How much geography in Preparing?

[laurelmarie]

After my last post and discussing things with my husband we will be doing Bigger then Preparing instead of skipping one (thanks ladies for the help). My original plan was to have a year of geography (MFW ECC) because I think it is important for dd to know the world before we get into world history. Is there much geography in Preparing? I figure there will be some, mainly from Africa and Europe, but what about other places?

[LynnH]

I remember some general Geography in Preparing. There is a geography box each week. Just don't remember exactly what all he studied. Where the geography really picks up is from CTC on. It is tied in with the history they are studying so they do mapping using Map Trek that focuses on those countries and areas that they are reading about. This really seemed to make a difference in my ds's ability to retain it because he wasn't just studying geography without anything to connect it to. You also read A Child's Geography of the Holy lands which has lots of cultural as well as geographical information about all the countries that they are reading about in the Ancient time period. It also has a time at the end of each country where you pray for specific needs of that country. In RTR you continue with the map trek mapping that has maps that were made specifically to go along with the HOD unit you are studying. In Rev to Rev and MTM the map trek CD's are again used.

[laurelmarie]

Thanks LynnH.

[Carrie]

laurelmarie,

Lynn did a great job of helping you! There are weekly geography sessions in Preparing Hearts, with the geography relating to the history that you're studying within Preparing Hearts. You will use the globe extensively to find the various places you are reading about, and since Preparing Hearts is a one-year overview of world history, you will be finding places all over the globe! There are also rotating skills within the geography box of Preparing that are base skills for a child to know. These include things like the continents, the oceans, the equator, the zones (temperate, polar, tropical, etc) and their locations, how to use lines of latitude and longitude to find a location (and what latitude/longitude is), time zones, etc. There are also maps right within A Child's History of the World that we utilize throughout the program as well. So, by the time your kiddos get through Preparing Hearts, they will have a good understanding of basic geography and a great idea of where things are in the world. They will also have an understanding of how boundaries and countries changed over time, and of the role physical geography played in these changes.

Blessings,
Carrie

[laurelmarie]

Thank you Carrie for the reply.
From your description, the geography taught in Preparing sounds like it is what I picture geography to be in a curriculum that includes it in there scope and sequence. Sadly, I have found a curriculum that claims it teaches geography within a history study is really just a few basic maps thrown in. This is one of the reasons I asked. Based on what you said this seems like a more then adequate amount of a geography study and will give my dd a feel for what is what.
Again Thank you
Laurel