

Do you know of any good geography books that are in workbook format for these purposes? (DS8 is 3rd grade age, but can work at 3rd-6th depending on the material).

Thanks all!
- Stacey in MA

[JFS in IL]

I am using the World Geo for the second year (this time Intermediate Level). i like that I can add in as many projects as I want, when i want ...or just do the daily two questions and map work. DD, 11, asked to do World Geo again over Am. Geo.

[K&Rs Mom]

I haven't used them, but Evan Moor has a daily geography workbook that looks good, and offers several choices of grade level. Weekly Reader has one also, but I've been pretty disappointed with their stuff - it seems way below the grade level it's marked.

[OceanBreeze]

If it's mapwork you want the Daily Geography Practice mentioned above is very good. They have a different book for each grade.

Jenelle

[6packofun]

Every day our kids take turns shooting a nerf dart gun at our laminated world map on the wall. We read the information from our DK geography book for whichever country the dart lands on and then they fill out a sheet I found online. They draw and color in the country's map, sometimes draw and color pictures of the major exports/natural resources. Capital, population, type of government, interesting facts and other stuff go on the sheet and then they put it in their binder. We discuss landforms and map skills as we go.

Works for the 6yo up to the 13yo and they all have fun doing it. Quick and easy!

[nancypants]

We use Modern Curriculum Press (http://plgcatalog.pearson.com/program_multiple.cfm?site_id=12&discipline_id=809&subarea_id=4521&program_id=225). It's very easy, super straight forward and basic. We like it a lot.

[Plaid Dad]

I like Evan-Moor's Geography Units (http://www.evan-moor.com/Series.aspx?CurriculumID=7&SeriesID=54). There's one for each continent.

[Sharon H in IL]

Don't have any workbook suggestions, but we keep a small shoebox bin of National Geographic maps. When we read history, we frequently grab the shoebox and pull out the appropriate map.

My 11yo has been enamoured of doing this since he was four. He insisted one day that I explain WW II to him using the map of Europe. Well. I gave it the old college try, and he kept asking more and more questions.

Maps stimulate a lot of interesting discussions around here.

[Debbie in IL]

based on Trail Guide to US Geog. He created a 4-page packet for each state with a variety of questions, from math-related ones (compare the population per square mile of a particular state with that of the US as a whole) to mapping questions to short essays. My dc (ds 10 and dd 12) complete one state per week and we mail it off to my dad in NH. I don't even look at it. :) It's all up to my dad, which is wonderful. He corrects their work and sends them an email with his comments as well as additional info he has come up with about that state (he is a geog / history nut).

This all started with my dad asking what he could do to help me at the beginning of the year. I told him that I was feeling good about everything I was teaching, but that I hadn't figured out how to fold in geog yet. He offered to take a look at the materials I had purchased...I sent those to him, and he called back a week later asking if he could teach the course! Dh and I are so thankful that he wants to be so involved with our kids' education. It is truly a blessing.

Deb

[SnowWhite]

The Complete Book of Maps and Geography from Sam's Club is a workbook, colorful and fun and might suit your purpose. (grades 3-6) It has a page for each state as well as the countries of the American continents and the continents of the globe.

[Stacey in MA]

Thanks for offering all of those suggestions! I will take a peek and see what fits. There is actually a lot out there, and I have gone down "curriculum road" a time or two, wasting plenty of money along the way! So having recommendations is a great way to avoid the bad ones....

Thanks! - Stacey in MA