Let's Go Geography knows how to make elementary geography fun!
Here at Let's Go, we are told again and again how a child was initially balking at the idea of learning geography...until they experienced Let's Go Geography.
With Let's Go in place, the same child asks to do geography . . . even more than the once a week that it's scheduled!
So what's the Let's Go secret to making geography fun?
Here's the scoop!
Elementary Geography Needs CRAFTS & COLORING
Great CRAFTS & COLORING
should be in every lesson.
This helps kids remember the big ideas about each country.
This is listed first, but crafts and coloring for elementary geography are really the icing on the cake; that is, these things usually wrap up a lesson. It's usually the last thing that happens in every lesson to reinforce the learning.
And it's the part of the lesson kids look forward to the most!
By the time kids get to the crafts and coloring with Let's Go Geography, they have already explored the theme country, learning facts and other interesting tidbits of information. At this point, the hands-on activity is simply celebrating a highlight of the featured country.
But it's listed here first because it is SO IMPORTANT!! Kids like to create. And kids usually learn more when they're doing more than reading or writing.
Not to mention they have something they're proud of to share with relatives or friends, which gives them another opportunity to review with others what they have learned.
Of course, you should always encourage the child write the name of the country on the craft project to further reinforce the connection! Here's a taste of some of the crafts we do at Let's Go.
Elementary Geography Needs MAP & FLAG ACTIVITIES
Maps and flags are to geography what food and shelter are to living! Even for elementary geography, they are the bare-bones essentials.
With that said, they don't need to be BORING! The key word here is "activities." Maps and flags are something elementary kids should DO or CREATE.
Here are some examples:
For maps, you should be finding things, circling things, coloring things, and even playing games. Like "I Spy with My Little Eye." Or have races to find things by following teacher-led directions.
Flag activities are even better, at least at Let's Go Geography! The flags in Let's Go need to be colored. They are not complete as is.
Then after coloring, the flags are glued in a special place.
And at Let's Go, you have a choice for what that place is.
Each lesson comes with a "Flags of [that Continent]" page. So that's an obvious choice. This page can be kept in the student's Geography Binder (AKA Travel Journal).
The second place to put a flag is a Geography Passport. Let's Go Geography offers Passports just for this purpose, with pages decorated by continent. The student glues the flags on the appropriate continent page. At the end of the year, his/her Passport is full of flags!
Elementary Geography Needs PHOTOS & VIDEO
Use PHOTOS & VIDEO clips
to show each country.
A picture is worth 1,000 words!
Yes, a picture is worth 1,000 words, but my guess is that for the elementary student it's worth even more!
Kids needs to SEE things to understand and relate. That doesn't mean that reading is ignored.
It just means that photos and videos are not ignored.
In this digital age, photo and video content is at our fingertips. And a lot of it. The problem comes in sifting through all the good and the bad to find things appropriate for kids.
The good news is that Let's Go Geography does that for you.
Plus, Let's Go delivers video links in the safest way available...usually through SafeYouTube.
Elementary Geography Needs Lots of OPTIONS
In a perfect world, all education should have lots of options because all kids learn differently. And the same could be expected from a good elementary geography curriculum.
Some kids are avid or advanced readers. These kids need additional reading choices.
Geography information on any particular theme is available on the internet, in a good atlas, or at your local library. And Let's Go Geography points you to all of these.
But reading isn't the only "extra" to add to geography. Other kids love to express themselves by writing down their ideas. So Let's Go gives you decorated writing sheets for "notebooking" options.
Another, more advanced option is for kids to make a Geography Glossary, adding a new geography term to it every week, all year long. This option is for the more advanced elementary student or for the older student.
Elementary Geography Should Explore REAL PLACES
Elementary kids vary in their ability to understand certain geography concepts.
For instance, younger kids are just beginning to grasp the idea of the world being a huge sphere that is suspended in space. The whole idea of how big the earth is and how tiny we are in relation to it...they have a little trouble grasping all of that.
Yes, some things can be overwhelming for the younger ones.
But no matter what age, everyone understands real people and real places! So for elementary geography, start there.
Teach the world by visiting the world. Show kids real people that live in real places, far different from their own.
All the other concepts and terms can spring from that base.
This makes it not only understandable for younger elementary grades, but enjoyable, too!
Let's Go Geography is the Best Elementary Geography
Let's Go Geography is built on these 5 principles. With all of these items in place, the curriculum can be used for a wide range of grades, adapting a little here and there to fit.
Geography could be, and should be, the best part of your homeschool day. And Let's Go Geography can help you with that!
